204: Hope for Cynics with Dr. Jamil Zaki

Have you noticed our culture tends to treat cynicism as though it’s the price of being right? But cynicism is a contagion infecting our society—creeping into every corner of our lives, corroding our connections and obscuring our hope for a brighter tomorrow. That's according to Stanford Psychologist and Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Jamil Zaki. Dr. Zaki is the author of a new book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.”  He says cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, cynicism is misplaced. His research sheds light on something surprising: people are kinder, more generous, and more open-minded than we often think. And by embracing what he calls 'hopeful skepticism,' the realization that people are often better than we expect, we can think critically about people and problems while simultaneously acknowledging our power. Far from being naïve, he says hopeful skepticism is a more precise way of understanding others and paying closer attention. And Dr. Zaki is here today to share an excerpt from his new book, “Hope for Cynics.” So, if you’re ready to explore a new way of seeing the world—one that acknowledges the problems we face while staying open to human potential—this episode is for you. EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more. BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series. JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group. WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz. BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram. DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.