From an email I sent to Rachel earlier:
I’m totally crushing on one of my class mates — (name omitted to protect anonymity, and to protect me from embarrassment). I don’t know why I mention it, other than to just mention it. He stimulates the visual cortex of my brain, but whenever I talk to him he seems really negative. Hrm…maybe not so stimulating after all. That’s a shame — why does everyone our age need to be cynical and bitter all the time? Everyone in my program bitches about classes and school and the professors constantly. It’s like “what’s wrong with you? Be grateful you’re here and learn to glean some wisdom from these people who are trying to teach you!” It’s not like there aren’t hundreds of others who would rather be in their place who’d actually be positive and upbeat about the opportunity. (Sigh) Why is optimism so frowned upon by our generation? Whatever happened to hope and gladness and thanksgiving? No, instead it’s all “life sucks!”
Aww man, I’m getting myself down….
Sad but true. Still, I spent some time today with some 20-somethings who were refreshingly passionate and cynical at the same time. Great combo, like a cocktail you’ve never thought of.
Avoid the cynics. They will lead you nowhere. Skepticism is a healthy tool for intelligent users; cynicism is the domain of the willfully disengaged. Cynicism never achieved a dream or righted a wrong.
I’ve noticed the same thing, and I think it has a lot to do with entitlement issues: “I have to work for something?” Needless to say, it really detracts from the learning experience, to the point where I sometimes just feel like telling everyone to suck it up; it’s school, what did you expect? Lucky for me, I only have to put up with it for two more weeks! Not to rub it in, though…
a.) i love crushing on men that nourish my visual cortex and the one that holds the intelligence quotient.
b.) maybe he’s a plagiarist and is scared he’s going to be discovered OR perhaps better yet he’s a spy and looking for a facile way to blend in among the disenchanted spoiled youth of today. you never know he could be putin’s right hand man…