Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness

Cynicism is making us sick; Stanford Psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki has the cure—a “ray of light for dark days” (Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

In 1972, half of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted; by 2018, only a third did. Different generations, genders, religions, & political parties all think human virtue is evaporating. Cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice & inequality. But in many cases, it is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realize how kind, generous, & open-minded others really are. Cynical thinking deepens social problems: when we expect the worst in people, we often bring it out of them.

We don’t have to remain stuck in this cynicism trap. Through science & storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism—thinking critically about people and our problems, while honoring & encouraging our strengths. Far from being naïve, hopeful skepticism is a precise way of understanding others that can rebalance our view of human nature and help us build the world we truly want.

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Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He trained at Columbia & Harvard, studying empathy and kindness in the human brain. He is interested in human connection & how we can learn to connect better.