w untrustworthy our leaders are even as we delight in their downfall. In Maslows account of psychological needs once an individual has fulfilled the most basic of needs, their next desire is to fulfill the need for belongingness and self-esteem. In other words, they desire to feel good about themselves. Davies (1963: 45) further notes, Interlocked with the strong urge to have a sense of belonging, of solidarity with others, is the desire to have a sense of equality, related to what Maslow calls self-esteem. This is the need for self-respect, in which the individual says: I am as good as anybody else; I may not be as clever or hard-working as you are, but I am as good as you are. An individual may attempt to fulfill this need in a positive or negative ways. For instance, a positive fulfillment of this need may be to accomplish a challenging task, one others recognize as a good effort worth recognition; or, to lead a church group, or participate in a non-profit organization, something that binds the individual both to collective accomplishment and personal satisfaction of a job well done. In a negative sense, individuals who lack the ability or opportunity to accomplish such activities may look for other ways to fulfill this need. A cynic is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd edition, as a person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness. Cynicism, therefore, allows an individual to feel that they are somehow better than others, because they themselves are not motivated by selfishness (of course). Politicians, for example, do not run for office because they intend to serve the interests of society, but because of their own selfish desire for power and notoriety. To solidify this notion, the misfortunes of others becomes a way in which an individual can see themselves from a higher, more virtuous plane the spread of cynicism, however, is a necessary ingredient in this effort. It is a we and they mentali...
