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In a previous blogpost and podcast, Season 1, Episode 3, I first tried to unpack the unhealthy relationship between cynicism and police culture. As I noted, one will hear officers often claim cynicism keeps them safer, but an incredible amount of research and my personal experience does not support this. Indeed, when cynicism takes hold within us, we tend to separate from others and isolate. We can often descend further toward burnout or worse. This condition reflects our broken, difficult interactions within an imperfect world. Cynicism is an unhealthy response where we ultimately hurt ourselves or others – often unintentionally. I often in gest call this process sin-icism. (Sin is often defined as a violation against religious law, but it also can be an action considered highly reprehensible or reflective of a serious fault.[i] For our use here, it need not be religious in nature.)
Don’t believe that cynicism can hurt if not kill? Well, just Google the words “cynicism,” “health,” and “police” sometime. People with high levels of cynical distrust may be more likely to develop dementia.[ii] And some researchers even suggest that pessimism and cynicism can negatively impact heart health.[iii] From these many studies, you will also discover that there is a suggested linkage between poor health and cynicism. Cynicism might tend to promote ill health, and ill health might promote cynicism. These conditions tend to worsen one another.[iv] And if you know street cops, you know that they often suffer from chronic pain, obesity, stress conditions and more as they become veterans and prepare to retire. Their ill health can promote cynicism, and it is likely a symptom of or connected to something deeper going on inside them. Their woundedness from years on the beat, poor selfcare, and unhealthy, quick meals on the go starts to take its tole on the physical and emotional components of the self. It warps their outlook about others and the world in a way that does not reflect reality. And with cynicism growing, they often can find their isolation from others increasing. It is self-perpetuating, and yet because cynicism is catchy, cynical people tend to find one another to reenforce their negative and faulty views.
One early FBI Bulletin on the topic was titled, Police Cynicism – A Cancer in Law Enforcement. The author argued, “The inherent stress and frustration found in the law enforcement profession provides an ideal breeding ground for the disorder.”[v] Basically, as social beings, we are influenced by both our experiences and those around us. As a police recruit, you might enter the field of law enforcement ready to help others, but soon you encounter a disproportionate number of people who are inhumane to one another. You meet people who wish to deceive you if not hurt you. And the violence you interact with over time can leave its imprint on your soul. You might experience moral injuries,[vi] or you might experience a form of compassion fatigue.[vii] Then add to this mix seasoned officers who, as they associate with you, tell stories of their disappointments and travail. In doing so, as you begin to identify your own experiences with theirs, they subtly influence your worldview. Administrative issues, pay issues, and more can leave officers not only righlty disgruntled but also quite cynical. And unfortunately, cynicism can spread to infect the entire agency. Variables such as gender, race, and relations in policing might impact this process for good or ill.[viii]
There’s no denying it. The mountain of evidence regardless of one’s vocation indicates cynicism doesn’t help us. It hurts us. It tends to wound the officers, their families, and those whom they swore to serve and protect. Despite what some people might say, no one joins police work to hurt people. Healthy people feel called to this vocation because they want to try to help people. Yet somehow, the job can wear down our idealism into cynicism.
Officers often identify their cynicism as a kind of protection. They claim it helps them be ready for attack, betrayal, or disappointment. It serves as a kind of wall or boundary shielding them from hurt. Yet, what it really does is shield one from deeper and more meaningful relationships. In expecting bad things from people, one might misinterpret and overreact to comments. In anticipating resistance, an officer might become prone to use of force when another approach would work better. As officers struggle to turn off their concerns and worries – ruminating, personalizing, and catastrophizing them – Ellen Kirschman, PhD suggests, “they can develop a kind of tunnel vision, tending to isolate themselves from others and associate only with other cops; therefore, they have a limited reality check on the universe.”[ix] Rather than keep danger out, officers might develop a tendency to keep good out too. Spousal and other family relations can suffer if not die. The resulting isolation and emotional harm might facilitate addiction, extramarital affairs, or promote depression and suicidal thoughts over time. Cynicism kills relationships and sometimes ultimately the cynic.
As I’ve suggested in the previous post, a healthy skepticism is warranted. People can hurt you or break your trust. The world can be dangerous. So, observe and test relationships. Trust someone with something about yourself and see how they do with what you have shared. If they proved trustworthy, trust some more. Do so, over and over again, and if they trust you back with the things they share, intimacy can grow. On calls, practice safety techniques, but don’t obsess about danger. Developing this kind of tunnel vision on a call can result in bad outcomes for you or others. You might miss opportunities to deescalate the situation, or identify solutions to the problems at hand, or even miss a greater danger at hand because of your assumptions. Best of all, the less cynical you are, the more friends…the larger support network…might develop. You will recognize there is still good in the world, and you aren’t alone. You will have others to help walk with you through good times and bad.
In closing, I hope what I’ve shared will open up your mind or the mind of someone you love to the realities of life. Life can be hard, but it can always be good. Why make life and relationships harder for yourself? Why hurt others with your unhealthy attitude or hurt your overall health? In a future episode I will try to offer you some antidotes to the cancer of cynicism. I hope you will come back and join me then. Until next time, stay safe, try to do some good, and I hope to see you again soon.
[i] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sin
[ii] American Academy of Neurology (May 28, 2014). Press Release. Downloaded from https://www.aan.com/Pressroom/Home/Pressrelease/1286 on March 31, 2022.
[iii] Boyles, S. (August 10, 2009). Pessimism, Cynicism Can Hurt Your Heart. (Medically Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC on August 10, 2009), as downloaded from https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20090810/pessimism-cynicism-can-hurt-your-heart on March 28, 2022.
[iv] Stravrova, O. and Ehlebracht, D. (December 7, 2018). European Journal of Personality, Eur. J. Pers. 33: 52–71 (2019)
Published online 7 December 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/per.2183
[v] Behrend, K.R. (August 1980). FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Volume: 49 Issue 8.
[vi] “In traumatic or unusually stressful circumstances, people may perpetrate, fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. When someone does something that goes against their beliefs this is often referred to as an act of commission and when they fail to do something in line with their beliefs that is often referred to as an act of omission. Individuals may also experience betrayal from leadership, others in positions of power or peers that can result in adverse outcomes. Moral injury is the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of exposure to such events. A moral injury can occur in response to acting or witnessing behaviors that go against an individual’s values and moral beliefs.” Norman, S. PhD and Maguen, S. PhD (ud). Moral Injury. Downloaded fromhttps://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/moral_injury.asp
[vii] “Compassion fatigue is a term that describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others — often through experiences of stress or trauma. Compassion fatigue is often mistaken for burnout, which is a cumulative sense of fatigue or dissatisfaction.” See Compassion Fatigue: Symptoms to Look For at https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-compassion-fatigue
[viii] Enciso, G., Maskaly, J., Donner, C.M. (20 March 2017). Organizational cynicism in policing: Examining the development and growth of cynicism among new police recruits [Abstract] in Policing: An International Journal.
[ix] Krischman, E., Ph.D. (2007). I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know (Rev. Ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. p. 32-34.
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Although I have served or do serve as a spiritual counselor, a chaplain, and/or ordained minister, I am not your counselor nor a medical professional. All content on this website and podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical, psychological, or spiritual advice, and does not establish any kind of patient-client or pastor-congregant relationship. Although on this website and podcast, we strive to provide accurate general information, the information found through these posts are not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this content. Always consult a professional in the area of your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any professional, legal, medical, financial or tax-related decisions. Opinions expressed by the host or guests do not necessarily reflect those of any other person or entity.
Midnights LEO 