Uncynical Wednesdays
Recently, people have been asking questions about Uncynical Wednesdays. To explain them, let me start by making sure we are in agreement about what it means to be cynical.
Cynical: Given to faultfinding, sneering, and sarcasm. Given to or affecting disbelief in man’s sincerity of motive: accepting selfishness as the governing factor of human behavior. Contemptuous and mocking disbelief. Synonyms include pessimistic and bitter.
That’s from M.W’s 3rd new international. (So if you want to quibble, write them a letter.)
About a year ago, someone called me cynical. I took exception to this and asked three friends over a beer if they thought I was cynical. Their answers came almost in unison: One said “well, you are a little cynical.” “A bit jaded,” the second offered. The last suggested, “not cynical, just an asshole.”
Comforting. Thus, I created Uncynical Wednesdays for myself.
So what is Uncynical?
It’s being a good sport. It’s giving people the benefit of the doubt. It’s not discounting your own better nature. It’s a willing suspension of disbelief and doubt.
It’s that moment when you’re pissed off, and someone is trying to charm you and doing those things that make you laugh, but you’re angry and not in the mood. It’s that instant when your scowl breaks and you chuckle. You might look away, but you laugh and forget your anger.
So here is your Uncynical Image, for this cold, January Wednesday:
And I have no idea who these people are, or what circumstances led up to this photo. So don't even ask.
Cynical: Given to faultfinding, sneering, and sarcasm. Given to or affecting disbelief in man’s sincerity of motive: accepting selfishness as the governing factor of human behavior. Contemptuous and mocking disbelief. Synonyms include pessimistic and bitter.
That’s from M.W’s 3rd new international. (So if you want to quibble, write them a letter.)
About a year ago, someone called me cynical. I took exception to this and asked three friends over a beer if they thought I was cynical. Their answers came almost in unison: One said “well, you are a little cynical.” “A bit jaded,” the second offered. The last suggested, “not cynical, just an asshole.”
Comforting. Thus, I created Uncynical Wednesdays for myself.
So what is Uncynical?
It’s being a good sport. It’s giving people the benefit of the doubt. It’s not discounting your own better nature. It’s a willing suspension of disbelief and doubt.
It’s that moment when you’re pissed off, and someone is trying to charm you and doing those things that make you laugh, but you’re angry and not in the mood. It’s that instant when your scowl breaks and you chuckle. You might look away, but you laugh and forget your anger.
So here is your Uncynical Image, for this cold, January Wednesday:
And I have no idea who these people are, or what circumstances led up to this photo. So don't even ask.
Posted @ 7:48 AM
5 Comments:
1/26/2005
Anonymous writes:
hot babe writes:
hot babe writes:
Erik writes:
R Middleton writes:
I have an general anonymous comment. What good is having a brother who's a doctor if he won't prescribe recreational drugs for you? I'm anonymously wondering.
1/26/2005
You're a doctor. What the hell is that thing on his shoulder?
1/26/2005
And, I have to say. I smell some cynicism in this post.
1/27/2005
He has a tattoo on his shoulder.
1/27/2005
So, is your point that you want to view this image without judgment or mockery? Okay. I mean, it would be far too easy to make 3,018 cynical comments about these "three men in a tub." So, for an uncynical perspective, I suppose we're just going to accept this photo, these three people, as fellow Earthicans having fun. Nothing wrong there. (Though I believe that putting this photo on the internet --- since I pray that is where you obtained it --- invites some questioning, if not judgment, of the trio.)
You know, I'm still not sure I agree with you're concept of uncynical. (And, I don't think that we all needed the definition, Mr. Pants.) Knowing you as I do, I cannot believe that you "want to believe" in our president. I still interpret that post as containing a degree of cynicism, a healthy amount in fact. But, perhaps I'm just letting my own beliefs get in the way; from my perspective, one can only view this administration with cynicism or self-delusion. (Yes, I truly believe that Bush supporters are completely uninformed and/or delusional.) Therefore "cynicism" towards our current government, or questioning of their motives, is exactly what is called for.
As for the fatties, I believe that you accept them.
...I'm sorry that was inappropriate. For one thing, I myself am a "fatty." Lately moreso than ever. All I ever want to do anymore is eat, with no feeling of satiety, to fill my depression-hole. (Probably due in no small part to my feelings about our government. Sadly that is not a joke.) And also, only one to two of the three could truly be labeled that way.
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