September 10, 2024
Positive Links Speaker Series
Hope For Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness
Jamil Zaki
Professor of Psychology, Stanford University
September 10, 2024
About the talk
Cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, it is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realize how kind, generous, and 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.
Join Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, in a fireside chat with Ethan Kross to learn the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism—thinking critically about people and our problems, while simultaneously acknowledging our power. Through science and storytelling, Jamil will share how hopeful skepticism can strengthen relationships, schools, businesses, and social movements. This philosophy isn’t about naïve optimism; it’s about magnifying the good in people while remaining critical. Hopeful skepticism honors humanity’s strengths while confronting our weaknesses head-on.
Resources
- Read Jamil’s book: Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness
