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Cynical vs Believing - What's the difference?

cynical | believing |

As an adjective cynical

is of or relating to the cynics, a sect of ancient greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.

As a verb believing is

.

As a noun believing is

belief.

cynical

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
  • *(Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784)
  • *:I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received.
  • Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.
  • Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.
  • *
  • *:He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark-for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies.
  • Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one's actions.
  • *
  • *:When he, at Neergard's cynical suggestion, had consented to exploit his own cluband had consented to resign from it to do so, he had every reason to believe that Neergard meant to either mulct them heavily or buy them out. In either case, having been useful to Neergard, his profits from the transaction would have been considerable.
  • Like the actions of a snarling dog.
  • :

    • References

    * * *

    believing

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • belief
  • * 2004 , Dermot Moran, ?Lester E. Embree, Phenomenology: Critical Concepts in Philosophy (volume 2, page 337)
    • Some believings are believings with simple certainty; others are more or less uncertain; still others are believings with a reassured certainty, perhaps after a time during which they were uncertain.