What Santa Claus Taught Me About Hope

And Why If You Become A Cynic, They Win

Photo by Mike Arney on Unsplash

Back when I was growing up and the world had not gone to hell yet, being a cynic was the cool thing to do.

Now, it is the default.

When we were kids, ‘being cool’ was often confused with a calculated disdain for everything and a distinct indifference to the idea of joy.

Now, disdain is the only way we can make sense of the way the world works, and joy is a privilege we can selectively enjoy within our respective bubbles.

But whether you are a cynic by choice or compulsion, it is always a game.

A game where if you become a cynic, they win.

I am not going to explain who ‘they’ are. Because chances are, you already know.

I think ‘they’ have been trying to turn us into cynics for a very long time. Until they figured they didn’t need to turn people, they needed to turn the world and the things that mattered.

The world veered into a direction where violence, war, hate, prejudice, and genocide became the new normal.

And suddenly, cynicism became the only sane way.

I also suppose, like with everything wrong (and right) in our lives, it is the internet.