SoiBiker Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Over time, it seems that many expats here in Thailand tend to develop a degree of cynicism. Now obviously I'm not going pretend this is never justified - there are those here who will seek to deceive or mislead you. However, some seem to take this to the extreme. Many topics here attract a chorus of cynical replies, and we see some comments that suggest the poster disbelieves almost everything they see or hear. Is this cynicism always justified by the reality of life in Thailand? Can some people become overly cynical after living here for some time? And in some cases, is extreme cynicism an indication of some other issue - depression, perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 If you're dealing with a cynic you have someone with a closed mind that is trying to hammer & anvil everything to fit the confines of their own perspective..... Possibly some are dissappointed in what they see (or fail/refuse) to see → or they are dissappointed in themselves as people and unable to continue thereby stunting their own growth to avoid future disquiet within themselves..... Some people's spirits are so broken that being a cynical person is all they have left to quell their appitite for life..... Why someone chooses to move to a world they cannot comphrehend that is 180 degrees from what they know is both the question and the answer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuestHouse Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 You don't like other people's points of views, so they must be mentally ill? Ask yourself another question: Why do so many TVF members start threads complaining about the point of view others have of their life in Thailand? My personal observation is whenever I myself make a choice that I myself am happy with, nothing anyone else has to say on the matter bothers me in the least. But if I make a choice that I am not happy with, even though I might not myself articulate my concerns, I don't like other's pointing out the problems for me. Advice to the OP and all the others so very bothered about the opinions others have of life in Thailand - be happy in your own choice, it is a state of mind that will immediately dispel the negative or cynical views others might express. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robblok Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 You get more cynical the longer you live here however it certainly is not always justified. Also because your not a Thai you will put everything down onto Thai mentality instead of calling the person an idiot. Back in the Netherlands I would call the neighbor from hell an idiot, here many people just say its a Thai trait. Its quite easy to generalize if you are not part of the group so you just attribute all bad traits to a whole group. You should also not forget that many people are not happy with their life and try to feel better by thinking they are superior to the natives so they put them down to the extreme. Of course part of the cynicism is justified, but we also don't come from a perfect country.. because otherwise we would be living there would we not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceanbat Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Difficult question as I think it's a bit more complex than being cynical or not cynical. Obviously I can only answer from my own experience and others theirs. I am cynical of certain aspects of life here for example law enforcement. In general though I've not had a bad experience here that makes me cynical of Thailand or Thai people as a whole. I have a good group of friends here though both foreign and Thai and I think that makes a difference. Geographical location may also play a part. OB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerry123 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 please tell me in which room in the house do you come up with some of your posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I don't think I've changed one bit while living in Thailand. I've always been quite a cynic though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeJoMTB Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) @OP What would you know about Thailand? You are an English man, married to an English wife, and neither of you speak Thai. Basically you are on long term holiday, and never interact with Thai people except as a shopper. Some of us, live in Thai communities, sleep with Thai partners, have Thai children and Thai families. But you don't like our PoV. And you call us cynical! Edited December 29, 2015 by MaeJoMTB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 @OP What would you know about Thailand? You are an English man, married to an English wife, and neither of you speak Thai. Basically you are on long term holiday, and never interact with Thai people except as a shopper. Your assumptions about me are both largely incorrect and completely irrelevant to this topic. Do you have something to say on the subject of cynicism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singerman Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 @OP What would you know about Thailand? You are an English man, married to an English wife, and neither of you speak Thai. Basically you are on long term holiday, and never interact with Thai people except as a shopper. Your assumptions about me are both largely incorrect and completely irrelevant to this topic. Do you have something to say on the subject of cynicism? If the history is checked you will discover a prolific poster of "cynicism" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Over time, it seems that many expats here in Thailand tend to develop a degree of cynicism. Now obviously I'm not going pretend this is never justified - there are those here who will seek to deceive or mislead you. However, some seem to take this to the extreme. Many topics here attract a chorus of cynical replies, and we see some comments that suggest the poster disbelieves almost everything they see or hear. Is this cynicism always justified by the reality of life in Thailand? Can some people become overly cynical after living here for some time? And in some cases, is extreme cynicism an indication of some other issue - depression, perhaps? Are you campaigning for POTY votes here I think when most people realise that life in Thailand is not really different from life anywhere else, they become jaded... Once the novelty wears off, you get married, settle into routine its just life !! Better weather and food though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n210mp Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 To be honest cynicism with the Thai population is not the problem for me, it's pure frustration that leads to bad temper but only when i'm driving around Pattaya or pushing a shopping trolley where the Thais doing the same seems to have the same amount of ability as they have when driving. Now if you want to change the thread just a little and talk about being cynical when it come to the foreigner population then I too must admit to being a lot more than just cynical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeroc Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 People tend to be cynical and negative about things that they do not like or that they see as morally wrong. I could be incorrect but i guess the OP is probably negative and cynical about the sex industry and sex tourists (i can understand that) but the truth is that this is what Thailand is famed for. More so i would suggest than for the temples. food and National Parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seedy Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 one Troll / Flaming post removed Please keep it civil - no personal attcks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeroc Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Am still interested to know if OP is cynical and negative about what his beloved Thailand is most famed for ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Am still interested to know if OP is cynical and negative about what his beloved Thailand is most famed for ! I'm not sure how one would be cynical about the sex industry, really - exchanging sex for money is a pretty cynical business to begin with. It is what it is. I don't agree that it's necessarily what Thailand is most famous for. For some people, sure, it's what they associate the country with, but a great deal of others would think of beaches, temples, delicious food or hot weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FinickyOne Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I think many people come here and find a fascinating culture and much about it that they feel embraced by… they lose themselves in a high and when they come down, they are disillusioned… Sort of like if you go to Disneyland, fall in love with Minnie Mouse, take her home to live with you and then find out it is not Minnie at all, but someone playing the part… fantasy is more fun than reality. There are many levels and it is not easy to understand the depths of differences between Thai and other cultures. Many people here learn a little about the culture and think they know a lot. They too are easily disillusioned and more likely to become cynical… Good luck sorting it out, but I suspect that many have just been disappointed with life in general and are likely to feel the same wherever they live - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 You get more cynical the longer you live here however it certainly is not always justified. Also because your not a Thai you will put everything down onto Thai mentality instead of calling the person an idiot. Back in the Netherlands I would call the neighbor from hell an idiot, here many people just say its a Thai trait. Its quite easy to generalize if you are not part of the group so you just attribute all bad traits to a whole group. You should also not forget that many people are not happy with their life and try to feel better by thinking they are superior to the natives so they put them down to the extreme. Of course part of the cynicism is justified, but we also don't come from a perfect country.. because otherwise we would be living there would we not ? N0o........ Id just say there are "many" idiots in Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyDelight Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Happyness is a choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgordo38 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) I don't think I've changed one bit while living in Thailand. I've always been quite a cynic though. Sadly me to. I must have a compartmentalized brain. So many things here do not fit into any of my numerous brain pigeonholes. I contribute this to my 30 years as a letter carrier. When sorting mail everything had its own slot. Today a machine does it for you. No not the thinking (yet) just the sorting. Edited December 29, 2015 by elgordo38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgordo38 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 @OP What would you know about Thailand? You are an English man, married to an English wife, and neither of you speak Thai. Basically you are on long term holiday, and never interact with Thai people except as a shopper. Some of us, live in Thai communities, sleep with Thai partners, have Thai children and Thai families. But you don't like our PoV. And you call us cynical! No you just adapt better than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogNo1 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Well, anger and cynicism give people a feeling of being in control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeroc Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Qoute from the OP ' I'm not sure how one would be cynical about the sex industry, really - exchanging sex for money is a pretty cynical business to begin with. It is what it is'. So it is ok to be cynical and negative about exchanging sex for money which is so very prevalent in Thailand (possibly more than anywhere else in the world) but not ok to be cynical about racism, dual pricing, miscarriages of justice etc, etc, etc. If the OP does not like the reality of the sex industry in Thailand perhaps he should go back to his own country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) I think many people come here and find a fascinating culture and much about it that they feel embraced by… they lose themselves in a high and when they come down, they are disillusioned… < snip > From the above: I think many people come here and find ... That's an interesting concept. I found before I came -- I visited Thailand for 10+ years on short trips and then 3 extended trips before moving here. So when I did decide to relocate full time, I had already well past the initial finding stage and had my Thai language chops well to the place that I could converse with Thais who spoke no English. Edited December 29, 2015 by JLCrab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Qoute from the OP ' I'm not sure how one would be cynical about the sex industry, really - exchanging sex for money is a pretty cynical business to begin with. It is what it is'. So it is ok to be cynical and negative about exchanging sex for money which is so very prevalent in Thailand (possibly more than anywhere else in the world) but not ok to be cynical about racism, dual pricing, miscarriages of justice etc, etc, etc. If the OP does not like the reality of the sex industry in Thailand perhaps he should go back to his own country. That's not really what I said, is it? You're completely misrepresenting my posts in order to make your point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMWPACIFIC Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 You can never have enough cynicism! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuestHouse Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Happyness is a choice. Tell that to someone who has just lost a loved one to disease, accident or violence. Clearly happiness (the word rooted in Middle English 'happense') is something relating to chance, a fleeting thing that can arrive and can disappear. Enjoy it while you have it, and while in Thailand prepare yourself for when it disappears by learning from the predominant local philosophy that nothing lasts for ever. But be assured, the idea that happiness is a choice, is, like the idea of the pursuit of happiness - hog wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeJoMTB Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Happyness is a choice. Tell that to someone who has just lost a loved one to disease, accident or violence. You could always choose to replace the dead 'loved one', with a new living 'loved one'. Nobody forces you to mourn. It's what I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyDelight Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 You can never have enough cynicism! Cynicism is a mental disease linked to a greater dementia risk, even can cause cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyDelight Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Chiang Mai Laughter Yoga Meetup and Play, Wednesday at Sangdee Gallery & Café http://www.meetup.com/Chiang-Mai-Laughter-Club-Meetup/events/227650056/?oc=evam#description-tab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
.thumb.png.76be522b3b43e7458166b9dac9e422ed.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now