A healthy amount of doubt and skepticism (in its generic sense) is a good thing. But what happens when skepticism goes radically awry or turns into cynicism?
According to George Carlin, “Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.” Put in context…yes! However, one could also argue that idealism can oft be fueled by unrealistic expectations (or demands) and assumptions about human nature and the way things should (or must) be. Such is the case with many hardcore skeptics and cynics.
According to some recent studies, extreme skepticism and cynicism may be positively correlated to dementia. That is, the more skeptic/cynical one is the higher the risk of dementia. While the jury is still out in this one and the definition of cynicism and skepticism (as it is typically used and in a philosophical sense) seem somewhat conflated in this article, the general idea is worth considering. Read more…
