Are you a cynic?

I think most people are at least a little cynical. As for myself, it's almost second nature to me.

I believe what shapes our worldview are the experiences we have. People aren't always gloomy or suspicious cos they're born like that. More often than not, it's because so much crap happens that they turn out this way.

If life were really smooth-sailing, then everyone would be a little Mr/Miss Sunshine. As for those whose lives already are but don't appreciate it... well then you're probably just being a brat.

But for the rest of us, being negative is just the result of events in our lives. I, for one, have learnt not to expect too much from people or promises. The former are either selfish or aren't exactly dependable and hardly keep the latter.

At the same time, I don't always expect things to be perfect. I've had meticulously-visioned/planned events screw up big time in the past. At least if I don't have high hopes for something, it's less likely that I'll be disappointed.

As such, I'm always suspicious of people who are overly-optimistic. It's like they are either in dential or aliens from Mars.

So as the saying goes, you live, you learn. If sucky stuff happens to you too often, you start to see the thorns that lie hidden in the proverbial bed of roses. I think it's a form of self-protection. Instead of getting all upset, you just shrug, roll your eyes, curse your luck, then move on. There are always other issues to deal with, and possibly get depressed over, and you still need the energy to deal with them.

Cynicism is my safety net.

How about you?