Hope versus Cynicism

Dictionaries describe despair as the opposite of hope. But then, despair is not really a state of life one likes to stay in. Once you realize you are in a desperate situation, you try to get out of it. However, if it is not just your personal situation but your whole worldview portraying the circumstances around you as desperate, it is difficult to get out of such a state of mind. That is when people turn to cynicism instead: Realizing they can't change the world around them they evaluate their surroundings with constant mockery, holding mankind in contempt. Cynicism appears to be the last refuge when one has lost hope but does not want to live in despair.

It looks like cynicism is not just the attitude of a few individuals; huge parts of society follow this line of thinking. It affects literature, humor, and many other ways people like to express their thoughts. One wonders if this is really a healthy state of mind. Isn't it just covering up the fact that one has lost hope in life? Wouldn't it be better to find hope again? To find hope one has to start searching for the real purpose in life!