Cynicism can certainly make us unlovable and can compel us to withdraw from society in general, including mating, dating, the search for romance and intimacy, etc.

My point in the article is that, ironically, those who search for intimacy are closeted cynics. The exclusive love they find vindicates cynicism rather than being any proof that we should all be more optimistic and lose our contempt for much that goes on in public life. Harboring the secrets of intimacy and of a love life amounts to agreeing with the cynic that public life is rotten by comparison.