Dr. Jamil Zaki

He told me in our last conversation that he understood his worldview was unconventional and that he was more positive in some ways and in some ways startlingly positive despite what he had gone through. And he said, I wish that if this philosophy was like a tube of toothpaste, I could squeeze it out and leave some behind after I'm gone.

He told me in our last conversation that he understood his worldview was unconventional and that he was more positive in some ways and in some ways startlingly positive despite what he had gone through. And he said, I wish that if this philosophy was like a tube of toothpaste, I could squeeze it out and leave some behind after I'm gone.

So I guess I've been trying since then to squeeze out some of that Emil toothpaste for the rest of the world.

So I guess I've been trying since then to squeeze out some of that Emil toothpaste for the rest of the world.

So I guess I've been trying since then to squeeze out some of that Emil toothpaste for the rest of the world.

Yeah, absolutely. So cynicism is the theory that people in general are selfish, greedy, and dishonest. It is hugely on the rise. In 1972, about half of Americans believed most people can be trusted. And by 2018, that had fallen to a third of Americans. So it's a drop. as big as the stock market took during the financial collapse of 2008.

Yeah, absolutely. So cynicism is the theory that people in general are selfish, greedy, and dishonest. It is hugely on the rise. In 1972, about half of Americans believed most people can be trusted. And by 2018, that had fallen to a third of Americans. So it's a drop. as big as the stock market took during the financial collapse of 2008.

Yeah, absolutely. So cynicism is the theory that people in general are selfish, greedy, and dishonest. It is hugely on the rise. In 1972, about half of Americans believed most people can be trusted. And by 2018, that had fallen to a third of Americans. So it's a drop. as big as the stock market took during the financial collapse of 2008.

So we're living through really a five decade long trust deficit and we have lost faith in each other, in our institutions. And to your point, Amanda, I think that a lot of this is because in our culture, we glamorize gloom. We view it as, I'd say three different things. We view it as smart, We view it as safe and we view it as moral.

So we're living through really a five decade long trust deficit and we have lost faith in each other, in our institutions. And to your point, Amanda, I think that a lot of this is because in our culture, we glamorize gloom. We view it as, I'd say three different things. We view it as smart, We view it as safe and we view it as moral.

So we're living through really a five decade long trust deficit and we have lost faith in each other, in our institutions. And to your point, Amanda, I think that a lot of this is because in our culture, we glamorize gloom. We view it as, I'd say three different things. We view it as smart, We view it as safe and we view it as moral.

And we can break down all of those if you like, but we can just start with the first, right? We have this view that, hey, if you are not cynical, You must be naive. You just haven't had a chance to be disappointed enough yet. You just don't know what the world is really like.

And we can break down all of those if you like, but we can just start with the first, right? We have this view that, hey, if you are not cynical, You must be naive. You just haven't had a chance to be disappointed enough yet. You just don't know what the world is really like.

And we can break down all of those if you like, but we can just start with the first, right? We have this view that, hey, if you are not cynical, You must be naive. You just haven't had a chance to be disappointed enough yet. You just don't know what the world is really like.

In lots of studies, people will present or be presented with a story of one person who's really cynical and doesn't trust anybody and another person who's really open and trusting. And they're asked, you know, which one of these two people do you think would do better on a variety of different tasks? And it turns out that 70% of people believe that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.

In lots of studies, people will present or be presented with a story of one person who's really cynical and doesn't trust anybody and another person who's really open and trusting. And they're asked, you know, which one of these two people do you think would do better on a variety of different tasks? And it turns out that 70% of people believe that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.

In lots of studies, people will present or be presented with a story of one person who's really cynical and doesn't trust anybody and another person who's really open and trusting. And they're asked, you know, which one of these two people do you think would do better on a variety of different tasks? And it turns out that 70% of people believe that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.

And 85% of people believe that cynics are socially smarter, that they'd be able to tell who's lying and who's telling the truth. In other words, most of us put a lot of faith in people who don't have faith in people. It's just like a bit of a tongue twister. And most of us are wrong. It turns out that cynics do less well on cognitive tests and they're worse at spotting liars than non-cynics.

And 85% of people believe that cynics are socially smarter, that they'd be able to tell who's lying and who's telling the truth. In other words, most of us put a lot of faith in people who don't have faith in people. It's just like a bit of a tongue twister. And most of us are wrong. It turns out that cynics do less well on cognitive tests and they're worse at spotting liars than non-cynics.

And 85% of people believe that cynics are socially smarter, that they'd be able to tell who's lying and who's telling the truth. In other words, most of us put a lot of faith in people who don't have faith in people. It's just like a bit of a tongue twister. And most of us are wrong. It turns out that cynics do less well on cognitive tests and they're worse at spotting liars than non-cynics.