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Cynicism isn't interchangeable with critical thinking.

True but it is all too often the product of critical thinking.

IMHO and IME, it's never the product of critical thinking. It's an emotional reaction, not thinking and especially not thinking critically.

Whereas IMHO pollyannaism is a product of some combination of denial, naivete, and privilege, and mumbling about cynicism instead of engaging with the point made is nothing more than an expression of cognitive dissonance or worse simple childishness.

Right, but who advocates pollyannaism?

The alternative to pollyannaism is not cynicism but actual critical thought.

The alternative to cynicism is not pollyannaism but actual critical thought.

> mumbling about cynicism instead of engaging with the point made

I was leaving it in the subtext, but in case it wasn’t clear: I don’t think the “point” made reflected anything resembling analysis, and therefore deserved no engagement.

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