Dr. Jamil Zaki

You nailed it. That's exactly right. So I think that cynics consider naive optimists, people who think everything is great, as the opposite of themselves. In fact, I think they have a lot in common. Both groups of people think they know the future. They think they know humanity and they don't have to do anything because of that. Right. So there's two things.

One is certainty about how the future will turn out. And the other is complacency. As we've talked about, a naive optimist might be complacent because they think everything's going to be great. But a cynic also turns out to be pretty complacent. You can think of it as a dark complacency. Everything's going to be awful. So there's nothing really that I have to do. And you see this, right?

One is certainty about how the future will turn out. And the other is complacency. As we've talked about, a naive optimist might be complacent because they think everything's going to be great. But a cynic also turns out to be pretty complacent. You can think of it as a dark complacency. Everything's going to be awful. So there's nothing really that I have to do. And you see this, right?

One is certainty about how the future will turn out. And the other is complacency. As we've talked about, a naive optimist might be complacent because they think everything's going to be great. But a cynic also turns out to be pretty complacent. You can think of it as a dark complacency. Everything's going to be awful. So there's nothing really that I have to do. And you see this, right?

I mean, I think we, again, have this stereotype that cynics would be super moral, that they'd be radicals who would push for change. But in fact, cynics vote less often. They take part in social movements less often. They even vote more when they do vote for strong man leaders who will protect them from the selfish folks who are all around.

I mean, I think we, again, have this stereotype that cynics would be super moral, that they'd be radicals who would push for change. But in fact, cynics vote less often. They take part in social movements less often. They even vote more when they do vote for strong man leaders who will protect them from the selfish folks who are all around.

I mean, I think we, again, have this stereotype that cynics would be super moral, that they'd be radicals who would push for change. But in fact, cynics vote less often. They take part in social movements less often. They even vote more when they do vote for strong man leaders who will protect them from the selfish folks who are all around.

And I think that skeptics, by contrast, have the courage of uncertainty. And when I say, Amanda, that they think like scientists, that's sort of what I mean. You know, as a scientist, one of my favorite things is not knowing how an experiment will turn out. I find it delightful to live in uncertainty and then discover something, usually discover that I'm wrong at least two thirds of the time.

And I think that skeptics, by contrast, have the courage of uncertainty. And when I say, Amanda, that they think like scientists, that's sort of what I mean. You know, as a scientist, one of my favorite things is not knowing how an experiment will turn out. I find it delightful to live in uncertainty and then discover something, usually discover that I'm wrong at least two thirds of the time.

And I think that skeptics, by contrast, have the courage of uncertainty. And when I say, Amanda, that they think like scientists, that's sort of what I mean. You know, as a scientist, one of my favorite things is not knowing how an experiment will turn out. I find it delightful to live in uncertainty and then discover something, usually discover that I'm wrong at least two thirds of the time.

But I think that one of the things that is hardest in, at least for me in life, is to accept uncertainty. I think it really takes a lot of courage and presence and humility to know what we don't know. When things turn out badly in the world, when there's some horrible event that occurs, it almost feels like a knee-jerk reaction to say, aha, I knew this would happen.

But I think that one of the things that is hardest in, at least for me in life, is to accept uncertainty. I think it really takes a lot of courage and presence and humility to know what we don't know. When things turn out badly in the world, when there's some horrible event that occurs, it almost feels like a knee-jerk reaction to say, aha, I knew this would happen.

But I think that one of the things that is hardest in, at least for me in life, is to accept uncertainty. I think it really takes a lot of courage and presence and humility to know what we don't know. When things turn out badly in the world, when there's some horrible event that occurs, it almost feels like a knee-jerk reaction to say, aha, I knew this would happen.

This is the way that people are. This is all that we have to give. And that can give you a sense of control, again, in a world where you feel like you can't control anything. But that control comes at a cost. It comes at the cost of recognizing so much human beauty and continuing a struggle for progress and change.

This is the way that people are. This is all that we have to give. And that can give you a sense of control, again, in a world where you feel like you can't control anything. But that control comes at a cost. It comes at the cost of recognizing so much human beauty and continuing a struggle for progress and change.

This is the way that people are. This is all that we have to give. And that can give you a sense of control, again, in a world where you feel like you can't control anything. But that control comes at a cost. It comes at the cost of recognizing so much human beauty and continuing a struggle for progress and change.

Yeah, it's a great question. Optimists certainly health-wise do better than cynics. In fact, if you just look at a correlation between optimism and a bunch of health outcomes, it's mostly positive. But there's a couple of caveats to that. One, optimism is less health positive if you are facing adversity, right?

Yeah, it's a great question. Optimists certainly health-wise do better than cynics. In fact, if you just look at a correlation between optimism and a bunch of health outcomes, it's mostly positive. But there's a couple of caveats to that. One, optimism is less health positive if you are facing adversity, right?

Yeah, it's a great question. Optimists certainly health-wise do better than cynics. In fact, if you just look at a correlation between optimism and a bunch of health outcomes, it's mostly positive. But there's a couple of caveats to that. One, optimism is less health positive if you are facing adversity, right?

So, so long as things are going well, optimism is- You're like, this wasn't what it was supposed to be.