Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual Growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”. One of the best ways to learn is through reading, and I have committed to increasing my intake of books that expand my intellectual and emotional intelligence. As a flawed human being, I am acutely aware that this will be a lifelong journey, not with perfection as an end state, but merely growth. My current read is “Hope for Cynics- The Surprising Science of Human Goodness” by author Jamil Zaki.
The title caught my attention as I was listening to a podcast with a similar title. While I enjoy listening to those articulating their respective subject matter, the discipline of reading brings with it many additional benefits, so when I get the chance, I go old school and grab a book, preferably hardcover.
In my many years in public service, specifically when trying to influence those around me, I surround myself with those who will challenge my ideas and beliefs. I would classify these associates as “Healthy Skeptics”. They are rooted in both reality and curiosity. The shadow side of healthy skeptics is the cynic. They exist for the mere purpose of negative response, with little to no value as team members. Unfortunately, we have given great status to the cynics, assigning them a higher level of perceived intelligence and relying on them for counsel. We do this to our detriment, as they both limit our possibilities and deny us rewarding outcomes. They would have us believe that it is better to expect the worst of people and be right than to expect the best and be wrong. Fortunately, we now know through numerous studies that, in fact, your life’s outcomes are better in everything from finances to physical well-being when you apply the lens of positive thinking. As it turns out, if you expect the worst, that is what you will get; however, if you expect the best from others, the results are both positive and sustaining.
As with most things worth striving for, subscribing to and practicing this philosophy of positive thinking brings numerous hurdles, the most prominent being our current social media culture- popular/ culture reinforced cynicism. We view those who look to the positive as “Suckers’, waiting to be duped. We recall first and foremost the times when we were let down versus the times, we were pleasantly surprised by the actions of another. We call this “playing it smart”, when in fact it is just fear. We give only when there is either exclusive or at least mutual benefit to ourselves. We yearn for attention and sympathy for our cause when in crisis, when in fact what heals our soul is the act of self-sacrifice, and the attention we give to others.
There is a name for this human frailty, which I have shared before in my resiliency articles. It is called “The Negativity Bias”, and it can be very powerful if we let it, but it can also be controlled through a deliberate effort to change that focus from negative to positive. This is not to say that we don’t acknowledge a challenging time in our lives. It profoundly states that we have chosen to focus on the good. This personal choice is one rooted in optimistic courage and resilient fortitude, not surrender and defeatism. Two very different mindsets with two very different outcomes. Stay Positive!
