Cynicism is the new "cool"

[TitoFan]

Anyone could've seen this coming.

First the term Fake News becomes part of our daily vocabulary. Forget what you hear or see in the news. It's all fake. You're stupid if you believe what XY and Z program tells you. My truth is "truther" than yours because I saw it on YouTube. Your truth is fake because it differs from mine and besides, you saw it on (fill in the blank) channel. The news on TV or the Internet is fake because it goes against my guy (fill in politician's name here) and therefore it's fake. Only the station I say is objective is telling the truth.

Now the Flat Earth theory is taking off. It's been around forever, but in this age of jadedness and cynicism and Fake News, it seems like the perfect time to jump on that bandwagon (not too close to the edge of the world, however, lest you plunge into oblivion). Hundreds of years of science are suddenly false, because we can't see it in minute garage experiments, or comprehend the differences in scale.

Atheists are the ultimate cool. Don't believe in anything, really.... just blow everything else off. All with the consummate sneer on your face. Wish people dead..... who gives a shit. We're all too cool to care about that crap. We can sit back and engage as we like, sounding like the ultimate cool dudes (picture some on here with the famous "popped collars" and the Fonzie thumbs ups). Ask one of these atheists what they believe in, and they'll gag and bumble all over themselves, only to fail to provide an alternate explanation for anything. Nah..... it's not what you believe in. It's what you DON'T believe in. No commitment, no fuss, no explanations. Just hang back and look cool. Great stuff.

Kinda makes you wonder what's next. No news is real. No accepted science is true. History as we were taught never happened. The new norm is question EVERYTHING. Not because it's healthy, mind you. Questioning things has always been healthy and I agree with that. But DENYING everything is something else altogether. Climate change? A hoax. Moon landings? A bigger hoax. The Holocaust? Didn't happen. 9/11? Staged. Your opinion is different than mine? I hope you die. Mods jump into the fray, which makes things even more interesting.

I'm telling ya, if I didn't have umpteenth things to do (useful things), I'd probably spend more time here, eating popcorn and marveling at the shit that gets spewed daily on the forum. Kind of makes Brock's shit threads seem tame by comparison.

[Beanz]

Quite ironic and funny just how cynical your opening post is I understand what you mean and you illustrate it perfectly with the 'Fake News' phenomenon, but the one sided "only my station and side is telling the truth" tsunami has actually been refreshingly absent for a few days now.

To be fair to the flat earthers your theory of it being a bandwagon is not really born out here on the forum with just one poster subscribing to it. Not sure how many atheists there are but again I don't think your assertion they don't believe in anything and think they are the ultimate cool is that accurate either. Most atheist will belive in the innate ability of people to do good things for strangers without having the threat of some God's punishment hanging over them. Sure some are cynical like we all can be, but as an agnostic I really don't think adhering slavishly to any religious tradition is a sign of being a more committed or responsible person, for many it is just habit and/or precisely for the look of the thing.

You get very moral balanced believers, and absolute scummy and abusive bastards, both claiming to use the same book and worship the same God. Just like you get atheists who don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves and those who actually live their lives far more closely aligned with supposedly ChristianJudeo principles, then actual Christians/Jews whilst only ever claiming to be humanists etc

The conspiracy thing is incredibly interesting for me on many levels. Having grown up under a system in which almost everything I was told turned out to be a lie, I have no problem with believing the truth often being obscured with the deployment of smoke and mirrors by those in power. That same power though is abused by those who pedal some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories for profit, and the buzz that power and belief that they are privy to some unique secret gives them. Things like Holocaust deniers pretending there is some kind of censorship and cover up does nothing to help their cause when they are seeking to rewrite history to fit their own agenda. The extreme polarisation that many conspiracies promote are actually inherent and purposeful tactics designed to discredit the kind of rational discourse they are themselves saying is forbidden.


9/11 is a brilliant example. Even if you believe the authorities in control knew nothing about it before it happened there is very little rational evidence that could explain away how convenient the ensuing war on terror proved to be for western interests in oil rich middle eastern countries. It interweaves so intricately with climate change denial and then when people like Tony Blair are made Peace Envoys for the Middle East, all bets are off.

[Alpha]

I'll just put this these here again for Tito to start with:



As opposed to empirical sciences (natural and social), the formal sciences do not involve empirical procedures. They also do not presuppose knowledge of contingent facts, or describe the real world...Formal science is a method that is helpful to science but cannot replace science.

I describe natural science as observable, measurable, testable, repeatable, would you agree that that is the core of science?

That's the science part. (Oh and I have to keep mentioning that it's a knowledge, not a theory).

All the ancient civilization had believed in a FE, the globe model has only been in effect for the last 500 years or so. The Babylonians were fantastic astrologers, even being able to predict eclipses, they also believed the earth was flat.

We all know mainstream media, everything we watch, hear, read is what they want us to know from their side, and fits their agenda. We all know and it has been proven time and time again, that our governments lie to us.

I believe in a creator, but I have no empirical evidence of this, so it is not a fact, only a belief.

Now I am guilty of using the shill word, or claiming paid opposition, but I have been around this for awhile, and it is easy to see new YT channels pop up, with top quality production, and huge sub/ view numbers all in an instant.

And there are many anomalies in our history.

[TitoFan]

Quite ironic and funny just how cynical your opening post is I understand what you mean and you illustrate it perfectly with the 'Fake News' phenomenon, but the one sided "only my station and side is telling the truth" tsunami has actually been refreshingly absent for a few days now.

To be fair to the flat earthers your theory of it being a bandwagon is not really born out here on the forum with just one poster subscribing to it. Not sure how many atheists there are but again I don't think your assertion they don't believe in anything and think they are the ultimate cool is that accurate either. Most atheist will belive in the innate ability of people to do good things for strangers without having the threat of some God's punishment hanging over them. Sure some are cynical like we all can be, but as an agnostic I really don't think adhering slavishly to any religious tradition is a sign of being a more committed or responsible person, for many it is just habit and/or precisely for the look of the thing.

You get very moral balanced believers, and absolute scummy and abusive bastards, both claiming to use the same book and worship the same God. Just like you get atheists who don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves and those who actually live their lives far more closely aligned with supposedly ChristianJudeo principles, then actual Christians/Jews whilst only ever claiming to be humanists etc

The conspiracy thing is incredibly interesting for me on many levels. Having grown up under a system in which almost everything I was told turned out to be a lie, I have no problem with believing the truth often being obscured with the deployment of smoke and mirrors by those in power. That same power though is abused by those who pedal some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories for profit, and the buzz that power and belief that they are privy to some unique secret gives them. Things like Holocaust deniers pretending there is some kind of censorship and cover up does nothing to help their cause when they are seeking to rewrite history to fit their own agenda. The extreme polarisation that many conspiracies promote are actually inherent and purposeful tactics designed to discredit the kind of rational discourse they are themselves saying is forbidden.


9/11 is a brilliant example. Even if you believe the authorities in control knew nothing about it before it happened there is very little rational evidence that could explain away how convenient the ensuing war on terror proved to be for western interests in oil rich middle eastern countries. It interweaves so intricately with climate change denial and then when people like Tony Blair are made Peace Envoys for the Middle East, all bets are off.

Well I meant "bandwagon" in the sense that overall it seems the movement has picked up steam lately. The forum is but a tiny, tiny minuscule cross-section of society, and having even one Flat Earther is significant when extrapolated to the general population. Atheists? No, you're right... as with any group of people, there will be exceptions. Good Samaritan, good people atheists.... and SOB, miserable church-goers. Though from my own personal observations, it seems the atheist contingent in the forum is a bit heavy toward the non-exceptions, thus in a way prompting my generalization. On the other hand, it's also been my experience that many Bible-thumping religious people have the worst personal characteristics of anyone you'd ever meet. So yeah... there's exceptions.

Conspiracy theorists generally get an initial raised eyebrow from me. Again, questioning is healthy.... to a point. But when you find that someone constantly questions everything, it sets off alarms, at least with me. As kids we probably all went through the "but why" phase. Or have had kids that went through that. But after the 5th or so "but why" even the most well-meaning parent will usually resort to the "because I said so" final answer. I don't know what makes a person question everything in life. Or more accurately still..... put everything into question or doubt. How do you go through life like that? That question will usually bring out the predictable "you are all sheep" response. But it's not a contest about how gullible anyone is, or how inquisitive the other guy is. IMO, you pick your battles. I find it easier to question historical doctrine than I do scientific facts. History is just something we were taught off textbooks since Day One. There's no labs that prove to you that such and such happened. Science, on the other hand, includes theories and proof. Whether or not we as individuals want to accept those proofs is entirely up to us, I guess.

You got your incurable skeptics, and you got those who like you said promote certain conspiracy theories to suit their personal agendas. The former I think suffer from a bit of a condition, while the latter are just opportunists, who think nothing of bending the truth to get their point across and their agenda pushed.

I STILL think cynicism is the new "cool", though.

[Beanz]

No one in England would ever pop their collars though.




Well maybe the Elvis impersonators on Blackpool Pier but nobody else.

[Gandalf]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

[TitoFan]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

[Alpha]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

I agree with almost everything here Gandalf, as I've said I believe in a creator, but not the bible, religion, God or Jesus. As long as people realize the difference between a belief and a fact, then I'm good. When they start trying to say their belief is a fact, without being able to prove it, that's when it becomes a problem for me.

[TitoFan]

Someone's interesting take on it.....


http://www.parisglobalist.org/how-cy...-the-new-cool/



A good excerpt from it.........


"Cynicism has become very fashionable these days. It is the go-to-weapon when one wants to prove how much of a sophisticated realist one is. The reasoning is two-fold: Firstly, you have a lot less to lose if you are cynical, and 2. You will never look foolish when you are in the wrong. Whereas the optimist will be perceived by the people as naïve and silly, the cynic will be viewed as cautious and calculating. This appears to be a zero-sum game: if one does not raise his hopes up they will not be crushed, and to top it all off he will look intelligent doing it."

[Gandalf]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

Atheists have their own theories about how life originated and how it evolved. Evolution certainly makes more sense than Adam and Eve. I care about if something is true or not and cynicism and evidence is what tamed Christianity which for all intents and purposes was a very violent and fearful beast. Anybody is entitled to their belief but by the same token anyone has the right to question that belief too.

I sense a degree of cynicism in your own post, Tito. Being cynical means you question things and that is healthy and good. It is nihilism that is dangerous and destructive. It is nihilism that leads to A Clockwork Orange society. A degree of cynicism is good and healthy. You should take a CNN talking head with a pinch of salt. Or better still turn it off and enjoy the day.

I happen to think life is wonderful and I have no real complaints about any of it. If something is bothering you, then change the record. Do something new.

[TitoFan]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

Atheists have their own theories about how life originated and how it evolved. Evolution certainly makes more sense than Adam and Eve. I care about if something is true or not and cynicism and evidence is what tamed Christianity which for all intents and purposes was a very violent and fearful beast. Anybody is entitled to their belief but by the same token anyone has the right to question that belief too.

I sense a degree of cynicism in your own post, Tito. Being cynical means you question things and that is healthy and good. It is nihilism that is dangerous and destructive. It is nihilism that leads to A Clockwork Orange society. A degree of cynicism is good and healthy. You should take a CNN talking head with a pinch of salt. Or better still turn it off and enjoy the day.

I happen to think life is wonderful and I have no real complaints about any of it. If something is bothering you, then change the record. Do something new.

Again, cynicism per se isn't a sin, excuse the pun. It's healthy, as I've been saying all along. It's cynicism for the sake of cynicism I find odd, and have long ago concluded that people who are cynics for its own sake, whether trying to be "cool" or whatever, have issues. At the same time, I've rarely met anyone who believes everything at face value. Such a person wouldn't last a day in today's world. But as that well-expressed excerpt says about cynicism, it's the "go-to weapon" for those who want to look sophisticated and adopt a position where you have little to lose. It may even be a generational thing. Been doing some reading on generational differences and have even written about it on my personal blog. Not one to generalize, as I believe in individuality, but there certainly are some generational traits which differentiate say, iGens from Millenials, from Gen X's, from Boomers. And yes... life certainly IS wonderful, and IMO it takes a well-rounded, mature, intelligent, self-fulfilled individual to truly experience just how wonderful life can really be.

[Gandalf]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

Atheists have their own theories about how life originated and how it evolved. Evolution certainly makes more sense than Adam and Eve. I care about if something is true or not and cynicism and evidence is what tamed Christianity which for all intents and purposes was a very violent and fearful beast. Anybody is entitled to their belief but by the same token anyone has the right to question that belief too.

I sense a degree of cynicism in your own post, Tito. Being cynical means you question things and that is healthy and good. It is nihilism that is dangerous and destructive. It is nihilism that leads to A Clockwork Orange society. A degree of cynicism is good and healthy. You should take a CNN talking head with a pinch of salt. Or better still turn it off and enjoy the day.

I happen to think life is wonderful and I have no real complaints about any of it. If something is bothering you, then change the record. Do something new.

Again, cynicism per se isn't a sin, excuse the pun. It's healthy, as I've been saying all along. It's cynicism for the sake of cynicism I find odd, and have long ago concluded that people who are cynics for its own sake, whether trying to be "cool" or whatever, have issues. At the same time, I've rarely met anyone who believes everything at face value. Such a person wouldn't last a day in today's world. But as that well-expressed excerpt says about cynicism, it's the "go-to weapon" for those who want to look sophisticated and adopt a position where you have little to lose. It may even be a generational thing. Been doing some reading on generational differences and have even written about it on my personal blog. Not one to generalize, as I believe in individuality, but there certainly are some generational traits which differentiate say, iGens from Millenials, from Gen X's, from Boomers. And yes... life certainly IS wonderful, and IMO it takes a well-rounded, mature, intelligent, self-fulfilled individual to truly experience just how wonderful life can really be.

On the Atheism thing, I can see how some might view it as sneering cynicism, but I see it quite the opposite. My take on it is more personal in that I know I have a finite number of years on this planet and potentially less years remaining than I have lived. I can see how some might see that as depressing and defeatist, I certainly haven't always lived well, but I think to myself 'What am I going to do with what remains of my life?' Thus I change jobs when I feel it is time, I work on new projects, I cut out bad habits, I try to do something positive and constructive with each and every day. I am not going around looking for religious people to mock, but I am quite aware of my mortality and that I have a set amount of time to get done the things that need to be done. I feel invigorated.

My Atheism is a positive thing. At least it is for me, but then for others it perhaps isn't. Kerouac was a Catholic who drank himself to death claiming that he couldn't commit suicide so it was his way of getting closer to God faster. Maybe it was just an excuse and he couldn't overcome his demons. I do not know. I find that rather nihilistic and sad. He was an awesome writer. I think it is easier for some than others, we are all raised differently, with different intellectual capacities, physical abilities and all of this. Every story is different.

[Fenster]

Atheists are the ultimate cool. Don't believe in anything, really.... just blow everything else off. All with the consummate sneer on your face. Wish people dead..... who gives a shit. We're all too cool to care about that crap. We can sit back and engage as we like, sounding like the ultimate cool dudes (picture some on here with the famous "popped collars" and the Fonzie thumbs ups). Ask one of these atheists what they believe in, and they'll gag and bumble all over themselves, only to fail to provide an alternate explanation for anything. Nah..... it's not what you believe in. It's what you DON'T believe in. No commitment, no fuss, no explanations. Just hang back and look cool. Great stuff.

Not all atheists are the same just like not all Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Jedi's, men, women and dogs aren't. Even you, Tito, are an atheist for thousands of gods other than your own.

I don't even know who wished Alpha dead, let alone whether or not they're an atheist, but just like when you threatened to beat me to death and urinate all over me, it's so silly it deserves nothing more than ridicule. I never once thought that's how all Christians or Puerto Ricans behave just hot head Tito has lost the plot again. It's not about pretending to be cool, it's quite simply not important enough to care about.

And that's not an insult, it's merely the way you represent yourself on the forum.

[TitoFan]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

Atheists have their own theories about how life originated and how it evolved. Evolution certainly makes more sense than Adam and Eve. I care about if something is true or not and cynicism and evidence is what tamed Christianity which for all intents and purposes was a very violent and fearful beast. Anybody is entitled to their belief but by the same token anyone has the right to question that belief too.

I sense a degree of cynicism in your own post, Tito. Being cynical means you question things and that is healthy and good. It is nihilism that is dangerous and destructive. It is nihilism that leads to A Clockwork Orange society. A degree of cynicism is good and healthy. You should take a CNN talking head with a pinch of salt. Or better still turn it off and enjoy the day.

I happen to think life is wonderful and I have no real complaints about any of it. If something is bothering you, then change the record. Do something new.

Again, cynicism per se isn't a sin, excuse the pun. It's healthy, as I've been saying all along. It's cynicism for the sake of cynicism I find odd, and have long ago concluded that people who are cynics for its own sake, whether trying to be "cool" or whatever, have issues. At the same time, I've rarely met anyone who believes everything at face value. Such a person wouldn't last a day in today's world. But as that well-expressed excerpt says about cynicism, it's the "go-to weapon" for those who want to look sophisticated and adopt a position where you have little to lose. It may even be a generational thing. Been doing some reading on generational differences and have even written about it on my personal blog. Not one to generalize, as I believe in individuality, but there certainly are some generational traits which differentiate say, iGens from Millenials, from Gen X's, from Boomers. And yes... life certainly IS wonderful, and IMO it takes a well-rounded, mature, intelligent, self-fulfilled individual to truly experience just how wonderful life can really be.

On the Atheism thing, I can see how some might view it as sneering cynicism, but I see it quite the opposite. My take on it is more personal in that I know I have a finite number of years on this planet and potentially less years remaining than I have lived. I can see how some might see that as depressing and defeatist, I certainly haven't always lived well, but I think to myself 'What am I going to do with what remains of my life?' Thus I change jobs when I feel it is time, I work on new projects, I cut out bad habits, I try to do something positive and constructive with each and every day. I am not going around looking for religious people to mock, but I am quite aware of my mortality and that I have a set amount of time to get done the things that need to be done. I feel invigorated.

My Atheism is a positive thing. At least it is for me, but then for others it perhaps isn't. Kerouac was a Catholic who drank himself to death claiming that he couldn't commit suicide so it was his way of getting closer to God faster. Maybe it was just an excuse and he couldn't overcome his demons. I do not know. I find that rather nihilistic and sad. He was an awesome writer. I think it is easier for some than others, we are all raised differently, with different intellectual capacities, physical abilities and all of this. Every story is different.

TBH, I'm not even picking on atheism although it may have seemed like it. I was focusing more on the pathological cynics than on atheists. Not all atheists are pathological cynics, but most (if not all) pathological cynics are also atheists. In fact, atheism seems a perfectly normal state of mind for a thinking human being. Whatever faith I have, and I'm not going to go into specifics, hasn't been without an enormous amount of struggle, and that's just the typical battle the logical mind fights with any attempts at faith. That could probably be said for a lot of things where faith is required.

Good for you that you have the life outlook that you have. Positivism is a great thing to have in life. To be happy in life after overcoming extreme hardships growing up is admirable, and not everyone is capable of rising above that.

[TitoFan]

Atheists are the ultimate cool. Don't believe in anything, really.... just blow everything else off. All with the consummate sneer on your face. Wish people dead..... who gives a shit. We're all too cool to care about that crap. We can sit back and engage as we like, sounding like the ultimate cool dudes (picture some on here with the famous "popped collars" and the Fonzie thumbs ups). Ask one of these atheists what they believe in, and they'll gag and bumble all over themselves, only to fail to provide an alternate explanation for anything. Nah..... it's not what you believe in. It's what you DON'T believe in. No commitment, no fuss, no explanations. Just hang back and look cool. Great stuff.

Not all atheists are the same just like not all Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Jedi's, men, women and dogs aren't. Even you, Tito, are an atheist for thousands of gods other than your own.

I don't even know who wished Alpha dead, let alone whether or not they're an atheist, but just like when you threatened to beat me to death and urinate all over me, it's so silly it deserves nothing more than ridicule. I never once thought that's how all Christians or Puerto Ricans behave just hot head Tito has lost the plot again. It's not about pretending to be cool, it's quite simply not important enough to care about.

And that's not an insult, it's merely the way you represent yourself on the forum.

Wow, that was very "sneer-less". Always a good start for a conversation.

As I replied to Miles above, I wasn't picking on atheists. In fact I can understand the atheist point of view, because having faith in something isn't something that comes natural to everyone.... certainly not to me. The logical mind usually fights attempts to believe something just by faith. But like I also said to Miles, my intended focus was on pathological cynics, and I happened to mention atheism because IMO most if not all pathological cynics are atheists as well. And yes it's true not atheists are pathological cynics.

After writing the opening post, I then went about looking to see if there were any articles on cynicism and lo and behold, didn't have to look very long. Seems cynicism for its own purpose IS a thing, and the writer whose article I quoted put my own thoughts on it perfectly.

About threats and insults here not being important enough to care about, well.... I guess we'll just disagree on that one. Clarification (just so I don't get misquoted or misunderstood): Once I've logged off the forum, insults and nastiness get chucked into the garbage pile and off I go to my real life. But while I'm logged on and engaging, I do care about insults and general nastiness. Why shouldn't I? We're all human, last time I checked. To pretend otherwise is ludicrous. If someone called you an arrogant asshole on the street, would you not care? Well then, what's the difference on the forum, other than the fact we're not seeing each other face to face. To pretend not to care is to want to seemingly rise above it all. Well, it's transparent. If you didn't care, you wouldn't hurl your little, witty one-liners meant to ridicule and insult.

But hey... in the end, it's all good. It helps to have a good reset button, and also to have the capacity to put things into their proper perspective. The fact of the matter is that for most everyone here, the forum is but an infinitesimal part of our daily lives. The fact that Fenster may or may not like me is worth exactly diddly squat in my list of things to worry about.