Psychologist Jamil Zaki outlines why cynical thinking deepens social problems and how we can get out of the 'cynical trap.'

Being cynical may feel like a reasonable position in this day and age — the world feels dark and difficult, and it can be hard to trust our fellow humans.

But cynicism isn't just a mindset — it can impact your health, success, and happiness and affect the lives of those around you.

In Hope for Cynics, author Jamil Zaki outlines how cynicism blocks social progress and makes the world worse.

After exploring the ancient roots of cynicism and how it has evolved into what we know today, Zaki prescribes the solution to cynicism: hopeful skepticism.

Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University, where he also directs the Standard Social Neuroscience Lab.