Idealism is what precedes experience; cynicism is what follows.
David T. Wolf (1943 - )
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin1.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
My pessimism2 extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity3 of the pessimists4.
Jean Rostand (1894 - 1977), Journal of a Character, 1931
Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.
Lillian Hellman (1905 - 1984), The Little Foxes, 1939
No matter how cynical5 you get, it is impossible to keep up.
Lily Tomlin (1939 - )
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act III
Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It's unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don't have to try.
Peggy Noonan (1950 - ), in Good Housekeeping
Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt6... Idealists regarded everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves.
Robert Anton Wilson
A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, he is one who is prematurely7 disappointed in the future.
Sidney J. Harris
Never be a cynic, even a gentle one. Never help out a sneer8, even at the devil.
Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931)
