Criticism Vs. Sarcasm Vs. Satire

According to Merriam-webster dictionary:

Criticism is the act of expressing disapproval and of noting the problems or faults of a person or thing
&
Sarcasm is the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny
&
Satire is a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad etc.

Criticism, like cynicism, is also an outlook. Criticism is to find something wrong, some fault with people or things. It cannot be said to be completely negative because sometimes it may also help in improving things.

Sarcasm meanwhile is a hurting dialogue disguised as harmless humor. It is generally meant to insult or disparage someone using irony and humor as means.

Satire can be called a combination of criticism and sarcasm. It uses humor to point out the bad things or faults in someone or something.

Criticism and sarcasm both are like spices. They suit when they are used in proper measures and if they are used in excess, they can spoil the taste. Criticism can have a more negative effect on psychology. While sarcasm is like a double-edged sword, it can be funny and  dangerous as well.
On the other hand, satire is a tasty dish prepared by adding both criticism and sarcasm. There are many issues that are so heavy and sensitive that they cannot be made understood by  bombarding sermons and philosophy, at such times satire comes handy. Because what intellectual people can't understand directly, has to be delivered disguised in stupidity.

Criticism can be good or bad, sarcasm can be funny and insulting while satire can be anything and everything. Try not to be so critical that you drive someone into self-doubt, try not to be so sarcastic that you start losing people and use satire wisely to awaken the people from slumber.

Are you cynical or skeptical?

Cynicism is “beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest.” A person who has cynical beliefs, or beliefs that people generally do things for selfish reasons, is called a “cynic”.

Skepticism is “an attitude of doubting the truth of something (such as a claim or statement).” Someone with this attitude is called a “skeptic” or is said to be “skeptical.”

How are they different?

Cynicism is an outlook and has nothing to do with evidence and cynics are more interested in rejecting things and opinions while skeptics like to contemplate things based on evidence. They doubt things they haven't experienced but aren't negative about it. 

A Cynic will say,"This option is never going to work. We will fail."

A Skeptic will say, "Let's see if we can come up with more options. Maybe other option will work better."

A cynic will follow his generalized beliefs and would directly take a negative outlook on things he personally disagrees with while a skeptic is a believer of evidence and won't decide anything unless he has contemplated all options.

A cynic says "I am sure this is a bad option"
A skeptic says "I am not sure this is a good option"

This clearly shows that cynicism is a negative and close minded concept and skepticism is a positive  and open-minded concept. Cynicism works on preconceived notions and general beliefs that are cultivated by the person while skepticism works on doubt and evidence.

I can be skeptical about government schemes, but I cannot be cynical about it because I don't have any proof for concluding my opinion. But I can be cynical about political leaders who, I think, do things with ulterior motives.

It's good to be a little bit skeptical about things in life because trust is a funny thing, but being cynical is not at all a good thing. It will make you more negative and make you distant from the right thing/person. Even in corporate life, being cynical won't get you anywhere but being skeptical will bring you near being right, if not right. 

Traveling alone: A journey of self-discovery

The most enigmatic thing on the face of this planet is human beings. We can never understand each other and that is the reason why chaos exists. We cannot understand others is a common thing, but what happens when you cannot understand yourselves? What are the consequences when you don't know your limits or how far you can go? What if you never discover the secrets about yourselves?

The only solution that is on the top of my mind is Traveling, but alone.

Why should you travel alone?



Risk and return: Whenever we are trying to do something new, there is skepticism in our mind and lot of self-doubt and that stays till we take the first step. As wisely said by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in English Vinglish, "Life me pehli baar sirf ek baar aata hai". So until we cross that first time, we will always be shrouded by self-doubt. Traveling alone is undoubtedly a risk you are taking but the moment you have taken it, you stand to discover a lot about yourself.

Confidence: People are different and with different personalities. Some are bold, some are naive, some are introvert, some are extrovert, some are over confident while some are underconfident. What traveling alone helps you with is to gain confidence. How? You meet new people, you interact with them, you have to talk your way out and since you are traveling alone, you have no option but to do everything yourselves and that helps you shed inhibition about your confidence and abilities.

Getting some answers: "What am I doing?" "What do I want to do?" "What will I do with my life?" "Do I want it or not?" We all come across crossroads in our lives, where we are unable to decide which way to go. In such situation, I believe traveling alone is the best thing to do. As much as you get the "Me time", you also come across many experiences by the means of reading, interacting, learning and observing and you never know what might strike you and solve all your dilemma.

Overrated comfort zones: When you travel in a group with friends or family, the top most thing you see is "Comfort". But when you travel alone, you are not only on a budget, but you also try to explore things, things that you have never thought of doing before. No doubt traveling with a group is a good thing but when you travel alone, it's all about you and your experience. Here nothing goes as planned and you are on your own and that's when you conquer and come out of your "Comfort zone".

Reinvent and Rejuvenate: After living a monotonous life for some time, an escape into nature's lap seems a bliss. Daily chores and burden of expectations and aspiration are enough to drain your energy out. At such times all you need is to escape from everything for few days. Go into the lap of nature, try new things, new adventures (Diving, sailing etc.), explore a hobby (Photography, travel diary, cuisines) and reinvent yourselves. So when you return to your daily life, you will be full of energy to counter everything and take on life with refreshed enthusiasm.

         

Decision making & Planning: When you travel alone, you are on your own. There are very few things planned generally and you have to manage everything on your own. It can help you become a good decision maker and more importantly an independent one too. Also when you face problems, you try to come up with a solution and that helps you make a better planner. As philosophical or managerial it may sound, but it plays an important part in life and helps you get out of tricky situations.

Perspective: We are the bunch that survives on perception and assumptions. What we see is what we believe but when you travel, you can experience things, you can feel things and you can understand that things aren't as they are shown in the pictures or movies. This is how you can develop your own perspective and you don't return as you left.

"Me time": Then there is the most important reason to travel solo, "me time". Social networking and day-to-day chores take us away from ourselves and we function almost like a robot. Traveling is the best excuse to spend some time without any interference and to know yourselves.