--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whereas modern cynicism brought despair…" description: "\"Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability of the human species to realize laudable ideals, postmodern cynicism doesn't — not because it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/robert-wright-8640_ability_whereas-modern-cynicism-brought-despair_3172745.png" --- # Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability… ![“Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability of the human species to realize laudable ideals, postmodern cynicism doesn't — not because it's optimistic, but because it can't take ideals seriously in the first place. The prevailing attitude is Absurdism. A postmodern magazine may be…” quote by Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/robert-wright-8640_ability_whereas-modern-cynicism-brought-despair_3172745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/robert-wright-8640_ability_whereas-modern-cynicism-brought-despair_3172745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/robert-wright-8640_ability_whereas-modern-cynicism-brought-despair_3172745.png) > “Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability of the human species to realize laudable ideals, postmodern cynicism doesn't — not because it's optimistic, but because it can't take ideals seriously in the first place. The prevailing attitude is Absurdism. A postmodern magazine may be irreverent, but not bitterly irreverent, for it's not purposefully irreverent; its aim is indiscriminate, because everyone is equally ridiculous. And anyway, there's no moral basis for passing judgment. Just sit back and enjoy the show.” [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Postmodern cynicism rejects ideals not out of optimism but because it cannot take them seriously, leading to a detached, absurdist view. **In simple terms:** Postmodern cynicism dismisses ideals, seeing them as absurd. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of cynicism and seek meaningful engagement. Themes cynicism absurdism ideals Mood skeptical philosophical Type analytical critical When to use this quote - political activism - art criticism - academic debate - personal belief systems Key Concepts postmodernism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can cynicism coexist with hopeful action? - What role do ideals play in a postmodern world? A Different Perspective It may ignore the potential for constructive idealism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Absurdism Postmodern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdism-postmodern-5782127/) [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Attitude Absurdism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude-absurdism-5782126/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Cynicism Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism-doesn-3666085/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Irreverent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irreverent/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magazines/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-cynicism-5782125/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Optimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimistic/) [Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing/) [Passing judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing-judgment/) [Passings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passings/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Postmodern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postmodern/) [Postmodern Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postmodern-cynicism-5782124/) [Prevailing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevailing/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) ## Related quotes > [The cynicism doesn't come across in the final; it can be taken as a very sincere plea for someone to not go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-adebimpe/the-cynicism-doesn-t-come-across-in-the-final-it-can-be-taken-as-a/) [Babatunde Adebimpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-adebimpe/) > [“The most seductive sin, I suppose, is passing judgment on others, and the next must be acting out of one's anger when one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-gavin/the-most-seductive-sin-i-suppose-is-passing-judgment-on-others-and/) [Nell Gavin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-gavin/) > [It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/it-is-astonishing-how-elements-that-seem-insoluble-become-soluble/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [Modern Americans suffer from a fear of judging. Passing judgment on the behavior of fellow human beings is considered an act of medieval, undemocratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/modern-americans-suffer-from-a-fear-of-judging-passing-judgment-on/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [Reason has never really directed social reality, but now reason has been so thoroughly purged of any specific trend or preference that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/reason-has-never-really-directed-social-reality-but-now-reason-has/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [You know, don't judge a person, do not pass judgement, unless you have talked to them one on one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/you-know-don-t-judge-a-person-do-not-pass-judgement-unless-you-have/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [ \[M\]ost people offend God by passing judgment on the things others do, especially important people, not knowing the reasons why they are doing what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/m-ost-people-offend-god-by-passing-judgment-on-the-things-others-do/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [I don't want someone coming in and passing judgment on my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/i-don-t-want-someone-coming-in-and-passing-judgment-on-my-life/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) > [It's easy to become very self-critical when you're an actor. Then you get critiqued by the critics. Whether you agree with them or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/it-s-easy-to-become-very-self-critical-when-you-re-an-actor-then-you/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/let-every-one-be-fully-convinced-in-his-own-mind/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [It's like do White privilege exist? Absolutely. In the case of passing judgment, you have to make sure that you're passing judgement on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-daddy-kane/it-s-like-do-white-privilege-exist-absolutely-in-the-case-of-passing/) [Big Daddy Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-daddy-kane/) > [“When one says, I won't judge you for that, what they're really saying is, I am judging you for that. Think about it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/when-one-says-i-won-t-judge-you-for-that-what-they-re-really-saying/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“To get girls he had figured out that all you had to do was talk little, the bare minimum, and listen much, without ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sveva-casati-modignani/to-get-girls-he-had-figured-out-that-all-you-had-to-do-was-talk/) [Sveva Casati Modignani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sveva-casati-modignani/) > [“The move from description to prescription, from saying what happens to passing judgment on what should happen, is a creative one, a fundamentally human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-carroll/the-move-from-description-to-prescription-from-saying-what-happens-to/) [Sean Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-carroll/) > [When someone really hears you without passing judgment on you, without trying to take responsibility for you, without trying to mold you, it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/when-someone-really-hears-you-without-passing-judgment-on-you-without/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) ## More by Robert Wright > [Your brain may give birth to any technology, but other brains will decide whether the technology thrives. The number of possible technologies is infinite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/your-brain-may-give-birth-to-any-technology-but-other-brains-will/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" asked the Christian theologian Tertullian... Having received the revealed thruth via Christ, "we want no curious disputation."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/what-has-athens-to-do-with-jerusalem-asked-the-christian-theologian/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“A female in a high-MPI species may seek signs of generosity, trustworthiness, and, especially, an enduring commitment to her in particular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/a-female-in-a-high-mpi-species-may-seek-signs-of-generosity/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“And don’t feel like you’re committing a felony-level violation of Buddhist dogma just because you think of yourself as being a self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/and-don-t-feel-like-you-re-committing-a-felony-level-violation-of/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“The keen sensitivity with which people detect the flaws of their rivals is one of nature's wonders. It takes a Herculean effort to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/the-keen-sensitivity-with-which-people-detect-the-flaws-of-their/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“realizing you’re not king can be the first step toward getting some real power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/realizing-you-re-not-king-can-be-the-first-step-toward-getting-some/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“So if the conscious mind isn’t in control, what is in control?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/so-if-the-conscious-mind-isn-t-in-control-what-is-in-control/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/happiness-comes-down-to-choosing-between-the-discomfort-of-becoming/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“They will, on the one hand, have sex with just about anything that moves, given an easy chance, like males in a low-MPI species.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/they-will-on-the-one-hand-have-sex-with-just-about-anything-that/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [Like a lawyer, the human brain wants victory, not truth; and, like a lawyer, it is sometimes more admirable for skill than virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/like-a-lawyer-the-human-brain-wants-victory-not-truth-and-like-a/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“It may seem seem cynical to see all religion as basically self-serving, and indeed the idea has been put pithily by a famous cynic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/it-may-seem-seem-cynical-to-see-all-religion-as-basically-self/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“Brewer said the basic idea is to not fight the urge to, say, smoke a cigarette. That doesn’t mean you succumb to the urge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/brewer-said-the-basic-idea-is-to-not-fight-the-urge-to-say-smoke-a/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [Humans have various ways of coping with extended stress, and one is the anticipation of a better time. Here, as with retribution, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/humans-have-various-ways-of-coping-with-extended-stress-and-one-is/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [God knows greed won't vanish. Neither will hatred or chauvanism. Human nature is a stubborn thing. But it isn't beyond control. Even if our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/god-knows-greed-won-t-vanish-neither-will-hatred-or-chauvanism-human/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly; it designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would help take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/natural-selection-didn-t-design-your-mind-to-see-the-world-clearly-it/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) [Explore all 76 Robert Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability of the human species to realize laudable ideals, postmodern cynicism doesn't — not because it's optimistic, but because it can't take ideals seriously in the first place. 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