On Cynicism and Hope

[naamah_darling]

In light of the great light bulb of "Goddamn, I wish I'd thought to say that!" which is currently blinking over my head, I would like to direct you to two posts that make a point I have been inarticulately trying articulate for a really long time.

First, coffeeem leads off with this entry, which explains that cynicism is not the same as wisdom or

Comments

[akacat]

Nope, sorry. I have zero intention of appearing wise, helpful or scornful* when I say something like "I'm not surprised." I'm just so burnt out on outrage and everything that causes it, that I can't sustain it for more than a few seconds.

* Is there maybe a smirk involved that gives the 'you're naive for caring' implication? I promise, I don't have the smirk.

It's just my opinion, and my defense mechanism.

Please don't flame me about sitting back while other people fix things; berating me won't make me any less burnt out. I've done stuff in the past. I still do what I can. (I vote. I point people to informative blogs/articles/etc when they spout propaganda at me. And when I can stomach it, I even try to explain to my mother that voting for a woman is not a good thing if that woman is an anti-intellectual hypocrite. Simple logic, she fails at it.)

Maybe someday I'll get back the energy to sustain a good outrage. Right now, I just can't.

[naamah_darling]

Well, "I'm not surprised" is something I say a LOT (as I said, I'm seldom surprised by stupid shit that pisses me off). And it's fundamentally different from saying "Why does that surprise you?" If you see what I mean. (Sometimes there is a sneer, most often it's intonation, or a fake attitude of exasperation/surprise.)

If you personally are too tired to feel outrage, rest, sit it out, I totally understand that. No problem with it, been there, done that. What bugs me is the people who -- likely unlike you -- who seem to resent that other people are out there still working in the trenches, and seem to delight in saying "someday you'll be here with me."

[virginia_fell]

This is amazing and I would like lots and lots of people to read it.

[idiosyncreant]

This is hard--I find myself getting outrage fatigue, especially when people are (in natural eloquentness of anger) use sensationalist language.

It's partly, for me, because having had my mind split between cultures as a young person, I always see two sides. That doesn't mean sometimes one side isn't gravely wrong. It means I sympathise with where people are coming from on many issues.

But I do think we can change things ESPECIALLY on a personal level. It takes an overthrow of thinking-patterns to change a person's actions, but that can be very powerful--or just taking action on your own convictions is, too.

Off-Topic:
~ I adored the maps you were working on at the last OSFW meeting. ^-^

~ I just found this LiveJournal, I don't know if it's something you'd be interested in or not, but I thought I'd let you decide.
"anachronaut" is that fabulous steampunk guy, and his journal seems really fun to watch.

[naamah_darling]

I think you hit something here -- people discount the power of change on a small level, the personal level. As if the only change that counts is BIG change. In my experience, there ain't no big change without lots of small changes. And a woeful LOT of people are scared to act on their convictions, which is sad.

For someone who spends so much time pissed off and who is an avowed bitch, I have a lot of sympathy for people, even the ones I disagree with, and I can see both sides of most issues even if I think they are wrong to the point of being actively evil. I think that's a necessary skill too, because without it, it's too easy to forget that the other folks are human, too.

I'll bring a finished map next time, painted and aged and scuffed up. They look really fun! I wind up making loads of them because I have to do something with my hands while I listen or I will get so fidgety I can't concentrate.

ANACHRONAUT!

*friends madly*

Thank you!

[greyduck]

I've got all these books to read and stuff to do, but nah, I think I'll spend my time being trendy on the internet.

Seriously. And you know what? Sometimes I want to enjoy things that weren't crafted five minutes ago. (Hello, my collection of old George Carlin albums...)

[naamah_darling]

*points to My Little Ponies*

[dearest_janna]

Ponies? *sheepish smile* I have a bin full at home.

[greyduck]

I much prefer your version of the starfish story. *evil grin*