Why Do I think of Myself as A Cynic

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"Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one rascal less in the world". -Thomas Carlyle

In a world where the culture of "el vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de papá y mamá" prevails, it's not hard to see why I might consider myself a cynic. This saying, which roughly translates to "the smart one lives off the fool, and the fool lives off mom and dad," encapsulates a mindset that is one of my biggest pet peeves. I have a deep-seated aversion to those who constantly blame everything but themselves for their circumstances—those who lament, "boo ho, poor me" while pointing fingers at their parents, the weather, or society at large.

I was raised on the premise that if you want something, you go get it. There was no waiting to see if it would fall from the sky. For me, no one owed me anything; that meant complete freedom. Growing up, I saw too much of the contrary, and even today, people seem content to bemoan their fate without taking any steps to change it. This pervasive attitude feeds my cynicism.

I grew up in a coastal city in northern Colombia, where the culture often mirrored the mentality -among other things I've come to disdain. Yet, amid this environment, my mother emerged as my hero. She was the embodiment of integrity and honesty. Her actions taught me the value of hard work and the futility of expecting handouts from anyone. She was a woman ahead of her time, instilling in me principles that seem almost alien in today's world.

While I love my dad, I can't say he is my hero in the same way. My mother demonstrated what it means to be self-reliant and steadfast in one's values. From her, I learned that life's rewards come to those who earn them, not those who sit and wait for them to be handed out.  

One of the aspects I dislike most is the entitled mentality, where people want things for free or believe that those who have them should automatically give to those who do not have them. Don't get me wrong, I am a big giver. I believe in generosity, but I prefer to teach someone how to fish rather than simply handing out fish. My mother used to say in Spanish, "Nadie sabe por dónde le llueve el agua al Molino," which means "No one knows where the water will rain down on the mill." This saying emphasizes the unpredictability of life and the necessity of being prepared and self-sufficient. It teaches that relying on others can be as uncertain as waiting for rain to fall in the right place; it's far better to cultivate one's resources and resilience.

This upbringing has profoundly shaped my worldview. I often feel like I'm from the wrong planet, an outsider in a society that too frequently celebrates victimhood and entitlement over accountability and resilience. My cynicism isn't born of bitterness but frustration with a culture that seems to have lost its way, a culture that too often forgets that progress is made by those who take responsibility for their own lives.

So yes, I sometimes think of myself as a cynic, more like a skeptic based on my life experiences. But it's a cynicism grounded in believing we can and should do better; It's a call to return to the values of hard work, self-reliance, and integrity—values that my mother lived by and passed down to me. In a world where the "el vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de papá y mamá" mentality still thrives, I will continue to hold on to the lessons she taught me, ever the cynic and believer in personal responsibility.