Cynical is definitely a thorn in the side in the GRE exam. Every GRE test-taker can clearly recall its Chinese meaning, but few can correctly select it as the right answer in a fill-in-the-blank question or eliminate it as a wrong option.
In short, you think you know it, but you're overthinking it.
Cynicism and world-weariness are the first impressions many test-takers have of this word, yet they inevitably end up tripped up by it. Those who have studied the history of the Cynic school will easily understand what the Chinese term conveys.
But in the GRE, we don't need to delve into a word's historical origins; just look at its English definition and it's clear:
Cynical
a: contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives
b: based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest
Key point: Cynics are distrustful of human nature and believe everyone is selfish.
Alright, understanding these two meanings is sufficient for tackling the questions.
For some time now, _____ has been presumed not to exist: the cynical conviction that everybody has an angle is considered wisdom.
A. rationality
B. flexibility
C. diffidence
D. disinterestedness
E. insincerity
Solution: The answer is D.
The colon indicates that the two parts are consistent. After the colon, the cynical conviction that everybody has an angle ('have an angle' means that you're acting out of concern for yourself, not for others) corresponds to the English definition of 'cynical,' i.e., everyone is selfish. Because before the colon there is 'not' negating the assumption, the blank should be the opposite of selfishness, which is 'disinterestedness,' meaning impartial and objective.
Of course, this isn't just a simple GRE vocabulary lesson. Let's go deeper: What exactly is cynicism? What does it truly mean to be cynical?
When being called a 'cynic,' many people's first reaction is that others are cursing them as a 'dog.'
In fact, that's not the case. Though the root 'cynic' does mean 'dog' in Greek, this originates from the lifestyle of Diogenes, an early representative of the Cynic school.
He abandoned wealth and honor, yearned for nature, lived with animals, and begged for a living. This unconventional lifestyle was mocked at the time as 'living like a dog,' giving birth to the term 'cynic.'
Early 'cynicism' was not a negative term.
From Diogenes' attitude toward life, it's easy to see that cynicism rejects the immediate reality, adopting a cold, detached stance toward the world.
Remember the famous story? One day, Alexander the Great came to visit Diogenes, who was lying on the ground sunbathing, and asked what favor he desired. Diogenes replied, 'Just don't block my sun.' (Quoted from Hu Ping's 'The Cynic Biography')
Today's cynicism, however, is no longer the pure pursuit of a state that fears neither life nor death and disregards fortune or misfortune. It has evolved into a sort of contemptuous, cynical, passive escapism.
In the eyes of modern cynics, politicians are hypocrites who collude for interests and say one thing while doing another, and they are the source of their cynical outlook.
Then they start distrusting everything in society. They think celebrities only become popular through hype; philanthropists donate only for self-interest; athletes are just puppets manipulated by gambling companies...
Such things do happen in society, but modern cynics take these isolated cases as societal norms. Meanwhile, when others are working for social change, they cling to the sick thought that 'this society can't get better, and your efforts are futile.'
When Snowden exposed political scandals, they laughed at his naivety, thinking one person could never fight the government. When the #MeToo movement surged, they denied its significance, thinking gender equality could never be realized. When Apple released an ad for people with disabilities, they questioned its motives, thinking a profit-driven company could never genuinely care about the disabled.
These people are always suspicious and dismissive of things around them. They find many things vulgar and driven by obvious motives, and they completely doubt the existence of love in the world.
Their situation is also paradoxical, as if they've been abandoned by life but still maintain a sense of superiority, as if they had voluntarily discarded it. On the one hand, they outwardly comply with all unchangeable facts; on the other, they curse them behind closed doors.
Have you noticed? Often we ourselves live this way. Everyone has a trace of modern cynicism—toiling day and night to make a living, then venting frustration through the keyboard. Society may seem peaceful on the surface, but social media is filled with complaints about life and disappointment in human nature. It's not an exaggeration to say that 'keyboard warriors' are the modern embodiment of cynicism.
True cynicism has lost its original meaning due to modern misuse. Early cynicism advocated liberating the spirit from material desires, while what is now called cynicism has gradually been reduced to a nihilistic thought that even despises truth. Taking the internet society as an example, a true cynic would probably never use social media, because they don't need this 'sense of existence.'
Cynicism itself is not a derogatory term; it's just that social development has made it increasingly hard to define. 'Living like a dog' sounds somewhat mocking, but honestly, such a free lifestyle is perhaps a luxury for many modern people.
I believe that the next time you encounter 'cynical' in the GRE, you won't be left in the dark. I also hope you've gained a deeper understanding of 'cynicism.'
