According to a study by PsychTests.com, a cynical view of humanity is not just a sign of closed-mindedness. People who assume the worst of others also use it to justify their own heartlessness.

MONTREAL, May 30, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Author Lemony Snicket aptly described the fallacy of using cruelty to deal with cruelty when he said, “if everyone fought fire with fire, the whole world would go up in smoke.” When researchers at PsychTests.com looked into the personal and social consequences of assuming the worst of people, they discovered that cynics who think the world is a cruel place may use it as a reason to mistreat others.

Analyzing data collected from 12,259 people who took the Emotional Intelligence Test, PsychTests’ researchers compared the attitudes, beliefs, and personality of people who assume the worst of others (“Cynics”) and those who don’t (“Non-Cynics”). Here’s what the results revealed:

AS EXPECTED, CYNICS TEND TO BE RATHER CLOSED-MINDED.

• 52% of Cynics believe they are better off distrusting everyone (vs. 5% of Non-Cynics).
• 41% assume that most non-profit organizations use their donations dishonestly (vs. 6% of Non-Cynics).
• 35% refuse to accept opinions that differ from their own (vs. 3% of Non-Cynics).
• Paradoxically, 44% of Cynics tend to blindly adopt their family’s or friends’ beliefs (vs. 19% of Non-Cynics).

PREDICTABLY, CYNICS ARE NOT ALWAYS ALTRUISTIC AND CAN BE EGO-CENTRIC.

• 15% of Cynics have never donated to charity (vs. 5% of Non-Cynics).
• 18% have never given food or money to a homeless person (vs. 11% of Non-Cynics).
• 15% said that they would rather have powerful, inauthentic friends than real, uninfluential friends (vs. 2% of Non-Cynics).
• 22% would rather be feared than loved (vs. 3% of Non-Cynics).
• 43% have dated or befriended someone strictly to gain something (vs. 23% of Non-Cynics).

CYNICS MAY SOMETIMES OFFER UNSOLICITED AND POTENTIALLY HARSH ADVICE.

• 14% of Cynics think it’s okay to tell an obese stranger how to lose weight (vs. 3% of Non-Cynics).
• 18% would have no problem telling a homeless person to get a job (vs. 5% of Non-Cynics).
• 29% believe it’s a good idea to encourage a depressed person to “toughen up” (vs. 10% of Non-Cynics).
• 16% consider it acceptable to tell a mother that her son will turn out gay if she continues to allow him to play with dolls (vs. 2% of Non-Cynics).

CYNICS ARE MORE LIKELY TO STRUGGLE WITH A NUMBER OF PERSONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES.

• 63% of Cynics find it hard to express their feelings (vs. 18% of Non-Cynics).
• 59% are unwilling and/or unable to accept compliments (vs. 25% of Non-Cynics).
• 51% admitted that they change their attitude, behavior, or appearance in order to please others (vs. 12% of Non-Cynics).
• Deep down, 55% of Cynics desperately want to be liked by others and have a strong need for approval (vs. 40% of Non-Cynics).
• 26% are unhappy with their lives (vs. 5% of Non-Cynics).

“When you come into contact with someone who is staunchly cynical, there’s a good chance that it stems from an unresolved issue or hang-up,” explains Dr. Ilona Jerabek, president of PsychTests. “For example, in our study, 63% of the Cynics said that they frequently put other people’s needs ahead of their own even when they don’t want to, and 62% feel they have been taken advantage of one too many times. This is telling: more than half have been seriously mistreated, and when emotional injuries remain unhealed and unresolved, we carry them with us. This is what leads Cynics to see the world as cruel and to feel that the only logical response is to be cruel themselves…or to strike first by biting the snake before it can bite them, even if the snake is only imagined. Unfortunately, this approach to life offers little in terms of creating a sense of security or happiness. Granted, there are circumstances when you’ve got to be tough and assertive to deal with an unscrupulous person, but fighting cruelty with cruelty is not a path to resolution. And the reality is, as long as you think the world is filled with evil and take up your proverbial sword, all you’ll really be doing is feeding your own inner demon.”

What’s your EQ? Find out the Emotional Intelligence Test: at https://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/3979

Professional users, such as HR managers, coaches, and therapists, can request a free demo for this or other assessments from ARCH Profile’s extensive battery: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/testdrive_gen_1

To learn more about psychological testing, download this free eBook: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/personality-tests-in-hr

About PsychTests AIM Inc.
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists and coaches, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts (see ARCHProfile.com).

Media Contact

Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., PsychTests AIM Inc, 5147453189, ilona@psychtests.com

SOURCE PsychTests AIM Inc