Cynicism Tropes

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

- Oscar Wilde

"We have done with Hope and Honour, we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung, And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!"

- Rudyard Kipling, "Gentleman-Rankers"

A few clues as to which end of the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism you are -- or the characters think they are.

Contrast Idealism Tropes.

Tropes

 * Accentuate the Negative
 * A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read
 * Anti-Hero
 * Nineties Anti-Hero
 * At Least I Admit It
 * The Barnum
 * Being Good Sucks
 * Beware the Superman
 * Black and Gray Morality
 * Cosmic Horror Story
 * Crapsack World
 * The Cynic
 * Cynical Mentor
 * Darker and Edgier
 * Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy (Caused by excess cynicism)
 * Deus Angst Machina
 * Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us
 * Evil Feels Good
 * The Farmer and the Viper
 * Feet of Clay
 * Good Is Dumb
 * Good Is Old-Fashioned
 * Graying Morality
 * Growing Up Sucks
 * Grumpy Bear (Used almost exclusively in idealistic works)
 * Happy Ending Override
 * Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight
 * Hobbes Was Right
 * Hope Is Scary (Played straight mostly by cynical characters in idealistic worlds; invoked by cynical characters in cynical worlds.)
 * Humanity Is Insane
 * Humans Are Morons
 * Humans Are the Real Monsters
 * Humans Kill Wantonly
 * In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves
 * It Gets Easier
 * It Sucks to Be the Chosen One
 * Jade-Colored Glasses
 * Kill the Poor
 * Knight in Sour Armor
 * Love Makes You Crazy
 * Love Makes You Dumb
 * Love Makes You Evil
 * Merchandise-Driven
 * Might Makes Right
 * New Era Speech
 * No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
 * Not Your Problem
 * Post-Peak Oil
 * The Promised Land (Also an idealism trope as well.)
 * Sarcastic Clapping
 * Senseless Sacrifice
 * Shoot the Dog
 * Silly Rabbit Cynicism Is for Losers
 * Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids
 * Silly Rabbit, Romance Is for Kids
 * Sour Supporter
 * True Art Is Angsty
 * Yank the Dog's Chain