Hey, it’s easy to be cynical these days.
We’re faced with lie-spouting politicians threatening democratic rule in our country. We’re confronted by incompetent jerks who make countless mistakes, or even try to scam us, at almost any business we patronize. And I can’t forget the maniac drivers who weave from lane to lane at illegally high speeds, threatening to kill us every time we’re near them on the freeway.
But hold on a minute. A social scientist/author says that having a cynical worldview isn’t such a great idea. Jamil Zaki wants you to know that having a cynical worldview may have a negative effect on your health.
In his new book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness,” Zaki concedes that being a cynic can make us feel safer and smarter than the selfish, greedy, and dishonest people in our midst. But his research at Stanford (where he’s the director of its Social Neuroscience Lab) suggests that it’s much better to become “hopeful skeptics.” In other words, it’s okay to be critical of troublemakers, but you should also recognize how kind and generous most people really are.
What’s at play here? Well, we tend to pay more attention to negative events than to positive ones. This “negativity bias” leads you to remember an occasional driver who cuts you off in traffic while you ignore the countless drivers who are obeying the rules of the road. Zaki says we should take 15 minutes out of our day and pay attention to the kindness all around us instead of the rudeness you encounter now and then.
Similarly, he recommends that we spread “positive gossip,” pointing out good deeds and kind behavior instead of doing the opposite–spreading mean-spirited gossip about people we dislike.
What’s the benefit of avoiding cynical thought? You’ll probably feel better about humankind, and that will probably lead to better health. According to Zaki, the cynical among us are more likely to suffer from depression, heart disease, and feeling burned out.
In the midst of a heated campaign for mayor in San Francisco, one candidate has asked voters to end “the era of cynicism.” He’s a political novice who has spent much of his personal fortune on philanthropic efforts aimed at improving life in our city, and he’s angry that his opponents have belittled those efforts. I don’t blame him one bit. Even though his philanthropy hasn’t always met its goals, the other candidates shouldn’t stoop to cynical bashing. Instead of criticizing him (as they did in a recent televised debate), they could be praising his attempts to make life better. They could adopt a positive approach and advocate their own ideas for achieving worthwhile goals for our city. Sadly, the negativity hurled during the debate was so awful that I immediately stopped watching.
As The New York Times book review of Zaki’s book has warned: “Don’t Fall into the ‘Cynicism Trap.” I don’t plan to, and I hope you won’t either. Let’s aim for hopeful skepticism. If we avoid cynicism and instead pay more attention to the kindness around us, we just might feel better.
susanjustwrites
Susan Just Writes 