"Cynicism is when you want that to be true, and would resent it if it turned out things were better than you had predicted."

Doesn't your post imply a willful preference for things to go wrong?

I think a cynic would be more of the view that there is no point in caring either way.

though as I write this I am considering the various ways that it can be used ... and I remain open minded ...

Because this is mudcat and we grow strong from this kind of stuff I am going to cut and paste a dictionary definition - there's probably more than one ...

"cyn‧i‧cal  /ˈsɪnɪkəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sin-i-kuhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

â€"adjective 1. like or characteristic of a cynic; distrusting or disparaging the motives of others.
2. showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions, esp. by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
3. bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.
4. (initial capital letter) cynic (def. 5)."

Hmmm...

looks like we've each got half of the same sixpence.

"a cynic is a person who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" - Oscar Wilde