“A Cynic Is A Man Who, When He Smells Flowers, Looks Around For A Coffin.”

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My dear,

What is a cynic? Is a cynic a man who is distrustful? An extreme pessimist? Or a realist?

For me a cynic is a man who is distrustful without reason. Pessimist without proof. And a realist only when it involves the negative. In other words:

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.

Falsely yours,
Henry Louis Mencken

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