HOPE FOR CYNICS

A refreshing look at why “people are probably better than you think.”

Zaki, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab and self-proclaimed “secret introvert,” analyzes his own cynicism along with a variety of social problems exacerbated by a systemic lack of hope. Part memoir, part research project, part love letter to his friend and colleague, the late neuroscientist Emile Bruneau, the book incorporates personal experience, research, interviews, and the author’s conversations with Bruneau’s wife. In order to become healthier and more productive citizens, cynics must shed their pessimistic ways by seeking what they fundamentally need—i.e., building fruitful relationships through measurable forms of action. Zaki is on a journey to find enlightenment, and he takes readers with him, step by step, offering a persuasive and beautifully mapped-out dialogue between himself and those cynics who are open—albeit skeptically—to his arguments. That skepticism, he writes, is healthier than cynicism, because it leaves room for asking questions, acquiring factual answers, and ultimately giving one a sense of hope about any given situation. Much of the cynicism in the world stems from negativity bias, which is lucrative and purposeful for those spreading lies and misinformation to gain power. In other words, those who capitalize on cynicism have an agenda that is not in the best interest of the general public. As a result, cynics perceive that no one cares; that few people truly enjoy helping others; and that most people avoid evil actions only because they are worried about getting caught. In this uplifting yet never saccharine narrative, Zaki ably combines scientific data with anecdotal evidence to abundantly show how “cynical beliefs eat away at relationships, communities, economies, and society itself”—and why hope is a potent corrective.

With both heart and academic rigor, Zaki should persuade many cynics to trust in hope.