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Cynical vs Timonism - What's the difference?

cynical | timonism |

As an adjective cynical

is of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.

As a noun Timonism is

a form of bitter misanthropy, a despair leading to hatred or contemptuous rejection of mankind, like Timon of Athens.

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

    * * *

    timonism

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A form of bitter misanthropy, a despair leading to hatred or contemptuous rejection of mankind, like (Timon of Athens).
    • This most cruel betrayal led him to Timonism .
  • A bitter or cynical utterance or behavior, in the manner of (Timon of Athens).
    • Pay no attention to his Timonisms , it's a pose.

    Quotations

    * Form of bitter misanthropy ** 1840 , in The (Westminster Review)'', September:Signed "C.", "Fiction: ''Timon, But Not of Athens'' [review of the same-titled book by James Sedgwick (pseud. Timologus), London: Saunders & Otley, 1840]", ''(Westminster Review) , Vol. 34, No. 67, September 1840, "Critical and Miscellaneous Notices", p. 501; repr. in Vol. 34 (Nos. 66-67, June–September 1840), No. 2 (orig. 67), London: H. Hooper (C. Reynell, printer), 1841, p. 501 at Google Books. **: His "Timonism " scarcely shows itself, except against the priesthood, for which he has very little respect. ** 1852 , (Herman Melville), , 1852, chapter XVII "Young America in Literature", part III, online version. **: Then how could it be otherwise, than that an incipient Timonism should slide into Pierre, when he considered all the disgraceful inferences to be derived from such a fact. ** 1906 , Prof. , Oxford, 1 January 1906; pub. in The Letters of Sir Walter Raleigh (1879-1922)'', 2 vols. ed. by Lady Raleigh, Vol. 1, London: Methuen (1st ed.), London: Macmillan (2nd ed.), 1926; repr. in ''The Letters of Sir Walter Raleigh 1879 to 1922'', Kessinger Publishing, 2005, ISBN 9781417924769, p. 293 at Google Books. (Note: letter popularized in various other works, including by poet and critic (Herbert Read) in ''The Anthology of English prose'' (1931, aka ''The London Book of English Prose'' and ''English Prose Style'', p. 252), and by Philip Wayne in ''The Personal Art: An Anthology of English letters (1949, p. 226).) **: Men are stuffy little fellows. Their manliness bores me—it is almost universal, and humanity is very rare. [...] the poor things keep on struggling in a web of phantoms. They play with dolls all their lives. It's no good talking to them about wisdom and beauty. They have a complete system. There's even a doll Hell. This is not Timonism , I am an optimist. They are saved, most of them by their guts. A doll has no guts. ** 1988 , Paul Ollswang, "Cynicism":Paul Ollswang, "Cynicism: A Series of Cartoons on a Philosophical Theme", January 1988, page B at official site; repr. in The Best Comics of the Decade 1980-1990 Vol. 1 , Seattle: (Fantagraphics Books), 1990, ISBN 1-56097-035-9, p. 23. **: ''Cynicism'' is often contrasted with ''"Timonism "'' (cf. Shakespeare's ''Timon of Athens''). Cynics saw what people could be & were angered by what they had become; Timonists felt humans were hopelessly stupid & uncaring by nature & so saw no hope for change. * Bitter behavior or cynical utterrance ** 1891 , (Fergus Hume), When I Lived in Bohemia'':(Fergus Hume), ''When I Lived in Bohemia: Papers Selected from the Portfolio of Peter ---, Esq , 1891; repr. Tait, sons & company, 1892, p. 150 at Google Books. **: Thus he ran on carelessly in this cynical vein; but I, after a time, paid no attention to his Timonism s, being taken up with the spectacle of a crowd in the street surrounding a carriage. *

    Synonyms

    * misanthropy

    Derived terms

    * Timonist

    Related terms

    * Timonean, Timonian * Timonize

    See also

    * Simonism

    References

    * OED, "Timon [feat. Timonian, Timonism, Timonist, Timonize]" in the (reproduced in a post) * TFD, "Timonism" in The Free Dictionary * Notes: English eponyms English words suffixed with -ism