Ancient Cynicism was a philosophy of virtue, simplicity and moral independence—not pessimism. Perhaps that’s exactly what modern leadership needs.

If anything can halt the spread of the ‘ism’ that robs us of hope, trust, and agency, it’s the philosophy that is the rhetorical equivalent of a dog’s bark. The defining “ism” of our age is neither ...

Poll after poll shows Americans' trust in government and one another is historically low. Faith in institutions is abysmal and interpersonal confidence has worsened. Ratings of scientists have now ...

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Navigating uncertainty. During uncertain times, many of us are drawn to cynicism, seeing humanity as inherently selfish, greedy and untrustworthy. In his latest ...

A classics professor sheds new light on the philosophy of the ancient Cynics. They actually held values they viewed as a shortcut to happiness. Are cynics and happiness mutually exclusive? For modern ...

Around these parts I’m told that skepticism is a virtue but cynicism is a vice. I think that’s wrong and here I’ll explain why, starting with the relationship between open-, and closed-mindedness. To ...

Cynics often come across as contemptuous, irritating, and dispiriting. But they are the first to suffer from their cynicism. They can miss out on the things, such as friendship or love, that make a ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. ATHENS, GREECE, MAY 11: A statue of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato stands outside the Athens Academy, one of the city's ...

Cynicism is a belief that humans are self-interested and immoral. Cynicism was once seen as radical, now is largely viewed as corrosive. Cynicism in large doses is unhealthy, but in some forms may be ...