How to Make a Difference (Happily)

Your brain is changing all the time, whether you realize it or not. Everything from your hobbies and chores to the media you consume can physically shape it. So how can you make sure it’s changing in ways that actually serve you? Laurie speaks with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davi ...  Show more

When we’re struggling to reach a goal, most of us assume the answer is to buckle down and try harder. But what if all that white-knuckling is actually making things more difficult than they need to be? Dr. Laurie speaks with psychologist Angela Duckworth, best known for her groun ...  Show more

The Minimalists speak with Dr. Jamil Zaki from Stanford University about understanding and overcoming hopelessness and cynicism.

Discussed in this episode:

In what ways does cynicism mimic false hope? (2:24)

How do you find hope when you've felt ...

Is cynicism getting in the way of our progress? In “Hope for Cynics”, Stanford psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki, explores how cynicism is keeping us hopeless and inactive, which prevents us from creating real, lasting change. Zaki shares his ideas on how to escape the “cynicism trap” ...  Show more

Dr Jamil Zaki is a psychologist, professor at Stanford University, and an author. In a world filled with fake news, bad news and doom, it’s easy to become cynical. But what does science say about whether cynicism helps or harm us? Why is it so seductive, and how can we all learn ...  Show more

It’s easy to be cynical about the state of the world—even when you’re a researcher who studies empathy and kindness. Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki turned his own negativity into his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. The book busts c ...  Show more