Is Optimism a Luxury Good? (NSQ Ep. 33)

Here’s where you can learn more about the people and ideas in this episode:

SOURCES

• Admiral James Stockdale, Medal of Honor recipient.
• Marty Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Julie Norem, professor of psychology at Wellesley College.
• Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning.
• The Band, rock band.
• Alison Wood Brooks, associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.

RESOURCES

• “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,” by Saul McLeod (Simply Psychology, 2020).
• “A Simple Exercise to Help Stay Calm in the Face of Coronavirus Uncertainty,” by Michele W. Berger (Penn Today, 2020).
• “Optimism Is Associated With Exceptional Longevity in Two Epidemiologic Cohorts of Men and Women,” by Lewina O. Lee, Peter James, Emily S. Zevon, Eric S. Kim, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Avron Spiro III, Francine Grodstein, and Laura D. Kubzansky (PNAS, 2019).
• “How Do I Get Over My Fear of Public Speaking?,” by Arlin Cuncic (VeryWell Mind, 2019).
• The Stockdale Paradox (JimCollins.com, 2017).
• “What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?” by the American Psychological Association (2017).
• “Can Three Words Turn Anxiety Into Success?,” by Olga Khazan (The Atlantic, 2016).
• “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” by Angela Duckworth (TED Talks, 2013).
• “The Spotlight Effect,” by Nathan A Heflick (Psychology Today, 2011).
• “Evidence for the Cultural Specificity of Pessimism in Asians vs Caucasians: A Test of a General Negativity Hypothesis,” by Edward C. Chang (Personality and Individual Differences, 1996).
• “The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ — A Tool for Investigating Psychobiological Stress Responses in a Laboratory Setting,” by C. Kirschbaum, K. M. Pirke, D. H. Hellhammer (Neuropsychobiology, 1993)
• Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin Seligman (1991).
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (1969)
• Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl (1946).
• The Wondrous Tale Of Alroy V2: The Rise Of Iskander, by Benjamin Disraeli.
• Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire (Wellesley College).

EXTRAS

• “Stage Fright,” by The Band.
• Toastmasters.