What Will Get You If It Can?
Joseph Richardson, a New York millionaire, lived and died in a house only five feet wide. It was called the "Spite House," and it certainly lived up to its name. Owning the narrow lot of land on which it was built, Mr. Richardson wished to sell it to the neighboring property owners. They would not pay him for what he asked. Despite this, he built a five-foot-wide disfigured house, which hurt the property values of everyone on his block, and then condemned himself to a life of discomfort and cynicism by living in it.
Greg Anderson once said, "Everything is created twice, first mentally, then physically. The Bible confirms this idea in a remarkable verse (3 John 2). "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
Do you see that? You will prosper and be in good health as your soul (mind, will, and emotions) prospers. That means that your thinker, chooser, and feeler are under the control of wisdom, discernment, and discretion. You work best when you are wisdom-driven, not emotions-driven. You will have a more positive attitude about yourself, others, and life in general when your soul is prospering. This truth could have helped our friend with the "Spite House."
Currently, one of the significant causes of soul sickness is what author and speaker Zig Ziglar calls 'attitudosis.' He says 'attitudosis' is brought on by our neglect of others and their needs, as well as our extreme focus on and excessive attention to the minuscule aches, pains, and inconveniences in our lives. He is not referring to a genuine crisis, but rather to an oversensitivity to minor things.
So, let's become more aware of an ‘attitudosis’ called cynicism. Our world is filled with caustic cynicism, which has a profound impact on everyone. Everyone seems on edge about something these days. It’s all around you. Beware of cynicism because it leads to polarization and separation in all areas of life. Cynicism fosters a “whether right or wrong, I didn’t get my way” attitude, driven by base emotions such as jealousy, envy, division, disappointment, and pride. Tim Keller says, “Worry is believing God will get it wrong; bitterness is believing He did.” This attitude can create cynicism toward God.
Cynicism’s fruits are strife, division, hate, contempt, spite, judgment, war, and retaliation. Cynicism and communication don’t mix well. Being cynical means believing that people are motivated solely by self-interest, distrusting human sincerity or integrity. Cynicism also means prioritizing personal gain over accepted standards, often at the expense of disregarding them. Remember, twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it's animal cunning and devilishly conniving.
Here are some thoughts from musician Nick Cave on cynicism and hopefulness. It sounds like he has experience with it. He understands that caustic cynicism will get you if you open the door to it.
“Cynicism is not a neutral position — although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. In my view, it is the most common and easiest of evils. I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent.
Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands on us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either; it is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Every redemptive or loving act, no matter how small, keeps the devil down in the hole. It asserts that the world and its inhabitants are valuable and worth defending. It declares that the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.”
The Scriptures have much to say about cynics and cynicism. “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is strife, then disorder, and every evil thing.” James 3:16. Why does evil love division so much? Because division is the fastest way to slow down multiplication. Strife and disorder (cynicism attitudosis) come from jealousy, covetousness, and selfish ambition, which open the door to every evil thing, which is now affecting our country and the world.
Sometimes, taking a good, truthful look at ourselves can set us into action and provide a more freeing perspective on life and our problems. Whatever we can tolerate, we can't change. When former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry was asked in an interview what it takes to build a winning football team, he said, "My job is to get men to do what they don't want to do to achieve what they've always wanted to achieve." It is only fair that if yesterday’s decisions cause today’s problems, then today’s decisions can create tomorrow’s recovery.
Do you want a prosperous life? Do you want to be in good health? Of course you do.
Where do you start? How about with the “uplifting warrior emotion” of hopefulness? How about not allowing politics, social media, or mainstream media influence your thoughts to the point of being cynical? Consider identifying a need in the community and addressing it. How about reading a steady stream of uplifting literature that is not fluff or woke smoke, but truthful, uplifting, and inspiring? How about investing time in the Bible, church, and getting to know God better? That's hopefulness, and things tend to go better with it.
Live long and prosper!
Ed Delph/July 14, 2025/CCC