Cynicism grows. It seems contagious. It is often a reaction that involves feeling hurt or betrayed, which grows into distrust, pessimism, and then cynicism. Cynicism is often associated with fatalism ...

Cynicism is a belief that humans are self-interested and immoral. Cynicism was once seen as radical, now is largely viewed as corrosive. Cynicism in large doses is unhealthy, but in some forms may be ...

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned my fondness for Maria Popova’s weekly blog, "The Marginalian." In her recital of lessons learned over her 16 years of writing, she delves into the conflict of what ...

The hour I spent with the 26-year-old having job troubles felt like 10 hours. “Jack’s” dad had asked me to talk with his son as a favor. “He can’t find the right job. He’s had a run of bad luck. Can ...

Cynicism is all around us; it’s contagious, and it can permeate an entire generation’s thinking quickly. Young people today are faced with mental health, physical health, social, democracy and climate ...

Cynicism is on the rise. Should that come as any surprise given today’s divisive global conflicts and our fraught political landscape? Even the weather seems like it’s out to get us. Americans are ...

When I was 11, I was asked by my 4-H agent, Sarah Jane Lindsey, to give a short speech at our 4-H Spring Kick-Off event. I was one of four people and the other three were all in high school. Yikes!

An opportunistic or despairing attitude makes sense—unless you have the kingdom of God. This past week, I talked to a friend who was discouraged by the politicization of everything. She wanted a break ...

Persistence is often cited as an essential trait — not just for entrepreneurs, but in practically every aspect of life. We’ve all read stories about professional athletes whose persistence has played ...

Sonnenfeld is the Lester Crown Professor of Leadership Practice and President of the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute at the Yale School of Management—the world’s first school for incumbent ...

Did you ever notice how emotions flow through society from person to person, from group to group, because of the effects of emotional contagion? Emotions have run high in the past few years. They ...

Editor’s note: Shift Your Mindset is an occasional series from CNN’s Mindfulness, But Better team. We talk to experts about how to do things differently to live a better life. Cynicism is on the rise.