In a recent interview, author Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah talked about transcending cynicism. He says we have to be willing to do that. I couldn’t agree more. But finding the will to act is no easy matter. The reasons we’re experiencing what feels like an epidemic of cynicism are many. some days it feels like piling on.
Daily we see people instantly becoming the victims of mass shootings (200 already this year), we see the senseless war in Ukraine, the thousands swarming the Southern border, and the breakdown of the political process in our country. The difficult economic times have always triggered a sharp rise in hate speech, racism, and violence. When a package of crackers costs almost $8.00 and a cup of coffee is over$2.00 it’s easy to be cynical.
Just when we think we’ve rounded up these big issues, others appear fully blown. The climate crisis and the rise of AI both bring new stress lines to our faces. Animals continue to disappear and water looms as the challenge for future survival.
Mental health is, of course, one of the by-products of becoming so negative. To say that we are experiencing a national mental health crisis is not an understatement. It seems as if all the support services that underpin our social structure have taken a vacation. People call 911 for emergency services and sometimes do not get a response. When they do get one, it is often not very timely.
Here’s where we have to dig deep. I’d Love to see the finest minds come together, take some risks, and generate some solutions. At least attempt to do so. Even failed attempts to rectify some of these social ills would be welcomed. Transcend the cynicism and you transcend the cynic, no?
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