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The Cynical Genius Illusion - Dr. Jamil Zaki | After Skool

Author
After Skool
Published
Wed 06 Aug 2025
Episode Link
None

The Cynical Genius Illusion - Dr. Jamil Zaki
Dr. Jamil Zaki, Ph.D. Is a professor of psychology at Stanford University, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, and the author of the new book Hope for Cynics. In this episode, he discusses cynicism and its healthier, more adaptive alternative, healthy skepticism, and how embracing healthy skepticism can enhance both our emotional and physical health.Data reveals how cynicism affects us as individuals and in relationships, causing lower levels of happiness, poorer physical health, and reduced creativity, trust, and collaboration. Dr. Jamil Zaki explains novel data-supported tools that we can use to shift ourselves towards a more informed yet more positive worldview and how to adopt a mindset of “hopeful skepticism” — the ideal stance to navigate life. Dr. Zaki offers a positive, hopeful view of humanity grounded in cutting-edge research from his laboratory and other top laboratories. He also offers science-supported protocols to navigate relationships in person and online better. Dr. Jamil ZakiWebsite: https://www.jamil-zaki.com Stanford academic profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/jamil-zaki Social Neuroscience Laboratory: https://www.ssnl.stanford.edu Hope for Cynics (book):https://www.jamil-zaki.com/hope-for-cynics Articles: https://www.jamil-zaki.com/media X (Personal): https://x.com/zakijam X (Lab): https://x.com/StanfordSNLInstagram: / jamil_zaki_psych LinkedIn: / jamil-zaki-b0b4a9192
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Disclaimer: This podcast is an independent initiative inspired by the thought-provoking content of After Skool. It is created by a viewer who appreciates the depth of the ideas shared and wants to make them more accessible in an audio format. While every effort is made to preserve the essence of the original content, this is not an official After Skool production, nor is it affiliated with or endorsed by After Skool. All rights to the original material belong to After Skool. If you have any concerns regarding this podcast, please feel free to reach out.
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