--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm…" description: "\"Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm actually a hopeful person. But the way to stay hopeful is to acknowledge and to not accept what is absolutely amor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/stephen-colbert-503_accepting_cynicism-is-an-enormous-problem-i-m-actu_3110095.png" --- # Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm actually a hopeful… ![“Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm actually a hopeful person. But the way to stay hopeful is to acknowledge and to not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” quote by Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/stephen-colbert-503_accepting_cynicism-is-an-enormous-problem-i-m-actu_3110095.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/stephen-colbert-503_accepting_cynicism-is-an-enormous-problem-i-m-actu_3110095.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/stephen-colbert-503_accepting_cynicism-is-an-enormous-problem-i-m-actu_3110095.png) > “Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm actually a hopeful person. But the way to stay hopeful is to acknowledge and to not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hopeful optimism requires confronting immoral or harmful behavior rather than normalizing it. **In simple terms:** Hope needs confronting wrongdoing. Key Takeaway Stay hopeful by rejecting harmful norms. Themes hope ethics psychology Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political discourse - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts moral philosophy mental health social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance hope with realism? - What actions can you take against immoral behavior? A Different Perspective Hope can be fragile when faced with pervasive negativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hopeful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopeful/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Mentally ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentally-ill/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. Basically, to not give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-a-hoffman/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-stay-hopeful-to-believe/) [Irena A. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-a-hoffman/) > [I have a personal ambition to live my life honestly and honor the true love that I've had and also the people I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-have-a-personal-ambition-to-live-my-life-honestly-and-honor-the-2/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [I want to stay hopeful, even though I get scared about why we're even alive at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-want-to-stay-hopeful-even-though-i-get-scared-about-why-we-re-even/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [“The trick to not growing old is to: Stay curious. Keep your teeth. Stay hopeful. Do everything gracefully, yet kick when you have to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/the-trick-to-not-growing-old-is-to-stay-curious-keep-your-teeth-stay/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [“Even when you are in the darkest hours you can stay hopeful. That’s the thing about faith…it helps you know that sooner or later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/even-when-you-are-in-the-darkest-hours-you-can-stay-hopeful-that-s/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I wouldn't ever say if you're having tough times then there must be something wrong with you or your attitude. Life's a fight. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-wouldn-t-ever-say-if-you-re-having-tough-times-then-there-must-be/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“I prayed for help to put the sadness and disappointment of my defeat behind me; to stay hopeful and openhearted rather than becoming cynical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/i-prayed-for-help-to-put-the-sadness-and-disappointment-of-my-defeat/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [People often ask me how I stay hopeful - and how they can stay hopeful, too. Here's my answer: Do something. Do anything! Truly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/people-often-ask-me-how-i-stay-hopeful-and-how-they-can-stay-hopeful/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [“Stay hopeful; your restoration is near. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tour-roberts/stay-hopeful-your-restoration-is-near/) Touré Roberts > [A hopeless person feels difficulty in every chance & A hopeful person feels a chance in every difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/a-hopeless-person-feels-difficulty-in-every-chance-a-hopeful-person/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [One of the very first things I figured out about life...is that it's better to be a hopeful person than a cynical, grumpy one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/one-of-the-very-first-things-i-figured-out-about-life-is-that-it-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [A hopeless man Sees difficulties in every chance, but a hopeful person Sees chances in every difficulty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-hopeless-man-sees-difficulties-in-every-chance-but-a-hopeful-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm just a generally hopeful person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-bailey-rae/i-m-just-a-generally-hopeful-person/) [Corinne Bailey Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-bailey-rae/) > [I have never seen a hopeful person join a gang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/i-have-never-seen-a-hopeful-person-join-a-gang/) [Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/) > [I am a very hopeful person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-capshaw/i-am-a-very-hopeful-person/) [Jessica Capshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-capshaw/) ## More by Stephen Colbert > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [We all deserve credit for this new surveillance state that we live in because we the people voted for the Patriot Act. Democrats and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/we-all-deserve-credit-for-this-new-surveillance-state-that-we-live-in/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I've long been against illegal aliens, partly because they distract us from an even bigger threat: real aliens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-ve-long-been-against-illegal-aliens-partly-because-they-distract-us/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Believe in me, cause I don't believe in anything, and I wanna be someone to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/believe-in-me-cause-i-don-t-believe-in-anything-and-i-wanna-be/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Try to love others and serve others and hopefully find those who love and serve you in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/try-to-love-others-and-serve-others-and-hopefully-find-those-who-love/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Thirty seconds is the exact amount of time Americans can tolerate something they don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/thirty-seconds-is-the-exact-amount-of-time-americans-can-tolerate/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I used to make up stuff in my bio all the time, that I used to be a professional ice-skater and stuff like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-used-to-make-up-stuff-in-my-bio-all-the-time-that-i-used-to-be-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I live by syllogisms: God is love. Love is blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God. I don't know what I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-live-by-syllogisms-god-is-love-love-is-blind-stevie-wonder-is-blind/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Unlike Paul Newman, who seems to think that salad dressing is the cure-all for America's ills, I'm a man of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/unlike-paul-newman-who-seems-to-think-that-salad-dressing-is-the-cure/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/jesus-forgives-sinners-not-criminals/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Used books are the sluts of the literary world. Passed around from person to person, spreading their pages for anyone, getting cheaper and cheaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/used-books-are-the-sluts-of-the-literary-world-passed-around-from/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Divorce is a marital welfare. It's just couples asking society to bail them out because they didn't do enough research before they got married.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/divorce-is-a-marital-welfare-it-s-just-couples-asking-society-to-bail/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) [Explore all 514 Stephen Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cynicism is an enormous problem. I'm actually a hopeful person. 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