The Havamal: A Heathen Path of Living (Part 11)

22.

An ill tempered, unhappy man

Ridicules all he hears,

Makes fun of others, refusing always

To see the faults in himself.

This quote deals with cynicism, which seems to be a bit of an epidemic these days. Cynicism is different than skepticism, which is the philosophy of not believing everything on its face. Cynicism is not believing in anything. Cynicism undermines everything, but it primarily undermines your ability to believe in yourself.

I’ve never met a happy cynic. I have met happy skeptics. But, the line between the two is very fine. A cynic spends a lot of energy looking for reasons to not believe in anything. A cynic will go through some strange mental gymnastics in order to hold onto this attitude that people will always fail you, no one (including the cynic) is ever good enough, and that nothing will ever work out. This energy drains the cynic’s ability to really connect with other people. it puts a distance between the cynic and the people who love them.

So, what if you are a cynic? First, I challenge you to open yourself to new ideas. Open yourself to making mistakes. Examine your own flaws and rather than chastise yourself over them, challenge yourself to accept them or improve them. Do something silly everyday...in public. Make fun of yourself rather than others. Self-deprecating humor, when used in healthy doses, can help create a sense of humility within yourself and empathy towards others.