logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
43m 58s

Hope for Cynics with Jamil Zaki

SHARON MCMAHON
About this episode

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” and become critical thinkers capable of hope and trust.


Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Oct 6
The Scandalous Second Marriage of Rachel Jackson
Despite being one of Sharon’s least-favorite Presidents, she explores the lifelong, and at times scandalous, love and devotion between President Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel. It's a story of a First Lady who never got the opportunity to step foot inside the White House, bu ... Show More
27m 52s
Sep 29
The Diplomatic Prowess of Louisa Adams
Stepping into the White House at the close of the Founding Fathers’ era, London-born Louisa Adams became the nation’s first foreign-born First Lady. In an age of prosperity shadowed by growing political strife, she turned personal tragedy into resilience, mastering the art of inf ... Show More
34m 50s
Sep 25
Presenting: The C-Word
With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilar ... Show More
2m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
How to Find Hope in a Cynical World
It’s hard to stay hopeful these days. Stanford professor Jamil Zaki has been studying the incredible depth of human kindness for decades, but even he gives in to cynicism when he doubts our ability to be civil and cooperative.  That’s a shame - because shedding cynicism and grasp ... Show More
43m 6s
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
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
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
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
Sep 2024
Find Hope and Banish Cynicism... Coming Sept 9
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.    Usin ... Show More
4m 3s
Jan 2025
Reintroducing… Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Outrage + Optimism is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. Feeling exhausted at the thought of keeping up with climate news ahead of this pivotal year? Join Christiana, Tom and Paul in their weekly conversations to make sense of it all, bring ... Show More
7 m
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
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
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