The belief that people are only motivated by self-interest and can't be trusted; a distrustful attitude toward others.
From Greek 'kynikos' (dog-like), relating to the Cynic philosophers. They believed virtue was living simply and rejecting conventional values—earning the 'dog-like' insult.
The Cynic philosophers of ancient Greece were called 'dog-like' as an insult because they lived roughly and rejected society—but they owned the name. Today's cynicism is their spiritual descendant, just less philosophically rigorous.
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