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”. Dr. Zaki's website- https://www.jamil-zaki.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati ... Show More
Dec 2025
End of an Era — Reflections on 11 Years of The Psychology Podcast w/ Annie Murphy Paul
After 11 years, 478 episodes, and countless conversations exploring the depths of human potential, this episode marks the final chapter of The Psychology Podcast in its current form. In this deeply meaningful farewell episode for Scott, he sits down with acclaimed science writer ... Show More
46m 52s
Nov 2025
How Mindsets Shape Reality w/ Dr. Alia Crum
This week, Scott sits down with his longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Alia Crum—one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of mindsets. Dr. Crum’s groundbreaking work investigates how our subjective beliefs and interpretations can produce real, measurable changes in b ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2025
The Gentle Power of Sisu w/ Dr. Elisabet Lahti
This week, Scott welcomes Dr. Elisabet Lahti—educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of the Sisu Lab. Dr. Lahti is the world’s leading expert on sisu, a Finnish concept that embodies extraordinary courage, resilience, and determination in the face of adversity. Toget ... Show More
48m 45s
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
36m 43s
Sep 2024
How to Cultivate a Positive, Growth-Oriented Mindset | Dr. Jamil Zaki
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
Sep 2024
How To Be More Hopeful In A Cynical World - Dr Jamil Zaki - #841
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 ... Show More
1h 8m
Jun 2022
How to escape the cynicism trap | Jamil Zaki
Some days, it's hard to be optimistic. But cynicism -- the idea that people are inherently selfish, greedy and dishonest -- is making humanity lonelier and more divided, says psychologist Jamil Zaki. Presenting fascinating research on cooperation, empathy and trust, Zaki makes th ... Show More
24m 3s
Sep 2024
How And Why To Avoid The Siren Call Of Cynicism | Dr. Jamil Zaki
<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p>---</p> <p>This Stanford psychologist has evidence that being a cynic is bad for your health, and offers a non-corny alternative. </p> <p>Dr. ... Show More
1h 13m
Jan 2023
How to escape the cynicism trap | Jamil Zaki
Some days, it's hard to be optimistic. But cynicism -- the idea that people are inherently selfish, greedy and dishonest -- is making humanity lonelier and more divided, says psychologist Jamil Zaki. In this episode of TED Business, we are revisiting fascinating research on coope ... Show More
24m 3s