Bill, a cynic is someone who derives cold comfort from feeling that he is right when he explains how rotten people and life basically are. He'd rather be right than be constructive.

Or to put it another way, "a cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing".

It is as obvious to me that a better material life, a more secure life, and a greater degree of personal security and equality encourages most people to develop higher awareness. I've seen it with my own eyes, over and over again in a variety of places. I've experienced it directly. Populations who live in desperate circumstances rarely get much of a chance to rise out of mere survival mode, and survival mode is "dog eat dog".

If you refuse to acknowledge that, you are just sheltering under the threadbare tent of cynicism.

It is oppression and gross inequality and greed from the top down that is keeping people in survival mode.

People are capable of virtual miracles when they are given inspired leadership and treated decently and allowed a chance to see the greater possibilities of life. Most people are essentially quite good in their nature, provided they get a chance to draw breath now and then.

I feel genuinely sorry that you would have such a low view of most people's capabilities and potential.