Line #4 Main/TheCynic


1	->''"Always predict the worst and you’ll be hailed as a prophet."''
2	-->-- '''Music/TomLehrer'''
3
4	A character who believes that the world is, to put it lightly, a [[CrapsackWorld bad place.]] Whenever they describe something, expect them to AccentuateTheNegative. If someone puts forward an idealistic or optimistic premise, the cynic is about equally likely to respond with '[[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids That's moronic]],' as 'That's a nice idea in theory, but it's never going to happen', probably [[{{Deconstruction}} pointing out all the flaws]] as they go. This character may be angry or indifferent to their (perceived) CrapsackWorld, or may be heavily critical and [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]].
5
6	Note that a cynic differs from a pessimist - while pessimists may not necessarily see anything bad in someone else, they tend to be either [[NervousWreck nervous wrecks]] or [[TheEeyore just sad and depressed]] [[TheWoobie because they've been put through a lot of pain and hardships]]. Cynics, on the other hand, are typically abrasive and grouchy [[{{Jerkass}} jerkasses]] who find it hard to get pleasure out of things and put every single negative aspect of everything first, especially when it comes to other people and their motivations.
7
8	An extreme version of The Cynic is the StrawNihilist, who always expect the worst out of everyone and everything ([[FinaglesLaw Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, the world tends to maximum entropy]], HumansAreMorons and/or HumansAreBastards, and that morality is [[GreyAndGrayMorality grey and grey]], [[BlackAndGrayMorality grey and black]] or [[EvilVersusEvil black and black]]). If used badly, you can expect them being called out as {{wangst}}y.
9
10	The {{Trope Namer}}s, the Greek [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism Cynics,]] were not especially cynical as we now understand the term - they believed that people should reject all conventional notions of happiness, like those that involved wealth, power, fame, idealism, etc., and live a simple, natural life with no possessions, sharing some similarities with Buddhism. However, many of the Cynics (such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope Diogenes of Sinope]]) took the philosophy to its extreme, criticizing Classical idealism while also preaching poverty and ugliness ('cynic' is from the Greek word ''kynikos'', 'dog-like'). Which is why the Cynics are depicted by the Enlightenment as hateful {{Straw Nihilist}}s.
11
12	This character is likely to show up in either a CrapsackWorld, where they are always right, or in a SugarBowl, where [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong they exist solely to be proven wrong]]. Of course, in more realistic settings, more nuanced forms of cynics can also turn up, their rightness index varying.
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14	Polar opposite of TheIdealist. Compare/contrast TheStoic. See also CynicismTropes, SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism.
15	----
16	!!{{Sub Trope}}s:
17	[[index]]
18	* AntiHero
19	** KnightInSourArmor (if their core idealism is overshadowed by their cynicism)
20	* CynicalMentor
21	* CynicismCatalyst
22	* TheEeyore
23	* TheFatalist
24	* JadeColoredGlasses
25	* JadedProfessional
26	* JadedWashout
27	* MentorInSourArmor
28	* MisanthropeSupreme
29	* TheSnarkKnight
30	* SourSupporter
31	* StrawNihilist
32	* TookALevelInCynic
33	[[/index]]
34
35	This is a SuperTrope, so examples should go to the relevant subpages if possible.

Context Main / TheCynic