The Evolution of Cynicism

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jim Doty interviews Jamil Zaki, a professor of psychology at Stanford, Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab and author of “The War on Kindness.” Zaki and Doty explore the three intersecting circles of emotional empathy, cognitive empathy and empathic concern and its connection to compassion. While they discuss how individuals with high empathic concern are more likely to seek contact with suffering individuals, they also describe the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in maintaining compassion without experiencing burnout. The conversation then shifts to the impact of the pandemic on empathy and the importance of taking action in the face of global suffering. They discuss the concept of effective altruism and the role of emotions in motivating people to give. They also delve into the issues of cynicism, skepticism with cynicism and the conflation of wealth with wisdom. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of hope, and the tentative title of Zaki’s new book, “The Hopeful Skeptic.”