A Cynic's New Year

The city's clock struck 12 and the great bells started ringing, each strike reverberating through my head. As the fireworks began their vividly colourful and loud bombardment of the night sky, I began to think. Why do we do this? Why do we waste so much on this first day of the year? All people ever do is make promises and resolutions that they rarely ever keep. Everyone goes on and on about it being a fresh start, but is it really? 'New year, please be kind to me,' they all say. Maybe it would be if these people actually tried to do something about it, but no, everyone just vows to change for this one day, or perhaps, a week at most, most of them to get some more attention from people, because that's all everyone wants these days, myself included, but at least I don't lie and make false promises to do it. I wish I could get it into all these peoples' heads that things didn't change, and they won't change, as long as they keep doing what they are doing. They should wake themselves up, because the New Year doesn't mean a new life; it's just a continuation of their current, dull, insignificant, miserable little lives. Just look at this: all these people, talking about how 'this year, I will be different,' or 'this year, I will do this!' Why do they have to tell us? How do they know that?! Don't they realize that this is, by Einstein's definition, insanity?! Every year! Every year I hear them saying the same things, just with different punctuation or diction, but essentially, it's always the same! Damn it all, I hate New Year's Day!

"You know, I can feel the cynicism radiating from your loud typing. Relax," big brother says to me. He doesn't understand. He's blind to the idiocy of society, but he's partially right. I should relax.

But not before I try and convince him of my stand.

"Just listen to all these people, brother. They're all the same! It's the same thing every year!"

"Let it pass, little brother. I mean, it's not like you can change them or anything."

"Perhaps you're right, but it just, I don't know…maybe if I rant about it and post it online; maybe people will have a sudden…realization of their…ignorance."

"Ha! How hypocritical of you. Knowing you, I'd assume that you'd think they'd never realize what you think they are. Besides, nobody's going to read anything cynical on New Year's Day, not especially from you. It will not change them, regardless. At the most, they will just get angry."

"And I thought I was the cynical one…" I remarked. Those were some unexpected words from my overly joyful older brother.

"Everyone's all a little cynical, brother. The people we label cynical are the ones who take it too seriously."

"Like…"

"Like you."

"It's difficult, you know, seeing everyone being like this all the time."

"Then let it go…"

I gave a sharp look to my brother. 'Let it go?' If only it were so easy.

"You can't just—"

"Let it go? Yes, you can. Look at the world a little differently. I think you care too much. So these people want to fish for attention. So what? Are they worth your wrath? Are they worth getting mad at?"

"Yes, I very much think they are."

"Perhaps, but will your anger reach them? Or are you just shouting at an invisible wall that you use to represent the rest of the world?"

"That's a fair comparison, but sound can bounce of walls, and if one shouts loud enough, some of it will reflect, and be heard by others—," I say, and thus begins my brother's lengthy monologue:

"—who will just get angry at you and tell you to keep your pessimism and cynicism to yourself; words of wisdom that you should follow. I know how ranting about society on a blog works. Let's face it: sure, human nature can be horrible, or is horrible in your view, but what can you do? By scooping up all that is wrong about everyone else and ingesting it into your mind, you ruin yourself as well. Like I said, you care too much of what's wrong with others. They're also human beings. They're fully capable of fixing themselves. If they aren't fixing themselves, let them stay that way. Maybe they want to be a broken record every New Year. Maybe they've accepted the fact that this thing happens every year and they just go with it. The New Year's Day is a worldwide tradition, dear brother. It's very much like Christmas in a way such that there will always be people that hate the fact that it's celebrated, but they can't do anything about it because it's a worldwide tradition. Sure, not every place in the world celebrates it, but you just can't stop the practice. That's tradition for you. These people drown in their anger and misery, while everyone else is happy, and so too will you, if you keep this up. So, please, brother, stop making yourself miserable. I care for you."

And so I conceded to my older, and seemingly wiser, brother. He's right, actually, but that didn't really change the fact that I was cynical. I was always angry at society for being a destructive force, fuelled by self-interest and greed, and I always vented that anger through my writing. It changed, though. That's something that rarely actually happens on a New Year. Though some wittier cynic would probably beat my brother in a debate on the topic, I think I believe my brother and his solution. I should just not be angry. It's actually easy once you start ignoring what society has become. Sure, I still hate it, but at least I'm not observing every single wrong step of the world and ranting about it. Tonight, I can enjoy the fireworks.