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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 psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He’s the author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, and his new book is called Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.
In this episode we talk about:
- What cynicism is, and why it’s so appealing
- His own history as a “recovering cynic,”
- How to know if you yourself are a cynic
- A step-by-step guide to start developing the “hopeful skeptic” mindset
- How to get better at disagreeing with other people, including some rules of engagement
- And how to encourage kids not to become cynical
Related Episodes:
How (and Why) to Hack Your Empathy | Jamil Zaki
Reversing the Golden Rule | Jamil Zaki
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Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/jamil-zaki-cynic
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