Refusing cynicism

It’s very easy to become cynical in the world. It’s easy to think that everyone is just out to serve themselves and that authenticity drowns in the hunt for profit. It’s especially easy to think this of public figures. But what do we really know? Sure, sometimes we do know. But when we, if we're being truly honest with ourselves about what we can know for sure, conclude that we truly don't know, isn’t it better to assume good, honest, authentic intentions, when we really have nothing to base our judgment on? Isn’t this ultimately a question about whether we believe the world and other people to be fundamentally good or bad? And isn’t this ultimately a question about what we truly believe about ourselves? Maybe it is even a question of what we believe about God.