Living in society implies being constantly pressured by a series of rules, written and unwritten, which, in theory, help us to live together without significant friction between us. We are all affected by them, but not everyone has the same tendency to accept them and adjust our actions accordingly. In this article we will provide you the information about the Cynical people.
What we generally know as cynical people are an example of this . These are individuals who are characterized, among other things, by not having objections to showing in a very open way that they do not comply with the rules that are important to the majority. They are often accused of acting recklessly, and this means that in an instant they can earn the enmity of many.
While cynicism is a learned behavior pattern , it is usually expressed quite consistently over time unless specific life experiences or the person’s simple maturation changes this. Next, we will see what are the typical characteristics that define it.
Characteristics of cynical people
These are the characteristics that show a tendency towards cynicism in a person. They are not ordered according to any specific criteria, nor must they necessarily occur at the same time. On the other hand, remember that there are different levels of intensity in everything, and it’s very difficult to find people who take all these traits to the purest extreme of cynicism.
1. Tendency to use basic fallacies
Cynical people have no qualms about using traps in their way of arguing , as they sometimes try to convince the rest by taking advantage of our propensity to think in cognitive shortcuts, even if that means leading us to a false conclusion.
Therefore, they make fallacious comparisons, criticize the person rather than the argument, appeal to a supposed authority‘s opinion on the matter without showing why he is right, etc. Usually, the fact that many fallacies appear in the same discussion means that many of them are detected as such immediately, but cynics usually don’t care.
2. Tendency to self-centeredness
Another of the most important characteristics of cynical people is that they live almost completely oriented to themselves, which is why they don’t feel especially bad thinking that other people might have a bad opinion of them . Also, another consequence of this self-centeredness is that there are easily situations where they harm someone voluntarily or involuntarily, in order to obtain something that only they enjoy.
3. Easy to pretend
Cynical people are not simply individuals who are dissatisfied with social conventions; Nor do they conform to a morality in which honesty has value . Therefore, it is not difficult for them to pretend that they care for others and, when they are interested, they completely break this illusion to act as they really feel and think, practically without shame.
4. Pessimistic perspective of society
Typically, cynical people don’t expect much from society as a whole. Either way, they might see you as a sum of individuals who agree not to harm each other for a while, just so they don’t get hurt. It is an individualistic way of conceiving social relations .
5. They are distrustful
Having a rather negative outlook on life, cynical people don’t feel compelled to gain the sympathy of others if not for specific reasons related to specific advantages.
6. They can speak their mind without shame
On many occasions they do not respond to a practical purpose, but where there are no clear negative consequences, cynical people can be very transparent, which means that without saying something that would be relevant in a conversation, it is easier than not to be. out of fear of what they will say or out of embarrassment , elements that are quite irrational. This can be good or bad, depending on the case and the sensitivity of the listener or reader.
7. They lie easily
Since there is no moral “limit” for this, lying is considered another tool in a world where everyone is looking for their own. Therefore, cynical people tend to lie more to achieve their goals.
