Navia, Luis E. (1996). Classical Cynicism: A Critical Study. Contributions in philosophy. Vol. 58. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 1. ISBN 9780313300158. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
“For the cynic, accordingly, hypocrisy and deceitfulness, primitive selfishness and unbounded egoism, and gross materialism and disguised ruthlessness(Rojo, Man Utd) are the hidden characteristics of all human behavior.”
The opposite of a cyncical disregard for truth is what I long for – holding up a highly valued place for truth, for the facts, for meaning of words.
I highly value shared truths, a shared objective reality and facts.
One strategy to experience this is a trustworthy, independent, high quality media landscape – radio, newspapers, internet media sites, quality journalism and independent scientific research.
All of this would fulfill the above need and would be fundamentally important for my need for connection and for my need to peacefully resolve conflict among people.
But let me go back to the jackal thought of “My needs do not matter to others”
This ties into the jackal “lying” – which is judged as wrong behaviour, morally reprehensible. Seeing how in the 2020s the political debates have been degrading into sides blaming each other of lying, this jackal needs very clear awareness of needs.
Trust that my needs matter (to others and myself)
I need to trust that my needs matter in interpersonal relationship or in the context of community or society. When this need for mattering is unfulfilled in certain situations, it may show up in the guise of thoughts such as:
“Nobody cares about me, nobody cares about my feelings, nobody cares about what I want.”
“In general people are egoists. That is just how human beings are.”
The thought that my needs do not matter for other people is very painful.
Feeling excluded, disrespected, not valued, disregarded, humiliated, violated, and more.
Such feeling-thoughts point to the many unmet needs that are alive in such an experience.
Empathy? No one would be giving it to me. No one has compassion anyway!
I may come to the conlusion that I can only serve my needs through violent means.
Violence means – without compassionate awareness for the effect of my actions on others.
Lying, blaming, stealing, destroying
Not telling the truth is just one of several strategies that follow from this mindset.
Another strategy is blaming another of the very thing I am doing or planing to do.
Another one is stealing – which is taking something without asking another for agreement
Another is outright destruction of people or property, which one deems to be an obstacle in the fulfilment of one’s own need.
