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We can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion, just as effectively as by bombs.Kenneth Clark
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I think violence, cynicism, brutality and fashion are the staples of our diet. I think in the grand history of story-telling, going back to people sitting around fires, the dark side of human nature has always been very important. Movies are part of that tradition.Eric Stoltz
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Let us not become so intense in our zeal to do good by winning arguments or by our pure intention in disputing doctrine that we go beyond good sense and manners, thereby promoting contention, or say and do imprudent things, invoke cynicism, or ridicule with flippancy.James E. Faust
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Conversely, conservatives assume that humans are fundamentally lazy and prone to immorality. In this view, the entitlement system coddles and rewards laziness. This cynicism spills over into their view of government and government 'bureaucrats.' It also spills over into their political tactics.Krystal Ball
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Trump's behavior is conscienceless, showing utter disregard for the safety of others, consistent irresponsibility, callousness, cynicism and disrespect of other human beings. Contempt for truth and honesty, and for norms, rules and laws. A complete inability to feel remorse, or guilt.George T. Conway III
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Nevertheless, I resist cynicism and continue to believe in the possibilities for genuine democracy.William Greider
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Political parties do not want to win solely for the sake of winning; they want to win so that their coalition can achieve as many of its objectives as possible. And public cynicism notwithstanding, they want to do this even if it costs them votes in the short term.Jamelle Bouie
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I have long believed that there are fundamentally two forces or emotions that drive our decisions - love and fear. Love has its many manifestations: compassion, gratitude, kindness, and joy. Fear often manifests in cynicism, anger, jealousy, and anxiety. I worry that many of our communities are being driven by fear.Vivek Murthy
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When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, have you grown old.Samuel Ullman
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Reforming public education, cutting property taxes, fixing adult and child protective services and funding our budget can all occur when Democrats and Republicans engage in consensus and cooperation - not cynicism and combat.Rick Perry
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A superhero is someone who, at some point or in some way, inspires hope or is the enemy of cynicism.Mark Waid
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Our line of work is very cynical, and a lot of it is driven by cynicism, cruelty, and meanness. It's easier to believe the negative stuff than the positive stuff. The feel-good stories don't usually spend a lot of time on the front pages.Shawn Michaels
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Both religions and musicals work best with energetic and committed believers. Cynicism or detachment would have destroyed the magic - something true of religion, too.Lisa Randall
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I think the most dangerous influence for a young writer is to be treated with cynicism or discouragement.Jane Gardam
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There's so much cynicism around in Britain, especially in the press. The American press might be naive, but at least you feel as if they're on your side.Linus Roache
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Feinstein doesn't interact with the people at all, and I think it breeds cynicism.Elizabeth Emken
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Maybe I am naive, but I don't think talking about the Holocaust with total and complete cynicism is possible for Israeli politicians. It's inevitable that the Holocaust is part of Israeli politics.Timothy D. Snyder
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In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?Barack Obama
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Most cynics are really crushed romantics: they've been hurt, they're sensitive, and their cynicism is a shell that's protecting this tiny, dear part in them that's still alive.Jeff Bridges
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I think there ought to be a club in which preachers and journalists could come together and have the sentimentalism of the one matched with the cynicism of the other. That ought to bring them pretty close to the truth.Reinhold Niebuhr
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In the 1950s, the average person saw science as something that solved problems. With the advent of nuclear weapons and pollution, the idealistic aura around scientific research has been replaced by cynicism.Sheldon Lee Glashow
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No matter how bad any situation, cynicism has no positive impact. Watching the news, you might notice that cynicism and victimhood often seem to go hand-in-hand, but not for veterans.Jim Mattis
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Life is not an easy matter... You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness.Leon Trotsky
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In my opinion I think there's a difference between skepticism and cynicism; I tend to avoid cynicism because I feel it can err sometimes on the side of ignorance, by just disregarding something without actually seeing it or experiencing it first-hand.Tyler Henry
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On 'Best Week Ever,' I met a few previous 'Idol' winners, and they were the nicest young people you'd ever want to meet. It is a tribute to them that they emerged from 'Idol's' cynicism factory seemingly without mercury poisoning of the soul.Paul F. Tompkins
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I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cynicism, and what we're lead to is a life not fully lived. Cynicism is fear, and it's worse than fear - it's active disengagement.Ken Burns
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I was a bit of a humour black sheep. I would make these jokes full of irony and dark cynicism and that just didn't work when I was seven, people did not laugh.Ayda Field
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I think that citizens should be skeptical of government power. But I fear it's bled over to cynicism. It is something that is getting in the way of reasoned discussion, and I'm very concerned about how to change that trend of cynicism.James Comey
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Cynicism is kind of like folding your arms and stepping back and commenting on things, like the old guys in 'The Muppets,' just throwing out comments all the time, whereas there are other people on the ground really trying to affect things and improve their lives and the lives of other people. I think it's noble and I think it's cool.Josh Radnor
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Optimism with some experience behind it is much more energizing than plain old experience with a certain degree of cynicism.Twyla Tharp
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I think that all the anger and cynicism comes from suppressing things that we always wanted.John Lee Hancock
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I don't think you lead by pessimism and cynicism. I think you lead by optimism and enthusiasm and energy.Patricia Ireland
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Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the furthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness: a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say 'no.' But saying 'yes' begins things. Saying 'yes' is how things grow.Stephen Colbert
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We know that in tough times, cynicism is just another way to give up, and in the military, we consider cynicism or giving up simply as forms of cowardice.Jim Mattis
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The creative people I admire seem to share many characteristics: A fierce restlessness. Healthy cynicism. A real world perspective. An ability to simplify. Restraint. Patience. A genuine balance of confidence and insecurity. And most importantly, humanity.David Droga
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The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st century, we must resurrect solidarity and compassion.Óscar Arias
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Doubt is the middle position between knowledge and ignorance. It encompasses cynicism but also genuine questioning.Vera Farmiga
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I wasn't thrilled about 'The Sound Of Music' - not the movie itself but my role in it. Captain Von Trapp was a bore, and they tried to help by giving it a bit more cynicism, but it wasn't my favourite role. I enjoyed the music, and I loved Julie Andrews.Christopher Plummer
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For me, the more I think about the problems of the world, I feel I have to be positive. I wouldn't like to fall into cynicism or nihilism. That's not in my nature.Manu Chao
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I'm riddled with cynicism. Whenever anyone says 'trust me,' the hairs go up on the back of my neck.Charles Dance
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On healthcare, climate change, nuclear disarmament, gun control and countless other issues, President Obama consistently made difficult choices and put the national interest over his own political interest to do what was right. All the while, he resisted the politics of cynicism in a system that too often encourages it.Jack Schlossberg
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Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they are.Walter Becker
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My comedy does not come from a place of deep cynicism, and I tend to play characters who are naive in some way.Anna Faris
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I think if you see that no one is going to laugh at you for it, I think the concept of living nicely will be infectious. I believe there is room for the absence of cynicism.Mitch Leigh
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