1264 || hope for cynics (part 3)

"Cynics often get people wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s smart to put faith in everyone, all the time. Skeptics update their beliefs based hundreds of children, and then checked in with them a year later. When it came to depression and friendships, cynical children ended up the worst off, but extremely trusting kids did less well than those in the middle.Why? When judging humanity, both cynics and trusters behave like lawyers in humanity’s trial. Trusters represent the defense. They disregard suspicious signs, forget betrayals, and hold on to any evidence of human goodness. Cynics work for the prosecution, explaining away kindness and cataloging every instance of human viciousness. Both attorneys are inclined to ignore half of the evidence, even if they’re opposite halves.Lawyering is a fine way to argue, but a terrible way to learn. A growing science finds that real wisdom arrives when people know what they don’t know. Likewise, social wisdom doesn’t mean believing in everyone or no one. It means believing in evidence—by thinking less like a lawyer and more like a scientist. And despite the different instruments they use, all sorts of scientists share an intellectual tool:skepticism, the questioning of old wisdom and hunger for more information. Skeptics update their beliefs based on new information, allowing them to adjust to a complex world" - Jamil ZakiRESOURCES: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_find_hope_when_youre_feeling_cynicalhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/23/hope-for-cynics-by-jamil-zaki-review-beating-the-trust-recessionhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/in-hope-for-cynics-researcher-explores-how-seeing-the-good-in-others-is-good-for-youTHE BOOK: https://www.jamil-zaki.com/hope-for-cynicsDONATE:www.pcrf.netGet Involved:Operation Olive Branch: Spreadsheets + LinksGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.