--- title: "3 Cynicism Quotes By Paul E. Miller" description: "3 Cynicism quotes by Paul E. Miller. Plus more from Paul E. Miller and more Cynicism sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/paul-e-miller-17022_bright-side_cynicism-creates-a-numbness-toward-life_435442.jpg" --- > [“Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/cynicism-creates-a-numbness-toward-life-cynicism-begins-with-a-wry/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/paul-e-miller-17022_bright-side_cynicism-creates-a-numbness-toward-life_435442.jpg) > [“To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being "in the know," cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/to-be-cynical-is-to-be-distant-while-offering-a-false-intimacy-of/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/paul-e-miller-17022_cynicism_to-be-cynical-is-to-be-distant-while-off_1184885.jpg) > [“Cynicism and defeated weariness have this in common: They both question the active goodness of God on our behalf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/cynicism-and-defeated-weariness-have-this-in-common-they-both/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/paul-e-miller-17022_goodness-of-god_cynicism-and-defeated-weariness-have-thi_1791621.jpg) ## Other authors on Cynicism - [Wataru Watari 19 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/wataru-watari/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barack-obama-16275.jpg) Barack Obama 13 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/barack-obama/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-mason-cooley-65303.jpg) Mason Cooley 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/mason-cooley/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-terry-pratchett-89528.jpg) Terry Pratchett 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/terry-pratchett/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-stephen-colbert-86965.jpg) Stephen Colbert 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/stephen-colbert/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-george-carlin-37578.jpg) George Carlin 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/george-carlin/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-oscar-wilde-72846.jpg) Oscar Wilde 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/oscar-wilde/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-ambrose-bierce-12239.jpg) Ambrose Bierce 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/ambrose-bierce/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-alain-de-botton-10218.jpg) Alain de Botton 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/alain-de-botton/) ## More by Paul E. Miller > [“God takes everyone he loves through a desert. It is his cure for our wandering hearts, restlessly searching for a new Eden... The best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/god-takes-everyone-he-loves-through-a-desert-it-is-his-cure-for-our/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/the-criteria-for-coming-to-jesus-is-weariness-come-overwhelmed-with/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Prayer is asking God to incarnate, to get dirty in your life. Yes, the eternal God scrubs floors. For sure we know he washes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/prayer-is-asking-god-to-incarnate-to-get-dirty-in-your-life-yes-the/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Prayer is a moment of incarnation - God with us. God involved in the details of my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/prayer-is-a-moment-of-incarnation-god-with-us-god-involved-in-the/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/cynicism-creates-a-numbness-toward-life-cynicism-begins-with-a-wry/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Self-will and prayer are both ways of getting things done. At the center of self-will is me, carving a world in my image, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/self-will-and-prayer-are-both-ways-of-getting-things-done-at-the/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Anxiety is unable to relax in the face of chaos; continuous prayer clings to the Father in the face of chaos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/anxiety-is-unable-to-relax-in-the-face-of-chaos-continuous-prayer/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“The kingdom comes when Jesus becomes king of your life. But it has to be your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/the-kingdom-comes-when-jesus-becomes-king-of-your-life-but-it-has-to/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Everything you do is connected to who you are as a person and, in turn, creates the person you are becoming. Everything you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/everything-you-do-is-connected-to-who-you-are-as-a-person-and-in-turn/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“be truth-focused. The truth is that I need to love the other person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/be-truth-focused-the-truth-is-that-i-need-to-love-the-other-person/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“...Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/jesus-opens-his-arms-to-his-needy-children-and-says-come-to-me-all/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“When I begin praying Christ into someone’s life, God often permits suffering in that person’s life. If Satan’s basic game plan is pride, seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/when-i-begin-praying-christ-into-someone-s-life-god-often-permits/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/if-you-are-not-praying-then-you-are-quietly-confident-that-time-money/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“There's not a lot of drama in helpfulness, but it is the fabric of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/there-s-not-a-lot-of-drama-in-helpfulness-but-it-is-the-fabric-of-love/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [“Why is hesed love so important? Because life is moody. Feelings come and go. Pressures rise and fall. Passions ebb and flow. Hesed is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/why-is-hesed-love-so-important-because-life-is-moody-feelings-come/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/paul-e-miller/#itemlist", "name": "3 Cynicism Quotes By Paul E. 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Optimism in the goodness of people collapses when it confronts the dark side of life. ... Shattered optimism sets us up for the fall into defeated weariness and, eventually, cynicism. You'd think it would just leave us less optimistic, but we humans don't do neutral well. We go from seeing the bright side of everything to seeing the dark side of everything. We feel betrayed by life. ... The movement from naive optimism to cynicism is the new American journey. In naive optimism we don't need to pray because everything is under control. In cynicism we can't pray because everything out of control, little is possible. With the Good Shepherd no longer leading us through the valley of the shadow of death, we need something to maintain our sanity. Cynicism's ironic stance is a weak attempt to maintain a lighthearted equilibrium in a world gone mad. ... Without the Good Shepherd, we are alone in a meaningless story. Weariness and fear leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to move. 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