I believe that active cynicism is an easy route to take in the face of discontent. Some people, whether through mental depression or a simple lack of attention, can become entrenched in cynical behavior due simply to its ease. The relative comfort it can bring in comparison with unattended discontent in and of itself.

I don’t condone it, but I understand the ease of it. I used to be, as I understand the situation, very similar to who you’re talking about. Quick to anger, quick to cynicism, quick to criticism, quick to arguing for the sake of arguing. And it very much is mentally exhausting. Not initially, but eventually & inevitably. It becomes a subtle exhaustion, a sort of exhaustion that can creep up as unnoticed as an anemic iron deficiency. Your discontent breeds bitterness, the bitterness leads to negative action, the negative action leads to further discontent, the further discontent leads to further bitterness. On and on. You see the pattern.

For me personally, I was lucky enough to notice this cycle. I became an alcoholic. I become hopeless and unloving. Inwardly blind, and outwardly malicious. A shadow to and of myself. I knew something had to give.

The antithesis of this is of course compassion, empathy, love, and care. I believe that a person cannot break this type of cycle without experiencing these things from other people. Sometimes it may take many people offering this before a meaningful impact is made. But I don’t think anyone is ever truly lost entirely in that regard. There’s always hope for a turnaround. But if there entire experience is one in which they’re intentfully absorbing the cynicism of others, they’ll have little hope of being able to think differently.

They must have some level of iniative for themselves. As with any addiction (and it is an addiction), the first step is to realize you have a problem. If you can do that, as painful as it may be to admit, you’ve taken that first step. It seems as if maybe this person has not yet taken that first step.