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Comment by andyjohnson0 | Hacker News Reader

I'll be hitting 50 in a couple of years, and like Jacques I've noticed my tolerance for bullshit and injustice has decreased. I've tentatively put the former down to a subliminal (mostly) awareness of having less time to waste. I feel more focused.

I've also noticed that my tolerance for cynicism has decreased significantly in the last few years. I'm not totally sure why, but I suspect that I've come to see cynicism (particularly about politics and environmental issues) as the laziness that fuels injustice.

I'd be interested to know of other people's experiences.

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37 here, and that is exactly how I feel. I'm hardly an optimist about how a lot of things in the world are going, but world-weary cynicism (the world is shit, it'll never change, everyone is corrupt, etc) grates on me as cloying and juvenile. I always end up thinking it says more about the person than the world itself.

These days, I usually find myself starting to argue and push back against that, and occasionally I do end up coming down to "So the world is shit, you're not even going to try to do anything about it, what in life do you have to be proud of about yourself at this point?"

I feel better for not putting up with it, but it has led to some tense arguments with extended family, friends, hairdressers (haha, seriously).

> what in life do you have to be proud of about yourself at this point?"

I like to think that at least by not killing myself I've made a huge contribution to the happiness of my friends and family, even if the world as a whole is a hopeless cluster of growing misery.

I agree - the older you are, the more chances you've had to peek behind the curtains and see how truly corrupt the machine and people within it really are. Sure, try to make a difference here and there, but I'd advise not going too far out of your way, and never put your personal livelihood on the line. Better to focus that energy on family, friends and community, where you can make a difference.

Never put your personal livelihood on the line to make the world a better place?

That's terrible, cowardly advice.

If you're surrounded by cowards / people who will sell out and join the corruption given the chance, it's neither cowardly nor terrible advice. Everyone has to learn this lesson on their own I think.

Add me to the "decreased tolerance for cynicism" list. It's lazy, it's arrogant, and it's a great way to miss hundreds of opportunities.

Although I suspect that may be less about age and more about the last decade or so on the Internet...

I don't see anything wrong with cynicism _per se_. In fact, I have a hard time seeing how it's possible to avoid becoming at least somewhat cynical. Apathy and complacency on the other hand--those I have a problem with.

On the other hand, I'm not sure it's fair to come down so harshly on people who are feeling hopeless and/or powerless. I'm not sure getting indignant with such individuals is particularly constructive. There's probably a reason there are so many people who feel this way, and it's not just pure selfishness.

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