In the last decade, the working world has been upended by the pandemic, AI, gig work, growing income inequality and much more.

• These changes are amplifying a troubling trend: We're more cynical.

Why it matters: The rise of cynicism is making many of us miserable at our jobs — where we spend a huge chunk of our time, The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Feintzeig writes.

💰 The money quote: "Cynicism, if it were a pill, would really be a poison," Jamil Zaki, a Stanford psychology professor, tells the Journal.

Some of the dynamics eroding our connections to work:

1. Loneliness is on the rise, as scattered workplaces keep colleagues from confiding in and having fun with one another. In January 2020, 47% of American workers believed someone at work cared about them, Gallup found. That has fallen to 38%.
2. The "quiet quitting" trend has staying power. People are less engaged with the day-to-day projects and missions of their companies. Only 15% of workers say they're thriving, with the rest saying they're indifferent or downright miserable at work, according to Gallup's latest workplace report.
3. And workers are frustrated. "Many of us made work our church, only to end up laid off, burned out or underpaid. Now we check out, do less, gossip and snark," Feintzeig writes.

🧮 What to do: Use numbers! Stanford's Zaki, who studies workplaces, suggests keeping track of your interactions at work to hopefully prove to yourself that there's a great deal to be hopeful about.

• When you need a favor, take note of how quickly you can find a colleague to help.
• Rate your conversations on a scale of 1-10, and track how many encounters in a day make you feel good.
• If you're a leader, challenge yourself to dole out three meaningful compliments to direct reports each day.

💭 Our thought bubble: We leave you with the key antidote to cynicism at work, from Axios CEO Jim VandeHei's commencement speech at UW Oshkosh.

• Find a job you'd do for free. Happy work alone does not a happy life make. But it sure as hell helps when other parts of your life are sagging or sucking.

Lightning strikes as the sun sets over Fort Collins, Colo., in this stunning photo snapped by Finish Line reader Sydney Steel.