In this episode, my guest is Dr. Jamil Zaki, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Stanford University, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, and the author of the new book Hope for Cynics. We discuss cynicism and its healthier, more adaptive alternative, healthy skepticism, and how embracing healthy skepticism can enhance both our emotional and physical health.
We discuss the data on how cynicism affects us as individuals and in relationships, causing lower levels of happiness, poorer physical health, and reduced creativity, trust, and collaboration. He also explains novel data-supported tools that we can use to shift ourselves towards a more informed yet more positive worldview and how to adopt a mindset of “hopeful skepticism” — the ideal stance to navigate life.
Dr. Zaki offers listeners a positive, hopeful view of humanity grounded in cutting-edge research from his laboratory and other top laboratories. He also offers science-supported protocols to navigate relationships in person and online better.
Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, books, people mentioned, and additional resources at hubermanlab.com.
Pre-Order Andrew's New Book
Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body: https://protocolsbook.com
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
Maui Nui Venison: https://mauinuivenison.com/huberman
Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman
Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman
Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman
Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Jamil Zaki
00:02:12 Sponsors: Maui Nui, Joovv & Waking Up
00:06:59 Cynicism
00:12:38 Children, Attachment Styles & Cynicism
00:17:29 Cynicism vs. Skepticism, Complexity
00:23:30 Culture Variability & Trust
00:26:28 Sponsor: AG1
00:27:40 Negative Health Outcomes; Cynicism: Perception & Intelligence
00:35:59 Stereotypes, Threats
00:39:48 Cooperative Environments, Collaboration & Trust
00:44:05 Competition, Conflict, Judgement
00:48:46 Cynics, Awe, “Moral Beauty”
00:55:26 Sponsor: Function
00:57:13 Cynicism, Creativity & Workplace
01:04:19 Assessing Cynicism; Assumptions & Opportunities
01:11:11 Social Media & Cynicism, “Mean World Syndrome”
01:18:35 Negativity Bias, Gossip
01:24:03 Social Media & Cynicism, Polarization, “Hopeful Skepticism”
01:32:59 AI, Bias Correction
01:39:05 Tools: Mindset Skepticism; Reciprocity Mindset; Social Savoring
01:46:05 Tools: Leaps of Faith; Forecasting; Encounter Counting
01:51:33 Tool: Testing & Sharing Core Beliefs
01:58:09 Polarization vs. Perceived Polarization, Politics
02:06:06 Challenging Conversations, Questioning Perceptions
02:14:04 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures