Viewing the world through jerk-colored glasses - New study indicates that thinking the worst of others brings out the worst in ourselves
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.
- People who assume the worst of others also use it to justify their own heartlessness.
- 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).
- Paradoxically, 44% of Cynics tend to blindly adopt their family's or friends' beliefs (vs. 19% of Non-Cynics).