Optimistic by nature, cynical by experience.
People often ask me why I use the name “The Optimistic Cynic”. The simple answer is ‘the name picked me’ but here is what it really means for me:
- I’m a passionate believer that people basically want to do good. It’s not always easy but with the right support, values and information I know we can do more.
- I know we can overcome just about every obstacle life throws in our way. Together we can be resilient, adaptable and creative.
- There’s beauty all around us, sometimes we just need to be reminded where to look.
- Life isn’t a fairy tale though. We need to be strong, question what’s around us and be pragmatic. As the man said, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
- ‘Yes, but…’ is a legitimate tool to test our thinking, we need our devil advocates.
- The optimist needs a cynic, and the cynic needs an optimist. Ying and yang working together.
I latched onto this name from my experiences with the disability sector and it grew from there. We have so much potential to provide everyone with a great life but when systems control us, innovation dies out. People believe in equality but don’t always treat people equally. Disability has taught me that we can always do better.
The Optimistic Cynic 