BUILDING HOPE IN CYNICAL TIMES

Cynicism has become the default lens through which many people view American life. According to Pew research, our trust in institutions is steadily eroding and being replaced by a hardened belief that our systems are broken and most government promises are empty lies.

Amid rapid social and technological changes, the future feels perilous and fraught with uncertainty, and the daily angst is only exacerbated by a constant churn of bad news across our screens 24/7. It is all too easy to fall into a state of hopelessness. Despite this pervasive climate of creeping cynicism, some people refuse to give in to despair. They can acknowledge the dysfunction, the disillusionment and broken promises —and still, they choose to respond with creativity, community, and faith. These individuals aren’t naive optimists; they’re realists who have found ways to cope, adapt, and even thrive in the face of systemic failure and emotional fatigue.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Cambridge Forum speaks with three individuals – a pastor, an author and a professor of mass-media, who have all forged strategies to navigate the stresses of everyday existence. Their experiences offer pragmatic suggestions, and optimistic ideas about how meaning can be reclaimed in a cynical age