Regarding “Cynicism: Memo to all Dilberts: Cut the complaints and give your heart a break” (Tempo, Aug. 27):
While it is no doubt true that mistrust, fear and doubt in human relationships breed ill health, it is hardly the whole story. From where, after all, do mistrust, fear and doubt come? They are not God-given or genetically determined. They come from a lifetime of being deceived, manipulated and exploited by bosses, politicians, teachers, journalists and others whose eyes are on money, power and reputation more than upon their responsibilities. These are the causes, the true disease, of which cynicism– like stress, depression, alienation, anxiety and similar syndromes–is merely a symptom.
The meditation, tai chi and cognitive therapy described by the article can certainly help control the systems and ameliorate the deleterious health effects. But until the causes are removed, the disease will remain; indeed, it will worsen. The disease will be eradicated only when our leaders learn to give up self-serving ways and return to their responsibilities. That will happen only when we no longer allow them to delude us into thinking that the social and economic hell that America has become is either admirable or inevitable.
