'''Basic Trope''': A character becomes cynical the moment they [[GrowingUpSucks grow up]].
* '''Straight''': Chris was idealistic when he UsedToBeASweetKid, but as he grows up, he becomes cynical.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** Chris was idealistic when he was 5 years old, but he comes cynical the moment he becomes a teenager.
** Chris becomes so cynical he turns into a StrawNihilist villain.
* '''Downplayed''': Chris goes from moderately optimistic to KnightInSourArmor.
* '''Justified''':
** Chris is sick of traditional Aesops and morals because that's just the kind of person he is.
** JadeColoredGlasses
** Chris lives in a horrible environment where he has to cast aside his idealism to survive.
* '''Inverted''':
** SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers
** Chris was cynical when he was younger, but he became idealistic when he grew up.
* '''Subverted''': Chris was cynical until he had an encouraging talk with his TrueCompanions about this matter.
* '''Double Subverted''': But that only lasted a short time. Chris is as cynical as they come.
* '''Parodied''':
** 5-year-old Chris becomes a chain-smoking, gun-toting, evil mastermind the instant his 6th birthday rolls in.
** A normal stage for Chris’s species during puberty is the loss of optimism.
* '''Zig-Zagged''': Chris grew out of his idealism, but then regained faith in humanity until someone mugged him for drug money, but his nurse at the hospital showed that people are still good, but...
* '''Averted''': [[ThePollyanna Chris becomes an adult and still retains his idealistic attitude]].
* '''Enforced''':
** "We need to make Chris DarkerAndEdgier after the TimeSkip. Why not make him cynical?"
** "We should use Chris's mindset to show how people who hold this mindset tend to be the biggest losers."
* '''Lampshaded''':
** "You used to be so much more cheerful, so why are you so cynical now?"
** "I was an idealist too, once. I grew up."
** "You're like a completely different person than how I knew you when you were younger."
* '''Invoked''': [[KnightInSourArmor Fred]] is sick of Chris's constant cheeriness. So he goes and shows him how [[CrapsackWorld dickish their world is]].
* '''Exploited''': The villain's weakness is idealism, so he {{break|TheCutie}}s Chris, sapping his innate joy.
* '''Defied''':
** Life was getting more difficult for Chris, but he's [[ThePollyanna not gonna let that change who he is]].
** "If you have enough time and breath to waste giving me a spiel about how life's shit, you have enough to waste doing something useful!"
** Chris uses his idealism to help him get through a rough life.
* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': ???
* '''Implied''': Chris wasn't clearly idealistic, to begin with, but he becomes more of a cynic as he grows older.
* '''Deconstructed''':
** Chris becomes cynical as he reaches adulthood. As a result, his cynicism has alienated the people he actually cares about and hinders the passions he had when he was more optimistic.
** Chris's newly adopted cynical outlook on life has caused him to set his goals and expectations in life shockingly low, turning him lazy and apathetic.
** People [[SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers call him out]] on his ways, saying that he doesn't have any right to criticize them for their efforts while he sits around [[{{Wangst}} complaining]] about how the world sucks but not actively doing anything about it.
** Not accomplishing anything in life causes him to [[TheResenter resent]] his more idealistic peers' success. But naturally, this is [[NeverMyFault society's fault]].
* '''Reconstructed''':
** Chris decides to use his cynicism for practical purposes to reach his goals.
** Chris doesn't care what those other people think of him, and that any chance of snapping him out of his cynicism will never work and may make him more cynical than ever. So he continues complaining about things without doing anything about them and is content with that.

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I don't want to talk about all of that childish crap from the past! Just leave me alone and go back to the [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids main page]]!
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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???