Hope for cynics : the suprising science of human goodness Cover Image

Book

Hope for cynics : the suprising science of human goodness / Jamil Zaki.

Zaki, Jamil, 1980- (author.).

Summary:

"In 1972, half of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted; by 2018, only a third did. Different generations, genders, religions, and political parties all think human virtue is evaporating. Cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, it is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realize how kind, generous, and open-minded others really are. Cynical thinking deepens social problems: when we expect the worst in people, we often bring it out of them. We don’t have to remain stuck in this cynicism trap. Through science and storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism--thinking critically about people and our problems, while honoring and encouraging our strengths. Far from being naïve, hopeful skepticism is a precise way of understanding others that can rebalance our view of human nature and help us build the world we truly want." -- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781538743065
ISBN: 153874306X
Physical Description: 271 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: New York : Grand Central Publishing, [2024]
Copyright: ©2024

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes notes and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction -- Section I. Unlearning cynicism : Signs and symptoms ; The surprising wisdom of hope ; Preexisting conditions ; Hell isn't other people ; Escaping the cynicism trap -- Section II. Rediscovering one another : The (social) water is just fine ; Building cultures of trust ; The fault in our fault lines -- Section III. The future of hope : Building the world we want ; The optimism of activism ; Our common fate -- Epilogue -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix A: a practical guide to hopeful skepticism -- Appendix B: evaluating the evidence -- Chapter claim ratings.