9) Everything is Meaningless...?

          Society at large takes cynicism to be a sign of maturity and realistic thinking.  Surely, the one who looks at the world and sees lollipops and rainbows is deranged, and so men have learned to praise the opposite extreme.  Yet, in light of recent arguments, I would boldly assert that precisely the opposite is true: that cynicism is a sign of immaturity and escapism.  Before I go on, I would like to make clear that I do not submit the following explanation as holding true for everyone who believes that everything is meaningless.  That said, the fact that those who conclude that everything is meaningless often do so because something meaningful was taken from them, or from those around them, makes me think that often times their cynical worldview is just an elaborate defense mechanism.
          One of the more cliche problems of personality is the fear of rejection, the fear of being let down, etc.  Many times, someone will assume that a potential friend or significant other will fall perilously short of their expectations right from the outset, and so spoil the relationship.  One might assume the worst in someone as a defense mechanism, in the hopes that it will prevent them from ever being sad or disappointed.  (How’s that working out for you?)  Could the view that everything is meaningless be a similar defense mechanism on a larger scale?  Could it be that the cynic assumes the worst from life, the universe, etc. in a futile attempt not to be bogged down by sadness and disappointment?
          It is not altogether implausible.  Of the people I know who are cynical in this way, every one of them show the signs of repression and psychological trauma, and their sense of meaninglessness fits in well with the idea that they are using this opinion as a defense against further trauma.  Now, again, I do not submit this as true for everyone who believes the world to be meaningless.  There may be other reasons for someone to believe this.  But I do know that this opinion can be used as a way to deny and suppress one’s own feelings of sadness and disappointment in the guise of a supposedly sophisticated and intellectual opinion.  It is easier (or so it would seem easier) to react to disappointment with fear and anger rather than genuine, cathartic sadness.  If anything, I’d say cynicism invites the latter reaction, not the former.