logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
4m 3s

Find Hope and Banish Cynicism... Coming ...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

It's hard to stay hopeful sometimes. Things can look pretty bleak and divided, especially around election time. But if you're losing hope in your fellow humans, stop and listen to the science. Other people are kinder, friendlier and more co-operative than you might think.   

Using insights from his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, Stanford's Jamil Zaki joins Dr Laurie Santos for a special season to show why we shouldn't be so cynical about our fellow citizens and why being more open and trusting can help us live happier and healthier lives. 

The series begins Sept 9.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 18
“Can You Train Your Mind to Be Happier?” (with Dr Tal Ben-Shahar)
How do you train your mind to be happier? That was the question posed to Dr Laurie by Dr Tal Ben-Shahar at a live webinar for his Happiness Studies Academy. Tal is a leading expert in positive psychology and co-founded the academy to share his knowledge online with students from ... Show More
1h 27m
Aug 11
"Human Minds Are Stupid!" (with Rich Roll)
On his podcast, Rich Roll seeks to give his listeners the knowledge to unleash their best selves. He invited Dr Laurie on his show to explain the science-backed "rewirements" she recommends to make us happier. The wide-ranging interview covers lots of topics - but tackles the tri ... Show More
2h 22m
Aug 4
The Joy of Not Being Dead (with Ryan Holiday on The Daily Stoic)
Dr Laurie often uses the teachings of the ancient Stoic philosophers to help her through daily life - so she was invited on Ryan Holiday's hit show The Daily Stoic to discuss what she's learned. Ryan started off asking Dr Laurie's thoughts on death and the importance of seeing li ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
#841 - Dr Jamil Zaki - How To Be More Hopeful In A Cynical World
Dr Jamil Zaki is a psychologist, professor at Stanford University, and an author.In a world filled with fake news, bad news and doom, it’s easy to become cynical. But what does science say about whether cynicism helps or harm us? Why is it so seductive, and how can we all learn t ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 2024
How And Why To Avoid The Siren Call Of Cynicism | Dr. Jamil Zaki
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- 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 psyc ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2024
Hope For Cynics w/ Dr. Jamil Zaki
This week Scott is joined by author and professor of psychology at Stanford University, Dr. Jamil Zaki. Scott and Dr. Zaki discuss tribal cynicism, how hopeful skepticism is different from naive optimism, and the importance of countering “social shark attacks”.  See omnystudio.co ... Show More
45m 11s
Sep 2024
Dr. Jamil Zaki: How to Cultivate a Positive, Growth-Oriented Mindset
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Jamil Zaki, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Stanford University, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, and the author of the new book Hope for Cynics. We discuss cynicism and its healthier, more adaptive alternative, healthy s ... Show More
2h 16m
Jul 14
Hopeful pessimism
We live in a culture obsessed with hope. We are trained to believe that being hopeful is the key to success. Stay positive. The sun will come out tomorrow. Keep the faith. But maintaining that kind of blind hope is hard. When our hopes are dashed, we often feel defeated. In a wor ... Show More
51m 53s
Nov 2024
Hope for Cynics with Jamil Zaki
Is cynicism getting in the way of our progress? In “Hope for Cynics”, Stanford psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki, explores how cynicism is keeping us hopeless and inactive, which prevents us from creating real, lasting change. Zaki shares his ideas on how to escape the “cynicism trap” ... Show More
43m 58s
Sep 2024
Why cynicism is bad for you
There’s a certain glamor to cynicism. As a culture, we’ve turned cynicism into a symbol of hard-earned wisdom, assuming that those who are cynical are the only ones with the courage to tell us the truth and prepare us for an uncertain future. Psychologist Jamil Zaki challenges th ... Show More
58m 23s
Sep 2024
Happiness isn’t the goal
Children live with a beginner’s mind. Every day is full of new discoveries, powerful emotions, and often unrealistically positive assumptions about the future. As adults, beginner’s mind gives way to the mundane drudgeries of existence — and our brains seem to make it much harder ... Show More
53m 58s
Mar 2025
Dr Emily - Hope
Today, Dr Emily talks about hope. And in a world where things can feel a little bit hopeless, this really couldn’t have come at a better time. In contrast to all of our understanding up until this point, hope is not an emotion. Expertly defined by Dr Emily, hope is a belief. And ... Show More
1h 16m
Oct 2024
466 | Hope for Cynics
The Minimalists speak with Dr. Jamil Zaki from Stanford University about understanding and overcoming hopelessness and cynicism. Discussed in this episode: In what ways does cynicism mimic false hope? (2:24) How do you find hope when you’ve felt hopeless for a long time? (10:08) ... Show More
35m 46s