cygnorant

I propose the addition of a new word to the English language. This word will be the perfect word to describe people that we all to often encounter, yet lack the correct vocabulary to describe them. I propose…

Cygnorant (pronounced sig-nor-ent)

This is word describes a person who is both cynical and ignorant. A cygnorant embodies the best human qualities, all that’s missing is a little bit of religious zeal and we have ourselves a….well that’s not the point.

Before we can really understand the mindset of a cygnorant person we need to briefly examine each of the component qualities that combine to make such an individual a really role model for society (er well maybe Bush’s role model).

Cynic – as defined by dictionary.com a cynic is ‘a person who outlook is scornfully and habitually negative’. Tell me that doesn’t describe the perfect date.

Ignorant – as defined by dictionary.com ignorant is ‘lacking education or knowledge’.

Separately these two characteristics seem harmless enough; however, put them together and they for a very annoying personality. The cygnorant person often touts knowledge (incorrect knowledge) about the dismal state of affairs the world is in. They love to argue, and will never concede, even when faced with facts proving them wrong. In terms of representation within our ‘gloriously educated western culture’ they are the second most common type of person you will find. The most common by far are the ignorant.

The Ignorant

We all know these people, we have them in our family, we work with them, we go to school with them, and we see them on the bus. They are the people who blindly, and happily go about their day without a second thought about what is going on around them. When they pick up the paper, they switch to the sports page; when they turn on the tv they immediately flip to a soap, or the game, or Judge Judy; when they talk to you it is always shallow and meaningless. What is the common thread that these people are avoiding? The world around them, news, elections, issues that matter and effect their daily life. They live in a world where they assume that nothing will change, ‘so why should they care’. Ignorant people are the easiest to get along with (assuming you’re not looking for a stimulating conversation), you just need to mention the Leafs, or the hot waitress and you can have hours of knee slapping fun.

The Cygnorant

The next most common person is the ‘cygnorant’. This is the person who knows just enough about what is going on to be cynical about the world, but not enough to for a halfway intelligent opinion about anything that is remotely important. The cygnorant is the hard-headed individual who thinks they have a clue about what is going on and will not yield even when presented with conflicting evidence. The best time to meet these people is at a bar, when they are drunk and a major political event is taking place. It is at this time when the cygnorant will be all fired up looking for an argument over the issue at hand. Generally you find cygnorant people in high numbers near academic institutions, namely university. Here you encounter those who are educated in a specific field and thus they feel it gives them the right to act like they know everything about every topic. This is because they feel that their degree in the ‘history of buddhism’ makes them an authority figure on issues such as global warming and genetically engineered crops.

The True Cynics

Here I am making the distinction between the ‘cynic’ and the ‘cygnorant’, most cynics fall into the category of cygnorant. I am reserving this discussion of cynics to those who don’t fall into the category of cygnorant, these cynics who are smart enough to realize that they don’t know everything. The ‘cynic’ is a most formidable foe in an argument in their field, but will quickly concede in the face of refuting evidence. The cynic is also known to point out holes in arguments of others, even if they are not familiar with the area. The cynic is a critical thinker, who has a thirst for knowledge, and a passion for educated conversation. The most aggravating person to a cynic is not an ignorant person, but rather a ‘cygnorant’ because it is not even remotely possible to hold a half-way intelligent conversation with a cygnorant.

More on cygnorants to come in the future.