What is a cynic?

Question: What is a cynic!?

If cynic means 'a person who thinks all human are motivated by selfishness', would that not make Machiavelli a cynic!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

That's a strange definition of cynic!. (A cynic is one disposed to deny and sneer at the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions - OED) A cynic is just a realist with a weird sense of humour!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You already asked what a cynic was and I posted an article!. That article mentioned nothing about "all human are motivated by selfishness"!.

"Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature!. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and fame, and by living a life free from all possessions"
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/CynicWww@QuestionHome@Com

Well!.!.!. my dear!.!.!. a "cynic" is just an individual who is "sarcastic" in their remarks!. I don't think that this person is considered to be "selfish" at the same time !!! Selfishness & cynism has nothing "in common"!! About Machiavelli I don't know enough in order to call him a "cynic", sorry !
Best greetings from Germany!.!.!.!. Annette***Www@QuestionHome@Com

A cynic (according to one definition of the term) is someone who invests a lot of energy doubting the motives of others or the tenability of philosophical concepts!. Pontius Pilate's famous utterance to Jesus, "what is truth!?" is the very embodiment of cynicism!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Naw, the main idea behind Machiavellianism is that it's better to be feared than loved!.!.!.If selfishness was a primary motivation then it probably would be Ayn Rand

I think a cynic is really just a glass half empty type personWww@QuestionHome@Com

He believed that it is better to be feared as a prince than to be loved!. I guess that makes him kinda a cynic because he thought man as selfish and greedy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A cynic is an idealist who's been around a while!. Machiavelli reads as though he was a realist from the get go!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Someone who excludes hope from reality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com