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This is the 10% happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Hello my fellow suffering beings how we doing it is easy very easy in these turbulent times in this post-truth era to succumb to the

siren call of cynicism. But cynicism, where you lose faith in other people, is bad for your health.

The science shows it can lead to depression, heart disease, and isolation.

It can also make you more likely to fall for conspiracy theories.

Today we're going to talk to a Stanford scientist

about a healthier and happier alternative,

which he calls hopeful skepticism.

I should say we're recording and releasing this episode in the middle of a

tumultuous presidential election in the United States but the wisdom here is

evergreen and universal so if you're listening to this later or if you're listening from another country, it's still deeply relevant.

My guest is Dr. Jimmyel Zaki. He's a professor of psychology at Stanford and the director of the

Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He came on this show several years ago to talk about a of the His new book is called Hope for Synics, The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.

We talked about what cynicism is exactly and why it's so appealing.

His own history as a recovering cynic, how to know if you're a cynic, a step-by-step guide to developing the hopeful

skeptic mindset, how to get better at disagreeing with other people, including some rules

of engagement, and how to encourage kids not to become cynical.

Dr. Jimmyel Zaki coming up right after this.

But first a little BSP or blatant self-promotion,

you might have noticed that the show art, the little image that pops up in your

podcast player, changed recently. After seven years it was time for a refresh,

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