Being cynical is bad for your health, wealth and longevity, studies say. There’s an answer
Being a cynic can negatively affect your health and prospects. But don’t worry, there is a solution, a psychology professor says: scepticism
If you feel certain your preferred candidate will lose the next election, that AI is coming for your job or that climate change is going to destroy humanity, then you have fallen prey to a cynical mindset – and you are far from alone.
Over the past 50 years, cynicism has spread like a virus, infecting Americans with the belief that other people cannot be trusted, the world is only getting worse and there is nothing we can do about it.
This potent mix of fatalism and hopelessness has led to a loss of faith in neighbours, institutions and dreams for the future.
In 1972, 46 per cent of Americans agreed that most people could be trusted, according to the General Social Survey. By 2018, that had fallen to 31 per cent.
This rise in collective cynicism is not just destroying hope – it is also affecting people’s health. Studies suggest that cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money and die younger than non-cynics.
