Cynicism

From USAFA Folklore

Cynicism is probably the largest and longest standing tradition that USAFA has. Terms like IHTFP and KYS were born from this cynicism. The Dodo was also spawned by it, leading to the hugely popular eDodo website that is a forum for all kinds of angst. Most cartoons that show up in the Dodo or eDodo are extremely cynical and sarcastic. It's a good vent for frustration that actually helps ease the cynicism, ironically. The cynicism stems from the constant pressure and pain that USAFA puts on cadets. Many tasks are deemed "a haze" because cadets see little use in them except to make life just a little bit worse. Most of the time cynicism is mistaken for constructive criticism. When the intelligent criticism of cadets is ignored enough, people become truely cynical. One could make a very long list of things that make cadets cynical, but in general it comes from stress, poor leadership, and tasks that don't make sense to cadets.