Finding Hope in a Cynical World

By Brad Dunning

Wariness is an evolutionary advantage to protect us from harm. The human brain is designed to be on high alert for conspiracy theories according to evolutionary psychologists Randy Nesse and Martie Haselton, and cynicism is defined as a “disease of social health” by Dr. Jamil Zaki, a psychology professor and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab at Stanford University. Zaki argues that cynicism is neither “clever, safe, or moral,” and by its very nature makes the world a “meaner, sadder, sicker place.”

In his book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Goodness,” Zaki draws attention to the dangers of cynicism and then outlines an antidote that he calls hopeful skepticism, which he considers essential to maintaining a society that works toward the common good.

Zaki defines cynicism as “the theory that people are selfish, greedy, and dishonest.” People who are cynical believe that everyone operates with the “what's in it for me” mindset; no good deed is truly altruistic, rather it is done for personal gain. This mindset creates a loss of faith in one another and the operating systems of our society. It fosters inaction and provides fertile ground for depression, isolation, and polarization.

Contrary to popular myths, cynicism is not clever or intelligent. It is outright harmful. Studies have shown that cynics do not perform as well on cognitive tasks and have a harder time spotting liars than non-cynics. Additionally, according to Zaki, cynics have been shown to drink more heavily, earn less money, and have shorter lifespans than non-cynics. Cynics believe that trust is for those who are naive, but as cynics try to shield themselves from hurt and loss, they deny their social nature. Social connections are essential to the survival of our species. Tragically, cynicism makes it impossible for people to love, collaborate, and be in community with one another. This is even more concerning for young adults and adolescents. Their generation is already less connected, in part because of social media. Research has repeatedly shown that younger generations spend significant time on sites like Instagram, commodifying responses. Adolescents and young adults are driven by likes and reactions to posts and images, and as a result, they curate inauthentic personas for themselves. Their online posts are often idealized and not accurate representations of the actual self. And, in the game of collecting the most likes, young people compete for attention by creating more perfectly staged examples of “living their best lives.” This comparison culture leads to depression, anxiety, and isolation. Young adults are particularly impacted by what they view as deep divisions and polarization among one another. On the whole, this creates a greater sense of despair, hopelessness, and cynicism. Young adults begin to feel that no one needs or wants them.

Cynicism also protects the status quo. Because cynics believe things will get worse no matter what is done, they don't take action, guaranteeing that nothing will improve. While it is unsafe to blindly trust everyone and everything (we need to be informed) it is also dangerous to be mistrustful of everyone and everything. Zaki explains that this results in an underestimation of others. For example, we imagine that rivals are more extreme than they are. Studies show that both Democrats and Republicans are prone to “false polarization.” Zaki states, “On issues like immigration and abortion, people guess the average rival is more extreme than 80% of actual people in the other party. Asked about the middle, we conjure up the fringe.” This false polarization ignores the overlap between people and their shared beliefs. As a result, there is no room for productive disagreement and deep understanding of others, and minds cannot be opened. Thus, we remain as divided, isolated, hopeless, and cynical as ever.

What's the answer? Zaki makes the case for what he calls hopeful skepticism. It begins by recognizing that while cynics may call out injustices, they are not changemakers because they believe change is not possible. Hopeful skeptics, on the other hand, recognize wrongs and understand that the future is not set in stone; they believe they have an opportunity to alter its course. For those who are cynical, this signals that a change in mindset is necessary. It means accepting an invitation to stronger social connections through deep conversations, asking for help, and showing gratitude. Research shows that these interactions improve mood and draw people closer. Moving toward hopeful skepticism means shedding the notion that spending time and energy on ourselves will make us happier. Zaki argues that self-care has replaced “other care.” Studies show that when people give freely of themselves to others they feel less depressed, less isolated, and less anxious. Zaki asks us to make leaps of faith in which we put “loud trust” in others by giving them a chance to show us who they are. His examples include loaning your car to a new friend or assigning a challenging task to a new employee. Loud trust builds communities that are less suspicious of one another and it replaces cynicism with hope.

The cynic believes that nothing we do makes a difference and that every action taken by someone else is done only in self-interest. If you spend any time on a news website, it may feel that the world is on fire and nothing can be done about it. Zaki argues that this lack of hope drives us apart, shuts down productive discussion, and feeds a culture of mistrust. Instead, he urges us to embrace hopeful skepticism. History has shown that the future materializes second by second and that we can make choices that matter. Together, we can heal this “meaner, sicker, sadder place” by loudly trusting one another and learning that we are less different than we think. It won't be easy, but it will be the self-care our world so desperately needs.

About Brad Dunning:

Brad Dunning has worked at University School of Milwaukee since 2011, serving as the assistant head of Middle School since 2018. Previously, he served as the 6th grade English teacher and dean of students in USM's Middle School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Arts in Education from Marian University.