Differences between revisions 23 and 27 (spanning 4 versions)
Revision 23 as of 2026-05-05 05:25:43
Size: 14955
Comment:
Revision 27 as of 2026-05-05 08:15:28
Size: 15170
Comment:
Deletions are marked like this. Additions are marked like this.
Line 12: Line 12:
|| Emile || Bruneau || 001 ||
Line 17: Line 16:
|| Frederick || Niezche || 008 ||
Line 21: Line 20:
|| Diogenes || of Sinope || 016 ||
Line 24: Line 23:
|| Donald || Medley || 018 ||
|| Chung || Sye-kyun || 023 ||
|| Bill || Bruneau father || 023 ||


Line 30: Line 29:
|| Andy || hypothetical || 029 ||
|| Ben || hypothetical || 029 ||

Line 33: Line 32:
|| Colleen || hypothetical || 030 ||
Line 36: Line 34:
|| Bill || Gates || 033 ||
Line 39: Line 37:
|| Bernie || Sanders || 035 ||
Line 48: Line 46:
|| Clara || Bruneau daughter || 040 ||
|| Atticus || Bruneau son || 040 ||

Line 52: Line 50:

|| Leibbrant || Andreas Leibbrant PhD || 046 ||
|| Frank Jude || Milwaukee beating 2004 || 050 ||
|| Libby Schaff || Oakland mayor || 050 ||

|| Logan Lane || student || 052 ||
|| Fred Bryant || psychologist || 066 ||
|| Upworthy || || 069 ||

|| Samantha Moore-Berg || Emile's lab colleague || 058 ||
|| Vanessa Bohns || influence neglect || 081 ||
|| Robin Dreek || 2002 FBI spycatcher || 083 ||
|| Trabien Shorters || black poor gifted || 072 ||

|| Janet Lewis || Stanford women's rugby || 090 ||
|| Tina Rosenberg || NYT columnist || 076 ||



|| Al || hypothetical father || 073 ||
|| Amur || hypothetical father || 073 ||
|| Andy || hypothetical || 029 ||
|| Atsushi Watanabe || || 097 ||
|| Atticus || Bruneau son || 040 ||

|| Ben || hypothetical || 029 ||
|| Bernie || Sanders || 035 ||
|| Bill || Bruneau father || 023 ||
|| Bill || Gates || 033 ||
|| Boris Johnson || UK Prime Minister || 049 ||
Line 53: Line 82:
|| Leibbrant || Andreas Leibbrant PhD || 046 || || Charles Schultze || economist || 051 ||
|| Chris Inglesias || Unity Council CEO || 064 ||
|| Christina Maslach || burnout || 103 ||
|| Chung || Sye-kyun || 023 ||
|| Clara || Bruneau daughter || 040 ||
|| Clinica de la Raza || || 064 ||
|| Colleen || hypothetical || 030 ||
|| Cranbrook School || Michigan private school || 072 ||

|| David Byrne || Talking Heads || 076 ||
|| David Bornstein || || 071 ||
|| Diogenes || of Sinope || 016 ||
|| Donald || Medley || 018 ||

|| Emile || Bruneau || 001 ||

|| Fred Bryant || psychologist || 066 ||
|| Freedom House || nonpartisan org. || 049 ||
|| Frederick || Niezche || 008 ||
|| FTX || crypto$ 2019-2022 || 050 ||

Line 58: Line 108:
|| Boris Johnson || UK Prime Minister || 049 ||
Line 61: Line 111:
|| FTX || crypto$ 2019-2022 || 050 ||
|| Frank Jude || Milwaukee beating 2004 || 050 ||
|| Libby Schaff || Oakland mayor || 050 ||

Line 66: Line 115:
|| Charles Schultze || economist || 051 ||
|| Logan Lane || student || 052 ||

Line 72: Line 121:
|| Samantha Moore-Berg || Emile's lab colleague || 058 ||
|| Logan Lane || Luddite Club || 059 ||

Line 78: Line 127:
|| Chris Inglesias || Unity Council CEO || 064 ||
|| Clinica de la Raza || || 064 ||

Line 83: Line 132:
|| Fred Bryant || psychologist || 066 ||
Line 85: Line 134:
|| David Bornstein || || 071 ||
Line 87: Line 136:
|| Trabien Shorters || black poor gifted || 072 ||
|| Cranbrook School || Michigan private school || 072 ||

Line 91: Line 140:
|| Al || hypothetical father || 073 ||
|| Amur || hypothetical father || 073 ||
Line 95: Line 143:
|| Tina Rosenberg || NYT columnist || 076 ||
|| David Byrne || Talking Heads || 076 ||

Line 100: Line 148:
|| TeleHelp Ukraine  || || 076 || || !TeleHelp Ukraine || || 076 ||
Line 105: Line 153:
|| Vanessa Bohns || influence neglect || 081 ||
|| Robin Dreek || 2002 FBI spycatcher || 083 ||
Line 110: Line 157:
|| can't NOT change || || 087 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || 0 ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
||<-2> humans can't NOT change || 087 ||
|
|

|| hikikomori || Japanese total isolation || 097 ||
|| no close friends || 15% of US men || 098 ||
|| Vivek Murthy || US Surgeon General || 099 ||
|| talk to strangers || fun surprise, new friends || 100 ||
|| secret introvert || time alone when lecturing || 101 ||
||<-2> Stanford actually friendly, ugly self-image || 102 ||
|| negativity bias || || 102 ||
||<-2> anxious young adults, isolation, cynicism || 103 ||

|| Seamless || food delivery app || 104 ||
|| Naikan || a form of self reflection || 105 ||
||<-2> social shark attacks || 106 ||
||<-2> conversation scavenger hunt || 106 ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || ||
|| || || 203 ||
Line 240: Line 287:
 .p091 [[ | Loud trust ]]

Hope For Cynics

The Surprising Science of Human Goodness

This book is difficult to read in brief snatches. The author full-names many people once, then mentions them by first name many pages later. Not all are indexed ... who is "Megan?"


Index by FIRST NAME FIRST MENTION

Thomas

Hobbs

006

Zeus

007

Hephaestus

007

Pandora

007

Stephanie

Bruneau

008

Sherlock

Holmes

015

Mycroft

Holmes

015

Jesus

017

Walter

Cook

018

William

of Orange

024

Ralph Waldo

Emerson

026

Geoff

Cohen

027

Sue

hypothetical

030

George

Bernard Shaw

030

Megan

Q

033

Harold

Megan's father

034

Eileen

Megan's mother

034

Thomas

Megan's boyfriend

035

Karen

Douglas psychologist

035

George

Floyd police murder

035

Mary

Ainsworth psychologist

036

George

Carlin comedian

038

Linda

Bruneau schizo mom

039

Mano Japan

high trust neigborhood

040

Mikura Japan

low trust neigborhood

040

Landon

Zaki wife

043

Guy Smiley

Zaki nickname

043

Leibbrant

Andreas Leibbrant PhD

046

Frank Jude

Milwaukee beating 2004

050

Libby Schaff

Oakland mayor

050

Logan Lane

student

052

Fred Bryant

psychologist

066

Upworthy

069

Samantha Moore-Berg

Emile's lab colleague

058

Vanessa Bohns

influence neglect

081

Robin Dreek

2002 FBI spycatcher

083

Trabien Shorters

black poor gifted

072

Janet Lewis

Stanford women's rugby

090

Tina Rosenberg

NYT columnist

076

Al

hypothetical father

073

Amur

hypothetical father

073

Andy

hypothetical

029

Atsushi Watanabe

097

Atticus

Bruneau son

040

Ben

hypothetical

029

Bernie

Sanders

035

Bill

Bruneau father

023

Bill

Gates

033

Boris Johnson

UK Prime Minister

049

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

043

Charles Schultze

economist

051

Chris Inglesias

Unity Council CEO

064

Christina Maslach

burnout

103

Chung

Sye-kyun

023

Clara

Bruneau daughter

040

Clinica de la Raza

064

Colleen

hypothetical

030

Cranbrook School

Michigan private school

072

David Byrne

Talking Heads

076

David Bornstein

071

Diogenes

of Sinope

016

Donald

Medley

018

Emile

Bruneau

001

Fred Bryant

psychologist

066

Freedom House

nonpartisan org.

049

Frederick

Niezche

008

FTX

crypto$ 2019-2022

050

Lake village

Leibbrant study

046

Ocean village

Leibbrant study

046

Stasi

East German police

049

Freedom House

nonpartisan org.

049

WeWork

coworking 2010-2023

050

Theranos

healthtech 2003-2016

050

Fruitvale

Oakland ICE targer

050

Piedmont

rich community

050

ER Murrow H.S.

Brooklyn

052

Facebook

dodopaddle app

053

Tinder

dodopaddle app

053

Penninsula

private school

055

Instagram

dodopaddle app

059

FaceTime

dodopaddle app

059

Twitter

dodopaddle app

060

Luddite Club

Logan Lane

060

Unity Council

064

Zumba classes

064

World Happiness

066

Upworthy

069

Jean-Paul Sartre

073

Pontiac Michigan

072

asset-framing

073

Grameen Bank

075

Mohammed Yunus

075

Reasons to be Cheerful

076

Fixes

NYT column

076

WORTH

Women Overcoming Recidivism

076

TeleHelp Ukraine

076

solutions

journalism

076

SJN

network

077

Voting Rights Florida ex-felons

078

Boston Firefighters

accused of faking injuries

079

Robert Axelrod

UMinn poly sci

084

Tit for Tat

program, generous TFT better

085

trust powerful

builds connections

086

humans can't NOT change

087

| |

hikikomori

Japanese total isolation

097

no close friends

15% of US men

098

Vivek Murthy

US Surgeon General

099

talk to strangers

fun surprise, new friends

100

secret introvert

time alone when lecturing

101

Stanford actually friendly, ugly self-image

102

negativity bias

102

anxious young adults, isolation, cynicism

103

Seamless

food delivery app

104

Naikan

a form of self reflection

105

social shark attacks

106

conversation scavenger hunt

106

203


  • Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the couch and clutch, feeling lucky.
  • It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.
  • -- Rebecca Solnit


  • p001 Introduction

  • p001 Emile Bruneau died 2020 age 47

  • p001 Peace and Conflict Neuroscience Lab at U. Penn. Annenberg School for Communication (cannot find)
  • p003 Emile's mother schizophrenic, but "She never let any of the darkness touch me"
  • p004 Cynicism ... is a seductive worldview, dark and simple. Too simple, really to explain much of anything.
  • p004 General Social Survey began in 1972

  • p005 In 1972, 50% agreed that "most people can be trusted", only 33% agreed in 2018.
  • p005 52% trusted president in 1970s, 23% in 2022. Newspapers 39% to 18%. Public schools 58% to 28%
  • p007 Media's product is cynicism.
  • p008 Nietzche called hope "the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment"
  • p009 Cynicism is a lack of faith in people, skepticism is a lack of faith in our assumptions.


  • Section I: UNLEARNING CYNICISM


  • p015 Chapter 1. Signs and Symptoms

  • p015 Mycroft Holmes more talented, but "no ambition and no energy" and a disdain for humanity
  • p016 Mycroft Holmes co-founded Diogenes Club

  • p018 "big-C Cynicism" opposite of misanthropy and "small-c cynicism"
  • p017 the real Diogenes helped people and would despise the Diogenes Cl]][[ub.

  • p017 Three statement test:
    • (1) No one cares much what happens to you.
    • (2) Most people dislike helping others.
    • (3) Most people are honest chiefly through fear of getting caught.
  • p018 Cook and Medley: Worse teachers agreed with these statements. They are a "cynicism detector".

  • p020 adolescent cynics more likely depressed, drink and divorce in and after college
    • cynics earn less, more heart disease, die sooner
  • p020 Finland 58% trust, France 18% trust
  • p021 High trust nations grow GDP faster
  • p025 Dining out, bring Tupperware rather than single use plastic from restaurants (?)
  • p025 autarkeia self-sufficiency

  • p026 Self-Reliance 1841 essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • p026 Stanford's Geoff Cohen

  • p027 people who affirm their values become more open to contradictory infomation
  • p028 Zaki was jealous of others, birth of daughters overwhelmed worries about social status


  • p029 Chapter 2. The Surprising Wisdom of Hope

  • p030 valorize: enhance value
  • p030 cynics wise less often, poor at identifying liars
  • p031 the cynical genius illusion

  • p031 real wisdom when people know what they don't know. Think more like a skeptical scientist, less like a accusing lawyer

  • p032 cynics prone to conspiracy theories, skeptics less prone
  • p032 Author is suspicious skeptic - low faith in people, high faith in data
  • p035 The Fall of the Cabal

  • p039

  • p042

  • p043

  • p043

  • p044

  • p045


  • p046 Chapter 3. Preexisting Conditions

  • p047

  • p049

  • p050

  • p051

  • p052

  • p053

  • p053

  • p054

  • p060

  • p061


  • p065 Chapter 4. Hell Isn't Other People

  • p069

  • p069

  • p070

  • p072

  • p072

  • p073

  • p073

  • p074

  • p075

  • p076

  • p076

  • p076

  • p076

  • p077

  • p077


  • p079 Chapter 5. Escaping the Cynicism Trap

  • p079

  • p080

  • p084

  • p089

  • p091

  • p091 Loud trust

  • p092


  • Section II: REDISCOVERING ONE ANOTHER


  • p097 Chapter 6. The (Social) Water is Just Fine

  • p097

  • p100

  • p100

  • p101

  • p102

  • p103

  • p103

  • p104

  • p105

  • p105

  • p106

  • p107

  • p107

  • p108

  • p110

  • p111

  • p113


  • p114 Chapter 7. Building Cultures of Trust

  • p115

  • p116

  • p116

  • p118

  • p119

  • p123

  • p123

  • p125

  • p125

  • p126

  • p129


  • p130 Chapter 8. The Fault in Our Fault Lines

  • p130

  • p131

  • p136

  • p138

  • p138

  • p139

  • p142

  • p143

  • p143

  • p144

  • p145

  • p145


  • Section III: THE FUTURE OF HOPE


  • p151 Chapter 9. Building the World We Want

  • p153

  • p154

  • p154

  • p155

  • p157

  • p160

  • p161

  • p165


  • p168 Chapter 10. The Optimism of Activism

  • p171

  • p173

  • p183


  • p185 Chapter 11. Our Common Fate

  • p185

  • p191



  • p200 Epilogue


  • p205 Acknowledgements


  • p209 Appendix A: A Practical Guide to Hopeful Skepticism


  • p213 Appendix B: Evaluating the Evidence


  • p217 Chapter Claim Ratings


  • p225 Notes


  • p263 Index

  • p263 Emile Bruneau

HopeForCynics (last edited 2026-05-09 22:43:13 by KeithLofstrom)