This article by Joan Westenberg is the strongest essay on cynicism I’ve ever read. There’s lots of memorable paragraphs, but this in particular will stay with me:

[Cynicism is] an emotional defense mechanism. If you expect the worst, you’ll never be disappointed. If you assume everything is corrupt, you can’t be betrayed. But this protection comes at a terrible price. The cynic builds emotional armor that also functions as a prison, keeping out not just pain but also possibility, connection, and growth.