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Hope for cynics : the surprising science of human goodness

Zaki, Jamil, 1980-2025

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Summary

For thousands of years, people have argued about whether humanity is selfish or generous, cruel or kind. But recently, our answers have changed. In 1972, half of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted; by 2018, that figure had fallen to 30%. Different generations, genders, religions and political parties can't seem to agree on anything, except that they all think human virtue is evaporating. Cynicism is a perfectly understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, cynicism is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realise how kind, generous and open-minded others really are. And cynical thinking worsens social problems, because our beliefs don't just interpret the world; they change it. Through science and storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful scepticism.