By: Adam Eason

Adam Eason — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 15:54:35 +0000

Thanks for such a considered response Steve, greatly appreciated and respected.

Re: Or, as the cynic in me responds, “That’s what any good hypnotherapist would LIKE you to believe.”

– Ha! cleverly and nicely said.

Best wishes, Adam.

By: Steve Stork

Steve Stork — Sat, 07 Oct 2017 14:30:39 +0000

The given Cambridge definitions of cynicism could easily mislead. A more accurate definition would begin with “believing that ‘other’ people are only interested in themselves…” The cynic believes his own motivations to be pure in comparison. In each of the examples, the speaker is expressing doubt about the motives of someone else. Skepticism is a weak parallel, as it states “I do not trust the truth or accuracy of someone else’s statements or behaviors.” Cynicism extends that distrust to include a component of malevolence, perhaps even paranoia. A persistent cynic; someone who perseverates on the negative motives of others; will also have an external locus of control, believing himself to be negatively impacted by the perceived duplicity, even if there is no potential for a direct, negative impact. In other words, cynicism is a problem when it leads to a downward spiral of self-imposed persecution. Self-hypnosis may create a better self-understanding of what is happening in the moment as one gets caught up in cynicism. But to really get at the root of the problem pretty much requires hypnotherapy under the guidance of someone who can guide you to that root. Or, as the cynic in me responds, “That’s what any good hypnotherapist would LIKE you to believe.”

Comments on: How To Overcome Cynicism and Why We’d Even Want To

By: Adam Eason

By: Steve Stork