cynicism
n.the belief that people are mostly selfish and only do things to help themselves. It is a negative way of looking at the world where you do not trust people's reasons for being kind.
n.an attitude of suspicion or skepticism regarding the motives of others, based on the belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest. Often implies a jaded or disillusioned worldview.
“His cynicism makes it hard for him to trust anyone.”
“The public's cynicism toward politicians has grown after years of broken promises and scandals.”
“While some viewed the CEO's massive donation as a genuine act of philanthropy, others dismissed it with cynicism as a calculated move to improve the company's public image.”
Uncountable in its general sense; can be used with 'about' or 'toward' to specify the object of distrust.
“For musical theater historians, this shift could be summarized as a handoff from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim, whose postmodern cynicism and fractured narratives better match the tenor of the times.”
“Whatever report is published, it looks highly unlikely to reverse the wave of controversy and cynicism that has already engulfed the AI171 investigation.”
From Cynic + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.