A cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. – Oscar Wilde
The literal meaning of the word cynic is one who has the dog-like quality of snarling. So one refers to a person who sneers at human ideals and noble acts as a cynic. Cynics don’t take selfless behavior and proclamations of honesty and integrity seriously. A philosophy based on such attitudes is known as cynicism.
This interpretation of cynicism is not quite what the founder of this school of thought in ancient Greece had in mind. According to conventional history in the fifth century BCE there lived in Athens a thinker by the name of Antisthenes who took inspiration from the Socratic ideal of caring but little for one’s needs and cravings. He subscribed to the Socratic concept of a well-lived life into a system of thought and practice that bore much resemblance to the Hindu notion of sannyási or sádhu: an individual who practices simple living, frugal in foods, and meager in clothing.
Antisthenes established a school of his own which catered mainly to the poor and the downtrodden. His place of teaching was known as Cynosages which was the Greek word for dogfish. It had nothing to do with dogs. Nevertheless there emerged an association between cynicism and dog (kunos in Greek, Canis in Latin, canine is the Lain adjective of dog in English).
One sometimes refers to a story about Antisthenes to show that he was a cynic as the word is used today: Apparently once when he heard someone play the flute extremely well, he is said to have exclaimed, “Then he must be good for nothing in other ways; or else why did he play the flute so well?”
Much of what we know about cynicism comes from the writings of Diogenes of Sinope (412? – 323 BCE) who was an ardent pupil of Antisthenes. It is said that when Diogenes came to join the Antisthenes’ school he was refused admission, perhaps because he came from the upper class. (We are reminded of the saint Ramananda who initially refused to accept Kabir as a disciple because he did not come from an upper caste.) But Diogenes persisted even when the master raised a stick to beat him away, saying, “Strike me Sir, for you will not find any stick that is strong enough to drive me away.” There is no record of whether the Canine philosopher refrained from using his cane to drive out his devotee with a dogged determination.
Diogenes adopted a mendicant’s life and practiced to the letter what his guru had been teaching. He is said to have lived in a barrel, his homeless shelter, wearing barely any clothes. In a painting of him by Junes Bastien-Lepage he is portrayed as a bearded beggar with no clothes on, sitting on a road.
Eventually, Diogenes became a successful teacher, authored books and a play. He propagated the ideas of cynicism so well that many people were drawn to this philosophy whose essential message was simple living and meaningful thinking. Cynics had little respect for abstract philosophy and airy metaphysics. They did not subscribe to traditional Greek religions. They ate but little and desired even less. They regarded hunger for food and hunger for sex as normal but held that these as urges are to be restrained from excessive expressions.
There is a story to the effect that when Diogenes was famous as a philosopher the great Alexander was one of his admirers. According to an oft-repeated legend, once the conqueror saw Diogenes basking in the sun. He introduced himself by saying, “I am Alexander the Great, I will offer to you any favor you ask.” Diogenes is reported to have said, “I am Diogenes the dog. The favor I ask of you is to move away from the sunlight.” Such stories are interesting, even if historically questionable.
As noted earlier, the meaning and message of simplicity of cynicism has changed over time. Today we think of a cynic as someone who has a dim view of people and of culture, who takes political promises with mounds of salt, who has little hope that the world will become better some day, and who thinks there is only hypocrisy even in seemingly good acts.
Whether one lauds or laughs at cynicism depends on whether one is a cynic or not. Thus Somerset Maugham wrote, “If to look truth in the face and not resent it when it is unpalatable, and take human nature as you find it… is to be cynical, then I suppose I’m a cynic.” Bernard Shaw said pithily, “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”
Those who are less sympathetic to cynicism are often very cynical about cynicism, quite contrary to the saying, “It takes one to know one.” For if there is one thing about which a cynic is not cynical, it is cynicism. It is non-cynics who say such things as: “A cynic sees little to admire in the world, while the world sees even less to admire in him.” “The cynic who sneers at the world is probably speaking from self-knowledge.” “There are some people who can see nothing good in this world without the aid of a mirror.”
Some people ask, “Should we be cynical or not?” This is like asking, “Should we tell a joke or not?” It depends on the context. Jokes can be entertaining, even truth-revealing. So is cynicism. But jokes would be most inappropriate when one is at a funeral, or at worship in a church temple, mosque or synagogue.
Many intelligent people and keen observers of human nature tend to be cynical in the modern sense of the word, and the ascetically inclined praise cynicism in its older meaning. It may be helpful to know that according to some recent scientific studies there seems to be a significant correlation between cynicism and dementia.
Cynicism may not be a helpful philosophy when a group or nation is confronting serious problems and striving to resolve them. Given that the welfare and healthy functioning of society depend on trust in fellow humans and institutions, and uplifting ideals that spur people to commendable actions, collective cynicism may prove to be rather harmful to society. Just as hope, however irrational, can be uplifting in times of gloom, cynicism can be depressing and cheerless in times of despondency. As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “A cynic can chill and dishearten with a single word.”
Spurts of Thought 