If we should find ourselves, when faced with the open evils and corruption of our present world, deeply cynical about humanity and its tendency to use virtue and sentiment merely as a cloak to hide self-interest and the desire to manipulate and dominate others, that is neither something to be repented of nor gloried in. It is a simple understanding of the present world and its evils. We live in a hard world, full of hard people with consciences hardened against the recognition of their own sins and wrongdoing, and it is entirely appropriate that we should defend ourselves by developing strong defenses of our own vulnerable parts. That said, it is an entirely different and more blameworthy matter if we, in our own cynicism, should wish to harm or corrupt others before their time, to make them cynical in anticipation of the world doing so.

It is well to think of where it is that we acquire our cynicism in the first place. In general, our cynicism springs from one of two sources. The first, and most powerful, of those sources is the negative experiences that we have in the world. Receiving abuse and hostility, facing ridicule and teasing from others often gives us all the encouragement that we need to toughen ourselves and to go through our days when dealing with the petty and cruel people who are around us. These experiences are common enough in life, and may start when we are somewhat young in age, but however it is that we determine that our sensitivities and our feelings must be protected by putting them underground or beneath a hardened shell of irony and understatement, this is cynicism that is honestly developed. Alternatively, we can become cynical as a result of accepting from the authority of those around us a negative view of the world. We can feel that life is unsafe from the portrayal of the world that we see in the press, from the various panics that are presented to us in our flawed and biased media, and the consistent efforts at minimalizing and distorting the world around us that exists around us. This cynicism too is honestly gained by us, at least, if it is cynically formed by those who gave us a negative view of the world around us that makes us feel unsafe.

There are certainly many occasions where cynicism and pessimist in general are the wise approach to dealing with the world around us. Those whose lives have been full of hardship may say words like those I often heard as a child, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” and we may find in our own lives that such advice has been vindicated by our own experiences. It is important to recognize, though, that if cynicism is wise, it is a lower form of wisdom that relates to our experiences here and now. In a perfect world, in an ideal world, it would be safe to express one’s honest sentiments as they would be respected and not ridiculed. It would be safe to be innocent because no one would look to take advantage or exploit the innocence of others. It would be safe to be open to and friendly to those around because no one would hurt or destroy in the Kingdom of God. Mankind would be kept on the straight and narrow and guided away from whatever sins we had a native inclination to fall into. In such a world where the evil and corrupt tendencies of humanity were under check in the matter referred to by such prophets as Isaiah, cynicism would be unwise. In such a world as in the new heavens and new earth where evildoers and pain and suffering was not to be found, cynicism would similarly be useless, and counterproductive. It is of benefit to us only in a fallen world where people must defend themselves against the wickedness of the world around us as best as we are able.

When viewed in light of not only the world that is but also the world to come, cynicism takes on a rather temporary aspect. Like learning the ways of war, learning the ways of cynicism is of interest here and now, but there will come a day when we will have no reason to cultivate cynicism and instead will have to cultivate a childlike sense of wonder and appreciation of what God has done for us in delivering us from the evil world where we now reside. Even though it is appropriate to keep ourselves from being too vulnerable in a world where the vulnerable are seen as prey to those around them, we must remember that hardening ourselves too much from genuine emotion can make it harder for us to enter the kingdom of God, for we must enter the kingdom of God as a little child, guileless and innocent and humble, and cynicism cultivates none of those important aspects of godly character. Even when we adopt cynicism as a mode of defense, therefore, it must be kept to its proper place as a mask or as a shield, and not as a part of our deeper and more permanent nature, or we may find it impossible to develop the godly character that is required to enter into eternal life.