How And Why To Avoid The Siren Call Of Cynicism

This Stanford psychologist has evidence that being a cynic is bad for your health, and offers a non-corny alternative.

Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He’s the author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, and his new book is called Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.

In this episode we talk about:

What cynicism is, and why it’s so appealing
His own history as a “recovering cynic,”
How to know if you yourself are a cynic
A step-by-step guide to start developing the “hopeful skeptic” mindset
How to get better at disagreeing with other people, including some rules of engagement
And how to encourage kids not to become cynical

Related Episodes:

How (and Why) to Hack Your Empathy | Jamil Zaki

Reversing the Golden Rule | Jamil Zaki

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How And Why To Avoid The Siren Call Of Cynicism | Dr. Jamil Zaki