logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
32m 11s

How to Make a Difference (Happily)

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

We often assume that we can’t fix the big problems we see in the world around us. And that trying is for suckers - who’ll just end up sad, exhausted and defeated. 

Dr Laurie Santos and Dr Jamil Zaki meet people who have tried to make a difference in their communities - often against great odds - and have found the process made them happier and more hopeful.

Jamil's book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness is out now.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Sep 14
A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Changing Your Brain with Dr. Richard Davidson
Your brain is changing all the time, whether you realize it or not. Everything from your hobbies and chores to the media you consume can physically shape it. So how can you make sure it’s changing in ways that actually serve you? Laurie speaks with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davi ... Show More
36m 23s
Sep 7
Stop Doing Things the Hard Way with Dr. Angela Duckworth
When we’re struggling to reach a goal, most of us assume the answer is to buckle down and try harder. But what if all that white-knuckling is actually making things more difficult than they need to be? Dr. Laurie speaks with psychologist Angela Duckworth, best known for her groun ... Show More
58m 13s
Aug 17
The Life-Changing Power of a Sabbatical
It’s hard to focus on wellbeing when we’re expected to work nonstop until retirement. Taking a break from time to time should be a given, not a privilege. Dr. Laurie works in one of the few industries that recognizes the importance of extended time off. As she begins her own year ... Show More
48m 31s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
466 | Hope for Cynics
<p dir="ltr">The Minimalists speak with Dr. Jamil Zaki from Stanford University about understanding and overcoming hopelessness and cynicism.</p> <p>Discussed in this episode:</p> <p>In what ways does cynicism mimic false hope? (2:24)</p> <p>How do you find hope when you've felt ... Show More
35m 46s
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 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
Jan 2025
Are You Tired of Feeling Cynical? Hopeful Skepticism Could Be a Way Out
It’s easy to be cynical about the state of the world—even when you’re a researcher who studies empathy and kindness. Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki turned his own negativity into his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. The book busts c ... Show More
16m 19s
Aug 2024
How to be less cynical (w/ Jamil Zaki)
It’s an age-old question - are people innately good or bad? Watching the news and constantly consuming social media, many of us are cynical about human nature. Psychologist Jamil Zaki suggests that we may be being fooled, that empathy is all around us - we just have to pay a litt ... Show More
36m 34s
Sep 2024
#712 The Science of Goodness - Dr. Jamil Zaki
Dr. Jamil Zaki is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford who studies cynicism and hope. He shares what he’s learned through his research, what drew him to study the brain in this way, and offers practical ways you can work through your cynical tendencies and lean in to ... Show More
1h 28m
Aug 2024
Don't judge your journey
We're all struggling with something. To learn more about finding true happiness, check out our bestselling book, NEW HAPPY: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong! Available at www.thenewhappy.com/book 
1m 38s