Dr. Jamil Zaki

You do not want to go out on a limb. You do not want to try something new if other people are going to go after you for doing that. And if you screw up or if it doesn't go well, you're eliminated from the group. So I think you're exactly right that these cynical environments are also highly conservative. I, of course, don't mean politically conservative.

You do not want to go out on a limb. You do not want to try something new if other people are going to go after you for doing that. And if you screw up or if it doesn't go well, you're eliminated from the group. So I think you're exactly right that these cynical environments are also highly conservative. I, of course, don't mean politically conservative.

You do not want to go out on a limb. You do not want to try something new if other people are going to go after you for doing that. And if you screw up or if it doesn't go well, you're eliminated from the group. So I think you're exactly right that these cynical environments are also highly conservative. I, of course, don't mean politically conservative.

I mean conservative in terms of the types of choices that people make. And that's sort of, I think, at the level of individual creativity. But there's also a cost at the level of what we might call group creativity. A lot of our best ideas come not from our minds, but from the space between us, from dialogue or from group conversation.

I mean conservative in terms of the types of choices that people make. And that's sort of, I think, at the level of individual creativity. But there's also a cost at the level of what we might call group creativity. A lot of our best ideas come not from our minds, but from the space between us, from dialogue or from group conversation.

I mean conservative in terms of the types of choices that people make. And that's sort of, I think, at the level of individual creativity. But there's also a cost at the level of what we might call group creativity. A lot of our best ideas come not from our minds, but from the space between us, from dialogue or from group conversation.

And it turns out that in stacked rank, zero-sum environments, people are less willing to share knowledge and perspective because doing so amounts to helping your enemy succeed, which is the same as helping yourself fail. So to the extent that creativity requires success, a sort of collaborative mindset, then cynicism is preventative of that.

And it turns out that in stacked rank, zero-sum environments, people are less willing to share knowledge and perspective because doing so amounts to helping your enemy succeed, which is the same as helping yourself fail. So to the extent that creativity requires success, a sort of collaborative mindset, then cynicism is preventative of that.

And it turns out that in stacked rank, zero-sum environments, people are less willing to share knowledge and perspective because doing so amounts to helping your enemy succeed, which is the same as helping yourself fail. So to the extent that creativity requires success, a sort of collaborative mindset, then cynicism is preventative of that.

And there's actually some terrific work by Anita Woolley and colleagues that looks at group intelligence, collective intelligence. This is the idea that, of course, people have levels of intelligence that can be measured in various ways and have various forms of intelligence as well.

And there's actually some terrific work by Anita Woolley and colleagues that looks at group intelligence, collective intelligence. This is the idea that, of course, people have levels of intelligence that can be measured in various ways and have various forms of intelligence as well.

And there's actually some terrific work by Anita Woolley and colleagues that looks at group intelligence, collective intelligence. This is the idea that, of course, people have levels of intelligence that can be measured in various ways and have various forms of intelligence as well.

But groups, when they get together, have a type of intelligence and especially creative problem-solving intelligence that goes above and beyond the sum of their parts, that can't be explained and actually in some cases is almost orthogonal. to the intelligence of the individuals in that group, right? Controlling for the intelligence of individuals, there's a group factor that still matters.

But groups, when they get together, have a type of intelligence and especially creative problem-solving intelligence that goes above and beyond the sum of their parts, that can't be explained and actually in some cases is almost orthogonal. to the intelligence of the individuals in that group, right? Controlling for the intelligence of individuals, there's a group factor that still matters.

But groups, when they get together, have a type of intelligence and especially creative problem-solving intelligence that goes above and beyond the sum of their parts, that can't be explained and actually in some cases is almost orthogonal. to the intelligence of the individuals in that group, right? Controlling for the intelligence of individuals, there's a group factor that still matters.

And so Anita Woolley and others have looked at, well, what predicts that type of collective intelligence? And a couple of factors matter. One is people's ability to understand each other's emotions. So interpersonal sensitivity. But another is their willingness to, in essence, pass the mic, to share the conversation and to collaborate.

And so Anita Woolley and others have looked at, well, what predicts that type of collective intelligence? And a couple of factors matter. One is people's ability to understand each other's emotions. So interpersonal sensitivity. But another is their willingness to, in essence, pass the mic, to share the conversation and to collaborate.

And so Anita Woolley and others have looked at, well, what predicts that type of collective intelligence? And a couple of factors matter. One is people's ability to understand each other's emotions. So interpersonal sensitivity. But another is their willingness to, in essence, pass the mic, to share the conversation and to collaborate.

And so again, succeeding, thriving, optimizing and being creative, both at the individual and at the group level, require environments where we feel free and where we feel safe and where we feel that contributing to somebody else can also contribute to ourselves.

And so again, succeeding, thriving, optimizing and being creative, both at the individual and at the group level, require environments where we feel free and where we feel safe and where we feel that contributing to somebody else can also contribute to ourselves.