By Alliance Communications Coordinator Amy Durr
Is faith in humanity even possible in these dark days? “Cynicism — the belief that all people are selfish, greedy, and dishonest — is a natural response to a world reeling from social division, rising sea levels, and countless other problems,” admits Jamil Zaki, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab.
But Zaki also thinks the answer to the faith-in-humanity question is yes. “Of course there are jerks out there and terrible harm being done. But the average person underestimates the average person. By paying closer attention to the data, we can rediscover the values most of us share and work for them together,” Zaki believes, and makes the argument in his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.
Zaki’s refreshing view and science-backed arguments are intricate enough for me to let his voice speak as much as possible.
Sadly, Cynics Are Having a Moment
“We are living through a trust deficit, and as our faith in each other drops, the future we can imagine darkens.” Jamil Zaki, who studies kindness, connection and empathy, has had his own moments of not trusting others.
“When trust is depressed, cynicism booms. And in the most cynical of all our culture has glamorized gloom, pointing our suspicion towards anyone who dares look on the bright side. We’ve stereotyped hopeful people as naive, privileged, even toxic. But are we right to do so?” Zaki asks.
Why Cynicism Can Feel Safer but Leaves Us Stuck
Many people are cynical because it’s safer to be cynical in this society. “By never trusting, cynics never lose. They also never win. Refusing to trust anyone is like playing poker by folding every hand before it begins. Cynicism protects us from predators, but also shuts down opportunities for collaboration, community, and love, all of which require trust,” Zaki explains.
The widespread cynicism in our society has real consequences and they aren’t positive.
“Maybe optimists hope-wash problems while cynics shed light on them. This idea is intuitive, but backwards. Cynicism does tune people into what’s wrong, but it also forecloses on the possibility of anything better.
“[Cynics] vote less often than non-cynics, sit on the sidelines during social movements, and even support authoritarian strongman leaders who promise to protect citizens from each other, even if it means giving up some of their freedom,” Zaki continues.
The Status Quo’s Secret Weapon Against Good Change
“Cynicism is not a radical worldview. It’s a tool of the status quo. This is useful to the elites, and propagandists sow distrust to better control people. Corrupt politicians gain cover by convincing voters that everyone is corrupt. Media companies trade in judgment and outrage.
“Our cynicism is their product, and business is good. Beliefs shape our lives and the world we create, and cynicism is turning ours into a meaner, sadder, sicker place,” Zaki summarizes.
When cynicism becomes the status quo it’s the simplest tool for authoritarians to take control and render us powerless. It’s not just an un-inspiring way of being – it has real world impacts and it needs to be called out.
Fight Cynicism by Cultivating Realistic Visionaries
We may all have bouts of cynicism in these challenging times – I know I do. There are lessons and insight for us in those dips into hopelessness. The answer also doesn’t lie in putting on rose-colored glasses and hoping for the best.
How do we move forward? By continuing our good work, building community, and evaluating using conscious questioning, what Zaki calls “hopeful skepticism.”
“The alternative to cynicism is not to be naive, but rather to cultivate hopeful skepticism. Cynicism is a lack of faith in people. Skepticism is a lack of faith in our [own] assumptions. If cynics think like lawyers in the prosecution against humanity, and naive trustors argue for the defense, skeptics think like scientists instead. They don’t use blanket assumptions, but pay attention to data, figuring out who and when they can trust,” Zaki shares with us.
He continues, “Skeptics are quick, agile learners. They protect themselves when they must, but also make connections, collaborations, and friendships. Hopeful skeptics add to this mindset – they realize that most of us have a default that is too negative, and when they pay closer attention, many people will be better than we assume.”
Engaged Questioning: Seeing the World with Fresh, Balanced Eyes
Zaki shows us where and how to look for reasonable hope. “We don’t have to keep falling for cynicism’s allure. We can see it for what it is—a psychological trap—and adopt new ways of thinking. Rejecting cynicism doesn’t mean being gullible or naïve.”
Hopeful skepticism allows us to neither blindly trust nor blindly mistrust others, and to learn about our social world in a more productive way.
“Decades of science demonstrate that people don’t realize how caring, generous, and open minded others are…Underneath that bad news is good news: If you pay closer attention, you’ll likely realize people are better than you think.”
What a gift Jamil Zaki has given us – fresh eyes through which to see a more hopeful, kinder, and nourishing world.