D137

Cynicism

BD12 Dark & Difficult Traits
Derived LayerMML-2

Version v1.2.4

Definition

A stable tendency to interpret others’ motives as selfish or low and to expect bad faith by default.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

Low cynicism: defaults to neutral/benign motive attributions unless evidence suggests otherwise.

High Pole

High cynicism: ambiguous actions are routinely read as self-serving or manipulative; trust requires extraordinary proof.

Reference

Cautious realism: skepticism is present but meaningfully constrained by facts and context.

Measure

Primary: Bias — frequency and negativity of default motive attributions under ambiguous information.

Measuring Methods

Ambiguous social vignettes with motive-attribution scoring; compare against later fact checks / outcome information.

Empirical Anchor

Cynicism / dispositional cynicism (Stavrova & Ehlebracht, 2016); organizational cynicism (Dean et al., 1998); cynical hostility.

Notes

Distinct from Suspiciousness (D104): cynicism is a general stance toward motives; suspiciousness is threat/harm expectancy.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Cynicism (HES Passport D137, v1.2.4). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/D137

BibTeX

@misc{hes_D137, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Cynicism}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport D137, v1.2.4}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/D137}} }