rdn32

I’ve got a piece entitled “Look and Feel” in preparation. I deliberately pre-announced it as a way of forcing myself to finish it off. However, the idea hinges on the difference between visual and “kinesthetic”(visceral/tactile/proprioceptive) thinking, and so might require me to talk about neurolinguistic programming. To be honest, I’ve had more than my fill of non-religiously spiritual waffle just recently, so I think I’ll give it a miss—for the time being, at least.

So instead, I’m going to talk about something completely different. I’m going to talk about cynicism.

Having read Malcom Gladwell’s essay on psychological profiling at the FBI, and his unflattering comparison between this form of analysis and that of fraudulent psychics, I picked up a gem of a book which contained this gem of a quote, from George Bernard Shaw:

The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those who have not got it

Now, the word “cynic” is an old one, deriving from the Greek for dog. It originally referred to a school of ancient Greek philosophers who held that the pursuit of wealth, power and fame were pointless; that virtue was the only source of true happiness; and that this could be most easily be found in a life of voluntary poverty. So they lived as tramps, and were called dogs as a result.

There is a famous story of Alexander the Great travelling to see the Diogenes the Cynic, and encountering Diogenes sunning himself. Alexander approached and, having announced his presence, asked if there was anything he could do for the philosopher. Diogenes: “Yes, stop blocking the light.”

The moral being that Diogenes was so perfectly content with his lot in life that even the most powerful man in the world had nothing of value to offer him. However, you can see why Diogenes and his ilk might have made themselves rather unpopular.

That said, the Cynics were regarded widely regarded as wise, even if their wisdom pushed people well out of their comfort zone. Clearly there’s been a shift in the meaning of the word over the centuries: calling someone a cynic these days is rarely meant as a compliment.

Perhaps there is, nonetheless, a connection between the ancient meaning and the modern one.

Shaw contrasted those lacking the power of accurate observation with those who possessed it. The distinction is reminiscent of that between those who put their faith in being “visionary”, and those who are content with merely being perceptive.

“Vision” is, of course, what great leaders, such as Alexander, are supposed to possess. Those who aspire to such greatness do not, as a rule, take kindly to having their ambitions dismissed as folly. Rather than making the effort to engage with criticism, it is far easier to dismiss it as being indicative of a “negative attitude”.

According to one version of the legend, after Alexander’s encounter he said that if he could lead any life other than his own, it would be that of that of Diogenes. One might suspect that this bit was a fiction, made up by some philosopher to provide some self-justification. But, dear me, how jaded and bitter would you have to be to think a thing like that?