Hope for Cynics. The Surprising Science Of Human Goodness

For thousands of years, people have argued about whether humanity is selfish or generous, cruel or kind. But recently, our answers have changed. We no longer feel that people can be trusted and different generations, genders, religions and political parties can't seem to agree on anything, except that they all think human virtue is evaporating. Cynicism is a perfectly understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality.
But cynical thinking worsens social problems, because our beliefs don't just interpret the world ; they change it. When we expect people to be awful, we coax awfulness out of them. Cynicism is a disease, with a history, symptoms and a cure. Through science and storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism : hopeful scepticism. This approach doesn't mean putting our faith in every politician or influencer.
It means thinking critically about people and our problems, while simultaneously acknowledging and encouraging our strengths. As more of us do this, we can take steps towards building the world we truly want.