I just finished listening to this book (
Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness by Jamil Zaki). Basically, it's an argument against cynicism (the modern version, not the ancient Greek one) by showing how cooperation and skeptical hope lead to much better outcomes and a more accurate view of other people, all backed up by studies and data (complete with an appendix rating the quality of the evidence for each claim). I particularly liked how he argues that the antidote to cynicism is not hope, but healthy skepticism and an openness to ideas, data, and trust.
At Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, scientists have spent years studying kindness, connection and empathy. But those can all seem in short supply at a time of deep divisions. But the head of that lab offers a data-driven reason to be hopeful about each other and the future. Amna Nawaz...
www.pbs.org