Earlier this year, the 2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll reflected that U.S. adults are feeling more anxious, with 43% of respondents saying they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, an increase from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. They reported that they were especially anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%).
Have you ever noticed that after spending time scrolling on social media looking at negative news stories or spending time with people with a doom and gloom-y attitude, that negative energy feels contagious and hard to shake? Cynicism and negative thinking are easy traps to fall into. During stressful or challenging times, a positive mindset may feel out of reach, especially if you’ve been conditioned to adopt a cynical outlook. It is possible to reconnect to hope when the doom-scrolling has chipped away at your worldview. Read on to learn more.
Cynicism can negatively impact your personal and professional life.
The consequences of cynicism
Stanford University psychology professor and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Jamil Zaki, who is the author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, describes cynicism as a theory about people and humanity. “It’s the idea that people in general are selfish, greedy and dishonest. And if you’re a cynic, you believe those things more than you want evidence about people. So in fact, many cynics, research shows, don’t just feel these bleak things about people. They look for evidence to support their beliefs and dismiss evidence that doesn’t support their beliefs.”
“So, for instance,” Dr. Zaki explains, “a cynic will be quick to point out something selfish or untrustworthy that somebody else does. They’ll remember betrayals and slights for years. But if somebody does something kind, they’ll explain it away. They’ll say, ‘Oh, they have ulterior motives.’ A skeptic treats the world like a scientist might. A cynic treats the world like a lawyer might—a lawyer who’s working for the prosecution in the trial against humanity. They’re looking for evidence that people are bad and ignoring evidence about human goodness.”
He adds that cynicism can have long-reaching negative consequences. “It hurts our health, our relationships and our communities, but people still sign up for it.” He points out that cynics and cynicism have been glamorized in our culture. “We treat cynicism as though it’s wisdom. There’s this stereotype in our culture that people who are happy and optimistic and trusting are naive and gullible. In fact, there’s a stereotype that the less trusting you are, the wiser you are.”
It can absolutely impact relationships in many areas of your life. “When we’ve been hurt in the past, it’s easy to continue being hurt because we’re not willing to take risks again. We basically are so focused on staying safe and not being betrayed once more, that we deprive ourselves of all sorts of connections we could have made.”
He also points out that cynicism could even impact your career and your income. “Cynics lose out on what I would call a cooperative advantage. They tend to have ambitions at work of succeeding by dominating others In a workplace setting. If you think everybody is out only for themselves, the only way you can succeed is by defeating others.” When the leader of an organization is cynical, he adds, “it gets worse because they actually create conditions in which their employees are encouraged to compete and fight one another.”
The people we spend time with and the media we consume can impact our worldview
How our environment impacts our worldview
Feeling more cynical lately? Take a look at the interactions you’ve been having with others and the media you’re consuming. If you’re surrounded by people with negative attitudes or who spend a lot of energy complaining or pointing out what’s wrong and rarely, if ever, acknowledging what’s going well, it could be rubbing off on you.
Alexandra Dickinson, LMSW, MA, a psychotherapist and negotiation coach based in New York City, says, “The people we interact with—online and off—can have a big impact on what we think and want. For example, social media can introduce us to new ideas or products we might love, but it can also tempt us to buy things we don’t really need. By being aware of these influences, we can make more intentional choices and stay true to what’s important to us.”
The media we consume—whether intentionally or incidentally—can also play a big role in shaping our perception of the world around us.
Dickinson says, “The media can profoundly shape our worldview, often unconsciously, from a very young age. Since we’re exposed to media almost from birth, it’s impossible to fully distinguish its influence from other sources like family, friends, and school, but it’s clear that media plays a significant role in shaping our perceptions and beliefs. By actively seeking out trustworthy sources and remaining open to new information, we can cultivate a more nuanced and adaptive worldview, better equipping us to navigate complex personal and professional relationships.”
Dr. Zaki says, “A lot of media has turned into a kind of cynicism factory.” He explains, “I think that cynics are often coming from a really good place and want to be safe and want to build a better world—and that’s also true of journalists. It’s incredibly important to report on and expose the horrible things that are happening in our world.” However, when metrics like clicks and shares and feeding algorithms enter the picture, it can skew the balance of doom-and-gloom in our newsfeeds. “I’m not saying that media should focus only on rainbows and flowers and picnics, but I also think that in trying to point out harm and corruption, media and media companies in particular can often end up giving us a really skewed picture of what humanity is like by only reporting on the worst things that people do.” There’s actually a name for this in communications science, says Dr. Zaki, “It’s called Mean World Syndrome.”
Awareness is an important first step in adjusting your mindset, according to experts.
Adjusting your mindset
If you recognize that you’re caught up in a cynical or overly negative mindset, it is possible to improve your outlook.
Awareness is an important first step, says Dr. Zaki. And there are a few things to do once you have that awareness and want to move from cynicism to what he calls hopeful skepticism. “One is to think differently and the other is to act differently.” That can look like calling out these thought patterns and experimenting with more positive thoughts and actions, such as taking the calculated risk of trusting people, putting yourself out there in new ways if you’re used to playing it super-safe or allowing yourself to enjoy a positive experience without looking for something to poke holes in.
Dickenson suggests using what’s called “evidence-based reasoning to shift your outlook. “To start seeing things in a more positive light, try a simple trick: look for evidence that contradicts your negative thoughts. For example, when you think ‘This day is ruined,’ find something that’s actually going well. Another helpful approach is ‘opposite action”’- do the opposite of what your negative thoughts suggest, like doing something you enjoy when you feel hopeless. Give it a try and see how it shifts your perspective!”
To reconnect to feelings of hope during tough times, says Dickinson, tap into what gives your life meaning. “For some, this might be a sense of faith or connection to something greater than themselves, while others find hope in reflecting on their values and passions. Checking in with yourself, a trusted friend or family member, or engaging in activities that bring joy and purpose can also help. Additionally, practices like gratitude journaling, creative expression, or spending time in nature can help reignite hope and resilience.”
