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Every period in history seems like the worst for people going through it. 2020 has certainly been a challenging year on many levels. We’ve still in the middle of a global pandemic, we had a bitter election in the United States, the economy has been in upheaval, many people have lost jobs, and the list goes on and on …

One look at your social media feed or any news channel will tell you that people are upset and hurting. There is a sense of frustration and anger that we have never seen in our lifetimes. 

In this kind of situation, it’s natural to feel angry or frustrated. And why not? That’s what everyone else is doing. It’s also easy to let yourself slip into a cynical attitude about life. 

A cynic is a person who assumes the worst about everyone. They believe everyone acts out of self-interest, and any appearance of good behavior or generosity is just a ploy for someone to get what they want.

Lots of entertainment is based on this notion of human behavior. For example, the most popular sitcom of all time, Seinfeld, was based on a pessimistic view of human nature. In fact, the mantra of the show was that no characters would ever grow or learn anything. 

That’s fun to watch on TV, but it doesn’t work in real life. It’s impossible to be in a committed, loving relationship and be a constant cynic. You also can’t be a consistent positive influence in someone’s life if you only believe the worst about people.

The great author F. Scott Fitzgerald, said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”

It’s true, this is a dark time in history where we have a few more crises than usual. But don’t give in to negative attitudes of everyone around you. This period we’re in right now may seem hopeless. But as writers and creators, we are part of the solution. We must not be part of the problem.

The pessimists and cynics may have their moment in the sun. But in the end, cynics don’t change the world. Hope wins, every time.