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An·ni·hi·late 1 a: to cause to be of no effect : nullify b: to destroy
the substance or force of. Cyn·i·cal 1 a: contemptuously distrustful of
human nature and motives b: based on or reflecting a belief that human
conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest.
Wars. An economic crash. An election. A celebration. The end. The beginning.
If you’re not working in some way to fix what is broken in nature and helping the poor and hungry, you’re wasting your time. It’s more acceptable and more urgent than ever to speak this simple conviction in all ways possible. We’re not united by a distant God or terrorist this time. It’s about each of us—our shared present and future here on this Earth. And it’s about creating the best version of that present and future through smart, hard work, together. For ourselves, our families and each other.
We’ve learned not to underestimate the senator from Illinois who has been decisively thrust to the political summit. We’re reminded not to undervalue our neighbors or ourselves. And we’ve discovered again that pure hope can supercharge a human being. We’re much more clear now, more than ever, that being a warrior doesn’t necessarily make you a leader and that capacity for big ideas, eloquence and grace are cherished virtues.
The foundations of science, education, intellectual honesty, empathy, understanding, partnership, humility, service, reason, passion, conservation, cooperation, caring, equality, responsibility and community have regained their footing, which had slipped so far, so fast. For this moment, the cynicism—the angry hateful kind that has infested us in these times—has been annihilated. One notices its absence in the smiles, the tears and the hopeful songs that are pouring out all over the planet.
My friend Beth, who is from Indiana and lives in Arizona, writes, “We all succeed together, we all get to try something new. My cynicism melts.” Alice Walker states: “There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people’s spirit.” Jon Stewart sarcastically skewered a cynical pundit: “Imagine! People having human emotions due to a historic moment. Imagine! A country coming full circle from slavery and that affecting me on a deeply personal level.”
My 3-year-old daughter told me that now “Obama is picking his friends to bring to the Light House.” Irene walked into a meeting with her corporate clients on Nov. 5 and for the first time told them how they could help make the world better, and they listened. In her hopeful book “The Real Wealth of Nations,” Riane Eisler states it clear as a bell: “It’s not realistic to expect changes in uncaring economic policies and practices unless caring and care giving are given greater value.”
Countless talking heads in the media have, at least temporarily, lost all their cynical juice in the profundity of the moment we hold. Now, don’t mistake cynicism for healthy skepticism, pragmatism and rational thought; they’re quite different. I’ll be the first to admit that I was right there with you (optimistically) holding my breath straight up to 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. Things could go terribly wrong, the negative ads could work, the voting machines could “malfunction.”
Yet, “yes we can!” became “yes we will!” and then “yes we did!” At midnight, millions of strangers shouted, howled, cried, hugged, dreamed and hoped together in streets around the planet, stopping traffic. Our generation now has this moment in history, with the story of how it will play out ahead for us to decide.
There are still huge, serious problems to solve. So guard your flanks against cynicism. Make no mistake, the skeptics will hurl everything they have in an attempt to knock us back. But for now cynicism has been annihilated throughout the land, and it feels good.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “It is time to provide a smashing answer for those cynical men who say that a democracy cannot be honest and efficient. If you will help, this can be done.”
Vincent van Gogh put it this way: “In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism and skepticism and humbug and we shall want to live more musically.”
Learn more about eco patriot Wallace J. Nichols at wallacejnichols.org .
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