Ancient Greek cynicism meant waking people from stupor, not distrust.

Evidence

In sharp contrast to the modern meaning of the word cynicism, the Greek Cynics were earnestly invested in waking up the populace from a general stupor. They imagined this stupor as something called typhos, a word that also connotes fog, smoke, and storms—as in the word typhoon or tai fung in Cantonese, meaning “a great wind.” — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 333

Categorization

• DEFINE: Etymology of typhos ties attentional stupor to storm imagery, a foundational concept for the chapter.
• CANDY: The fact that ‘cynicism’ originally named earnest awakening rather than distrust is a fun trivia bit.