For well over 2000 years the world’s great religions have taught the virtues of a trust-ing heart. Now there is another reason to merit the wisdom of the ages: scientific evidence indicates that those with trusting hearts will live longer, healthier lives.
As a result of the work published in the 1970s by two pioneering heart specialists, Meyer Friedman and Ray H. Rosenman, nearly every American is aware that blood Type A people are impatient, and easily moved to hostility (敌意) and anger. (79) Many have come to believe that Type A’s are at a much higher risk of suffering heart attack or dying of heart disease than others. The driving force behind hostility
is a cynical mistrust of others. If we expect others to mistreat us, we are seldom disappointed. This generates anger and leads us to respond with hostility.
(80) The most characteristic attitude of a cynic is being suspicious of the motives (动机) of people he doesn’t know. Imagine you are waiting for an elevator and it stops two floors above for longer than usual. How inconsiderate! You think. In a few seconds, you have drawn hostile conclusion about unseen people and their motives.
Meanwhile, your cynical mistrust is leading to noticeable physical consequences. Your voice rises. The rate and depth of your breathing increases. Your heart is beating faster and harder, and the muscles of your arms and legs become tight. You feel "charged up", ready for action.
If you frequently experience these feelings, you may be at increased risk of developing serious health problems. Anger can add to the risk of heart and other diseases.
A cynic, in the passage, is a person______.