Cynicism and resignation, properly viewed, are but the last stages of mental resistance before a person lets go of limiting beliefs. Here's how to give the cynics in your circle a little nudge in the right direction. By John Marshall Roberts

As I travel around the country speaking at sustainability gatherings, I get a lot of tough questions. People are frustrated. They care deeply about sustainability and they want to make a difference, but they keep bumping up against cynical naysayers who seem unwilling to share their vision. “How can I get my employees to buy into my new environmental initiative without asking for a kickback?” a weary plant manager asks. “How can I make my boss see that we can't stay profitable if we don't make tough choices now?” a sinking product designer inquires. “How can we possibly get customers who don't give a damn about the environment to pay an extra $2 for our organic free-trade widget?” a battle-hardened CMO pleads.

With each inquiry I perk up. Yes, it's a strange reaction, I know. But with these sorts of questions something inside me clicks. Perhaps it's because I realize - deep in my bones - that each of these frustrating situations holds the seed of a new possibility. Cynicism and resignation, properly viewed, are but the last stages of mental resistance before a person lets go of limiting beliefs and surrenders to a larger planetary vision. Mentally resistant bosses, employees, spouses, and co-workers are like butterflies trapped in the suffocating cocoon of past learning. Through their resistance they are secretly asking for you to help lead them towards a more liberated perspective. And - with the proper communication tools at your disposal - this is exactly what you'll do.

Cynicism Is the Lack of Inspiration

If President Obama proved anything with his mind-blowing presidential run, it's that inspiration sells. But what is inspiration exactly? Moreover, how can we, ordinary folks without the inborn gifts of world-shaping rhetoric, learn to inspire others to take action towards our most cherished green initiatives?

Two words: humility and insight. We must first realize that inspiration is not a "what," but rather a "how." The experience of being inspired is so utterly mysterious and incomprehensible that trying to describe it in words is a fools errand. Why? Because inspiration is precisely what happens when we are willing to let go of words, release the past, and direct our imagination towards the vision of heretofore unseen possibilities. In other words, inspiration is what happens when we - if only for a moment - are willing to suspend our ongoing steady-state cynicism and simply wonder.

Once we understand this, we can start to see that - as aspiring change agents - we've been framing our communication challenge incorrectly. We've been trying to pummel our way through to people's core by engaging and reasoning with their battle-hardened, past-colored lenses. We've been hoping that, through sheer force and reason, we'll lead others to the sustainability promised land of our personal vision. And the irony of ironies is that our belief in the efficacy of forcing is itself a form of cynicism - it stems from our hidden belief that people are shallow and easily duped.

The moral of the story? We can't ignite inspiration with cynicism any more than we can heat a sandwich with a refrigerator. Just as cold is that lack of heat, cynicism is the lack of inspiration. No amount of forcing or earnest pleading will ever change that.

A Cynic by Any Other Name...

In my work as a communications strategist, I've discovered three major species of environmental cynicism infecting virtually all of my clients. These 'species' are actually three highly popular mental strategies that everyday ordinary folks use to avoid taking environmental action. As we cover these below, revisit your own experience and see if they don't ring true.

Sustainability Cynic # 1: The Non-Believer

Description: The non-believer has decided that the jury is still out on global warming. These folks tend to eagerly dismiss the idea of man-made climate change(and the sustainability movement in-general) as some sort of grand opportunistic hoax perpetrated by fear mongering opportunists. Facts and arguments do little to change this deeply entrenched, highly irrational belief.

Deeper causes: The non-believer mindset is animated by one underlying force: repressed fear. Individuals who think this way are terrified of uncertainty and have uncommonly strong need for security. They tend to form strong, black and white opinions about a variety of social, economic and political topics, and crave absolute clarity from their chosen authority figures. They tend to believe that - in any given situation - there is just one absolute truth, and one leader qualified to dispense it.

Favorite world-shaping metaphor: Life is a test.

Communication strategies: Reasoning with this sort of cynic is hopeless. Don't even try. Any scientific facts you give will fall upon deaf ears because they are not willing to consider that they may be wrong. Understand that - because these folks view life as a pass or fail test - they are clenched tight against being on the wrong side of the truth. To these folks the implications of being wrong are far too disastrous to even consider.

So what can you do to get through to them?

First of all, listen That's right. Ask questions, sit back, and listen. Let them tell you all about their opinion. As they speak, do your best to feel grateful and compassionate for what they are telling you - realize that they are confessing their deeper fears to you under the protective guise of steadfast clarity and resolve. Don't judge, don't argue, don't rebut - simply ask questions and listen.

Once you've listened thoroughly, you'll usually find that these folks will relax their opinions slightly. Due to the laws of reciprocity, they'll then usually ask you what you think. At this point it's usually most effective to talk on a very personal level about your reasons for being interested in sustainability. Talk about your children, your family, your love of nature, your country, or the world - the “we're all in it together” universals. The non-believers take heart in the basic universals of being a human, and the notion of duty and shared purpose. If you can help them see how your commitment to sustainability stems from a deeper longing for a meaningful purpose, you will access their humanity and win over a new dutiful, disciplined ally.

Sustainability Cynic # 2:The Hard-Boiled Capitalist

Description: The hard-boiled capitalists have decided that sustainability cannot coexist with profitability, and tend to dismiss sustainable visionaries as romantic idealists. Highly competitive and pragmatic, they will usually express these beliefs not through overt tirades, but rather through a business strategies that focus almost exclusively upon the financial bottom line (with little or no homage paid to environmental and humanistic implications, except insofar as they relate directly to financial or legal interests). When cornered, these cynics will often claim that it's too late to fix the problem anyway, so why bother?

Deeper causes: Hard-boiled capitalistic cynicism is hard-wired into most business people in the U.S. through years of white-collar brainwashing. This perspective frames the business world as a zero-sum game in which only unsentimental realists survive. ("Nice guys finish last.") On a deeper level, this world-view is kept in place by a deep mistrust of other people's motives and a crippling fear of being inadequate.

Resonant world-shaping metaphor: Life is a game.

Communication strategies: Whatever you do, do not start by citing the nobility of your cause! To these cynics, noble causes are for those poor saps who never put away childish things and entered "real world."

Instead, present your initiative first through a financial lens. Do your homework! Show how your initiative will help create a sustainable competitive advantage in your particular industry or niche. The key word here is "competition." Hard-boiled capitalist cynics frame the world as a game in which the most clever person wins. Use this metaphor freely in your communications with hard boiled capitalists. Find a competitor in your industry. Are they beating your on an important sustainability issue or dimension? If so, bring this up as leverage. Let this person know that unless they take action soon, they may be left behind for good. Nothing gets a hard-boiled capitalists blood boiling more than the fear of losing. Use this knowledge to strategically ignite their passions towards your worthy cause.

Sustainability Cynic #3: The Environmental Elitist

Description: Unlike the earlier types, this cynical species has a passionate interest in the environmental movement. Unfortunately (and ironically), this passion is often expressed in a way that undermines the very movement they seek to promote. Deeply mistrustful of large organizations (and of capitalism in general) these cynics seem to regard all human institutions as cancers on butt of mother nature. They tend to favor low-tech environmental solutions that bring people together in a spirit of community, and are prone to make strong value-judgments about "non-believers" and "hard-boiled capitalists" who might not immediately share their cherished values.

Deeper causes: The psychology of the Environmental Elitist is held in place by a naggingly constant inner upwelling of frustration and guilt. These folks are the ultimate romantic idealists, and are often disappointed by the great disparity between their ideals and the cold hard facts of reality. What's more, they tend to feel personally responsible for every bit of suffering in the world. They usually deal with this guilt by projecting it outwards onto others who don't share their lofty ideals. They also have a strong distaste for authority. Looking around the world, they are painfully aware of the damage caused by people who blindly buy into the rules and prescriptions of the properly sanctioned authorities - be they political, religious or economic.

Core world-shaping metaphor: Mankind is a family.

Communication strategies: When dealing with this species of cynic, it's important to first let them know that you are 'on the same team', and that you share their basic values. By doing this, you will engender a level of trust that allows for a much deeper rapport. Once trust is established, your challenge is to call these folks to see how they may ultimately undermine their own agenda by being so quick to judge. Are they willing step down from the ivory castle of Platonic ideals and accept their flawed fellow human being as is, without indictment or reproach? Would they be willing to trade an ounce of ideology for a pound of pragmatism?

Ask questions and listen. Where does their core guilt and frustration lie? Usually you'll find that they unconsciously vilify the very corporate leaders that they would need to get buy-in from to get their pet projects up and running. The irony of this self-sabotage is blaring - use humor to make such contradictions evident. Be straight. Be authentic. Don't let the pie-eyed idealism fool you - these hard core cynics are seeking for truths that would leave most other ordinary cynics quaking in their boots. Existential weaklings they are not! Show them that you can see the inherent value of their sometimes scoffed at environmental quest. Use the "mankind as family" metaphor whenever possible. Appeal to their inherent belief in humanity. Question their assumptions. Leave no stone unturned. But at the end of it all, focus on the need for concrete, measurable results. Show them that their lofty ideals are achievable if they only had the gumption to stop complaining, buck up, and start trusting other people. Inspire them with a grandiose vision, yes, but then show them the immediate next step that must be taken to translate that vision into tangible reality.

The Common Denominator? A Frustrated Desire to Serve

Whatever types of mental resistance you may come across in yourself and others, never forget this one core truth: all humans secretly long be of service. Cynicism - no matter how entrenched and virulent - is but a rocky layer of frustration caked around a universally human altruistic impulse that has been repressed through years of social conditioning and survival-based thinking. The truly sustainable leaders of tomorrow will be those with the humility to keep this core truth in mind as they engage in the seductive mind-play of engaging cynicism and igniting eco-inspiration on a massive scale. Try as we might, we can't get away from the shared source that sustains us. Instead of escaping, why not just embrace it? Barack Obama did this with his game-changing presidential campaign, and has started chain reaction the likes of which our generation has never before seen. The implications are still being written, and the next step starts with you.

__________

John Marshall Roberts is an author, speaker, and communications strategist for a variety of sustainable and socially conscious clients. His new book, "Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries," is available here. Find more information on his blog.