For thousands of years, people have argued about whether humanity is selfish or generous, cruel or kind. But recently, our answers have changed. In 1972, half of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted; by 2018, only a third did. Different generations, genders, religions, and political parties can’t seem to agree on much, but they all think human virtue is evaporating.

Cynicism is an understandable response to injustice and inequality. But in many cases, it is misplaced. Dozens of studies find that people fail to realize how kind, generous, and open-minded people really are. And cynical thinking deepens social problems: when we expect the worst in people, we often bring it out of them.

We don’t have to remain stuck in this cynicism trap. Through science and storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism—thinking critically about people and our problems while honoring and encouraging our strengths. Far from being naive, hopeful skepticism is a precise way of understanding others that can rebalance our view of human nature and help us build the world we want.