Cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, it is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realize how kind, generous, and open-minded others really are. Cynical thinking deepens social problems: when we expect the worst in people, we often bring it out of them. We don’t have to remain stuck in this cynicism trap.
Join Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, in a fireside chat with Ethan Kross to learn the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism—thinking critically about people and our problems, while simultaneously acknowledging our power. Through science and storytelling, Jamil will share how hopeful skepticism can strengthen relationships, schools, businesses, and social movements. This philosophy isn’t about naïve optimism; it’s about magnifying the good in people while remaining critical. Hopeful skepticism honors humanity’s strengths while confronting our weaknesses head-on.
About Zaki:
Jamil Zaki is a full professor of psychology at Stanford University. He and his colleagues study social connection, including empathy, cooperation, and trust (see ssnl.stanford.edu for details), and develop tools to help people connect more effectively.
Dr. Zaki received his BA in cognitive neuroscience from Boston University and his PhD in psychology from Columbia University and conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard Center for Brain Science. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and received about two dozen awards from scientific associations and universities. In 2019 he was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the US Government’s highest honor for researchers at his career stage.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Zaki is active in outreach and public communication of science. He has written about human connection for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and The New Yorker. In 2019, he published his first book, The War for Kindness, which NPR called a “wide-ranging, practical guide to making the world better.” His second book, Hope for Cynics, publishes in September 2024. Jamil regularly gives talks and trainings to a range of audiences, including Fortune 500 executives, middle schoolers, healthcare workers, and government officials. His TED and TEDx talks have been viewed over 3,000,000 times.
Host:
Ethan Kross, Faculty Associate, Center for Positive Organizations; Professor of Psychology and Management & Organizations, University of Michigan
About Positive Links:
The Positive Links Speaker Series, presented by Michigan Ross’ Center for Positive Organizations, offers inspiring and practical science-based strategies to build and bolster thriving organizations. Attendees learn from leading positive organizational scholars and connect with our community of academics, students, staff, and leaders.
Series Sponsors:
The Center for Positive Organizations thanks the Sanger Leadership Center, Tauber Institute for Global Operations, and Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies for their support of the 2024-25 Positive Links Speaker Series.
Promotional Partners:
Additionally, we thank Ann Arbor SPARK and the Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC) Division of the Academy of Management for their Positive Links Speaker Series promotional partnerships.
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