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Steps for Improvement:
Expanding News Sources
Learning More About Politics
Be More Optimistic
Reach Out to Religion More

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https://onbeing.org/blog/the-age-of-cynicism/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-triumph-of-cynicism/2016/07/07/232b5028-446c-11e6-8856-f26de2537a9d_story.html?utm_term=.ea5ea9f6a3b3
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbasile/2016/04/27/in-nobody-we-trust-american-cynicism-in-the-digital-age/#203830273953
http://www.michaelteachings.com/cynic_attitude.html

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The answer isn't simple- self-improvement rarely ever is. But the results such a change will yield are numerous and very much worth the struggle: a happier, more fulfilling life, better informed decisions in my country, more knowledge of the world in general, and more.

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So, what do I do now? How do I move past this episode of such pessimistic views? How do I release the critical feelings I have towards idealists, my country, and so much more?

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I'm not alone in this cynical behavior, as there is no short supply of it in our country today. In April 2016, in fact, a survey conducted by the American Press Institute suggested that only 6% of Americans put a significant amount of trust in news/media outlets. Additionally, in 2016, only 40% of citizens in the United States had a large amount of trust in religious institutions.

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With this revelation, I began realizing the other cynical aspects in my life: appreciation for irony and sarcasm over warmth and idealism, a pessimistic view of society in general, strong distrust in religious institutionsand the difficulty required for others to gain my respect.

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This level of cynicism is something I have continuously participated in for the last few years: refusing to believe in my country's government and media system, and giving up hope on them completely. This mindset was simultaneously encouraged by the millions around me who have also chosen to stop looking for the silver lining.

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In past years, cynicism has become a dividing force in my, other American's, and our country's existence, leading to a promotion of hatred and distrust. The 2016 election is an excellent example of the results of such a mindset, that I also indulged in, one that creates a warring positive and negative image of two awful persons.

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When first approaching this project, I was very lost on what '-ism' to choose as I generally avoid biases as a rule. I began to resent the project, thinking it was pointless and there was no point in trying to finish it. Ironically, it was here I found my topic, with this slightly cynical behavior.

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(ethics) The ancient Greek school of Cynic philosophers, founded by Antisthenes (a student of Socrates), held that pure virtue is the only good and cultivated an asceticism more rigorous than that of Epicureanism or Stoicism. Because of their disdain for worldly concerns, the Cynics were critical of conventional morality and the rest of society, almost to the point of misanthropy.