And the word of the day is...

cyn i cal [sin-i-kuhl]
- adjective
1. like or characteristic of a cynic; distrusting or disparaging the motives of others.
2. showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions, esp. by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
3. bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.

Interesting word. I think it's no secret that I tend to have a cynical side to my personality that rears its ugly head from time to time. Generally, I don't trust others. You have to earn it. I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm disparaging, but maybe sometimes when I don't particularly like you. Heh. The second definition is probably furthest from myself. Sadly, I'm quite incapable of lying about anything, which actually causes problems for me at times. (Honest to a fault, as some would say.) This leads me to tell people what I think of them when I'd be better off just keeping my mouth shut.

Now that third definition is just mean. Bitter? Sneering? What am I, an evil arch-villain? Contemptuous? Only if you piss me off. Pessimistic? No. Realistic would be the more accurate term.

This word popped into my head today as I was typing an email and wondering if I was coming across as a cynical person. Sometimes, tone is a very important part of getting your point across, and it's hardly possible to capture tone in a text message. Maybe I should start recording my facial expressions as I type messages so that people will never misinterpret what I'm saying. Heh.

On a more entertaining topic, my post title reminded me of a very funny animation about Sesame Street. Check it out here.