11th November, 2022
Another major reason for falling into the ‘Mediocrity Creep’ is cynicism wherein we ridicule others success & justify our failure.
One of the most common places one can see this is with regards to people’s attitude towards others success and money.
You can often hear people call the rich and successful “crooks” or “corrupt” which, though some certainly are, is not mostly true. The less harsh ones will just call them lucky.
It stems from bitterness, perhaps the false belief that one cannot be successful or wealthy — a sort of negative, fixed mindset that, in its negativity breeds a cynical outlook on life.
Cynicism is a twisted sort of defense mechanism that never fails to find fertile ground.
We all catch those thoughts so often: to look at some misfortune or at someone else’s success and hear that little voice start to bicker in the back of our mind.
“Oh, that person’s got connections, that’s why he made it.”
“They’re all a bunch of criminals.”
Or the all-time favorite:
“He just got lucky” or
“This is stupid!”
Cynicism is “an inclination to question whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile.”
In short, cynicism is pessimism, doubt, distrust, disbelief, scepticism and outright negativity all rolled into one.
Imagine pouring that into your subconscious mind day after day. Image what damage that sort of mindset would do. It will destroy all the good things you start. It’ll sure as hell make sure you don’t give your full measure.
Cynicism, deep down, breeds on fear. It thrives in bitterness and takes root in the wounds that haven’t healed.
It’s a way of defending yourself from past hurts, a sort of armor, but in the end it becomes a prison.
Do you want to be in the same place forever?
Do you want to have the same mind, the same thoughts, the same habits, the same results as you’ve always had? Of course not.
Here’s the cure: optimism. To put it a less platitudinous way, adopting an outlook that does not discount things, that does not automatically assume the worst, that is positive, enabling, energizing: to believe things are worth doing, that life is worth living, and that you are worth all the effort it takes to make your dreams come true.
That you are worthy.
Cynics make fun of that very concept, and as for why, I’ll leave it to George Edgar Vincent to explain:
“The cynic makes fun of all earnestness; he makes fun of everything and everyone who feels that something can be done, But in his heart of hearts he knows that he is a defeated man and that his cynicism is merely an expression of the fact that he has lost courage and is beaten.”
Cynicism is the attitudinal expression of defeat. Are you defeated?
No.
You have a fighting chance. You can still win. So be brave. Being a cynic is easy. It’s being an optimist that takes bravery.
And it is the brave who become winners.
Stop being cynical to avoid the ‘Mediocrity Creep’ and stay blessed forever.