Often, someone thinking to issue an insult will label me a “cynic.” I accept the designation but not the definition. The word is like “God,” one become so imprecise in meaning as to be meaningless and so overapplied in use as to be useless. By default, every thinking, self-aware person wishes to use his or her talents to the fullest through acts of will. Many if not most, however, are prevented by circumstance and fear from doing this. They self-reject and refuse to become themselves, that is, to do that which they want (and know they should) do. Such a person will call someone like me a “cynic.” It doesn’t mean what they think.