Every period in history seems like the worst for people going through it. The past couple of years have certainly been challenging on many levels. One look at your social media feed or any news channel will tell you that people are upset and hurting.

It’s natural to feel angry and frustrated when there is so much division and our normal sense of life has been disrupted. 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. You can’t be a 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. But in the end, cynics don’t change the world. Hope always wins, every time.

Question: Would you describe yourself as a person of hope or as a cynic? Why?