Smasharoo wrote:
Hence, the whole "cynic" bit.
No, you see, a cynic would question any accusation.
No. This is where you let your own need to change the narrative get in the way. A cynic would assume she is acting from selfishness. Period. It's not about questioning the accusation at all. It's about
assuming that she took the $5k/month payment because she was greedy and not fearful. That this happens to create strong evidence that her accusation is at the least only part of the story, and quite possibly completely fabricated is useful in this context, but being a cynic doesn't automatically mean you question every accusation or claim. It means that you judge people's behavior based on a "what's best for the person taking the action" basis.
And while it's not a perfect way to judge people's actions (no single methodology is), it is accurate more often than not. It's certainly not a bad idea to examine issues by asking what each party stands to gain or lose and then proceeding from there. Again, not perfect, but usually better than most other approaches.