Believe it or not cynicism was not always negative. Originally it was a school of Greek philosophy which the belief was that a person should live a simple life, free from possessions, and to keep a healthy mind and body as nature intended. In doing these things, a person could be “happy”.
The problems of the world were hence created by the incorrect desire for wealth and what different societies placed value on, in general.
In modern times the cynic has lack of faith and or trust in societal values, institutions, and authorities. The cynic may be (or feel) disillusioned, frustrated, betrayed, or even hopeless, and may express this by pointing out or exposing the gap between a supposed ideal versus its appearance in the “real world”.
It’s this last part that many might point to me as being cynical, where I think of myself as realistic.
Apathy, on the other hand is just plain “not caring”, for any number of various reasons.
These two “cousins” in the world interact, probably daily, and really create part of the “mess” that I mourn for here.
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