Dr. Jamil Zaki

But you think about other religious traditions, like in Hinduism, we all have the light of God inside us. My kids go to a Quaker school and they're taught all the time about the light that they have to carry and to give and that that is divine. And so I think that there are so many affirming spiritual traditions that really teach us about fundamental goodness.

And just as many disaffirming traditions that teach us that we are broken to our core. And I would love to see more evidence about how those teachings affect our worldviews. But I really share your intuition that it could matter a lot.

And just as many disaffirming traditions that teach us that we are broken to our core. And I would love to see more evidence about how those teachings affect our worldviews. But I really share your intuition that it could matter a lot.

And just as many disaffirming traditions that teach us that we are broken to our core. And I would love to see more evidence about how those teachings affect our worldviews. But I really share your intuition that it could matter a lot.

And in fact, I think the way that you just described it is much closer to how I land as, I guess, a humanist, right? Which is that I don't think people, I mean, I'm fascinated in whether we believe we are good or bad, kind or cruel, callous or compassionate. But as a scientist, I will never answer that question. But what I do know is that if human beings are anything, we are adaptable.

And in fact, I think the way that you just described it is much closer to how I land as, I guess, a humanist, right? Which is that I don't think people, I mean, I'm fascinated in whether we believe we are good or bad, kind or cruel, callous or compassionate. But as a scientist, I will never answer that question. But what I do know is that if human beings are anything, we are adaptable.

And in fact, I think the way that you just described it is much closer to how I land as, I guess, a humanist, right? Which is that I don't think people, I mean, I'm fascinated in whether we believe we are good or bad, kind or cruel, callous or compassionate. But as a scientist, I will never answer that question. But what I do know is that if human beings are anything, we are adaptable.

We mold ourselves to the circumstances of our culture, of our family, of our faith, of our communities. We become different versions of who we could have been over time. And that very much includes whether we treat other people well or poorly, whether we are open or closed minded.

We mold ourselves to the circumstances of our culture, of our family, of our faith, of our communities. We become different versions of who we could have been over time. And that very much includes whether we treat other people well or poorly, whether we are open or closed minded.

We mold ourselves to the circumstances of our culture, of our family, of our faith, of our communities. We become different versions of who we could have been over time. And that very much includes whether we treat other people well or poorly, whether we are open or closed minded.

whether we are egalitarian or bigoted, you know, I mean, all of these things, I don't think people are born any of those things. I think we are shaped in large part into who we become. And I do think if you consider humanity that way, just like the future is unknown, human nature is unknown too, right? We don't know whether people are good or bad. That's so simplistic.

whether we are egalitarian or bigoted, you know, I mean, all of these things, I don't think people are born any of those things. I think we are shaped in large part into who we become. And I do think if you consider humanity that way, just like the future is unknown, human nature is unknown too, right? We don't know whether people are good or bad. That's so simplistic.

whether we are egalitarian or bigoted, you know, I mean, all of these things, I don't think people are born any of those things. I think we are shaped in large part into who we become. And I do think if you consider humanity that way, just like the future is unknown, human nature is unknown too, right? We don't know whether people are good or bad. That's so simplistic.

In fact, we are complicated and we are creatures that learn more than anything else.

In fact, we are complicated and we are creatures that learn more than anything else.

In fact, we are complicated and we are creatures that learn more than anything else.

Yeah. I mean, as we've been talking about, we're molded by our circumstances. And one thing that I think we don't realize as much as we should is that every time you interact with somebody, you are their circumstance. You are their situation, right? And so what you do will shape them.

Yeah. I mean, as we've been talking about, we're molded by our circumstances. And one thing that I think we don't realize as much as we should is that every time you interact with somebody, you are their circumstance. You are their situation, right? And so what you do will shape them.

Yeah. I mean, as we've been talking about, we're molded by our circumstances. And one thing that I think we don't realize as much as we should is that every time you interact with somebody, you are their circumstance. You are their situation, right? And so what you do will shape them.

And cynical people, for instance, are much more likely to spy on their romantic partners, to spy on their colleagues or micromanage them. to mistrust their friends and family members. And it turns out if you treat people that way, they can tell. You're probably not as sly as you think you are. And we are a really reciprocal species, right?