Intelligence is seeing an issue and recognizing that it is a problem and recognizing the root issues to how it became a problem.

Proper action is seeing both of the above and addressing the immediate issues and the longer term ones so the problem does not happen again.

Cynicism comes from when you are not allowed any sort of action and actively denied the ability to fix cause root issues. Then gaslighted into thinking you are wrong for wanting the change or forced into fixing the wrong things.