Why do some people thrive in the face of hardship while others are crushed? To this challenging listener question, Matthew answers essentially that it’s about building resilience through the method of optimism versus the default of passive pessimistic resignation. On a deeper level, it’s about free will (optimistic) versus determinism (pessimistic).
Continue readingThere’s nothing wrong with you: Podcast ep. 54 now released
Are we basically good or evil? How can we transcend our culture of “blame and shame”? Why do we give away our power to others? How can we be less reactive and more proactively responsible for our own actions and well-being? What does it mean to take full ownership for our circumstances, and why is this empowering? What are the physical benefits to mindfulness training, on top of the obvious mental and emotional benefits?
Continue readingDepression: The “silent thief”: Podcast ep. 53 now released
Whether you’re depressed or not, none of us are operating in perfect mental health. And in any case, we all need to be better educated for those around us who may be struggling and for whom we might make a difference. Lewis Page, successful and respected soccer coach, loved father, husband, friend, and all-around popular and healthy guy, does not fit one’s typical image of what depression looks like. Yet he lives with it.
Continue readingPersonal finance philosophy for the everyman: Podcast ep. 52 now released
Most personal finance perspectives focus on savings and investment, and offer advice such as “don’t buy coffee every day.” But such practices are not conducive to living a liberated and happy life, and it’s not what moves the needle in one’s financial well-being besides.
Continue readingYou’re against freedom?: Podcast ep. 51 now released
Know thyself: 50th episode of Mr. Bright Side now released
No, it’s nothing to do with The Killers.
In this early milestone 50th episode, Matthew reflects a bit by sharing a brief history as to why he proceeded to call the show “Mr. Bright Side,” knowing full well that it would always be confused with the 2004 mega-hit Killers song. He also shares a few personal stories over the years which have reflected back to him his natural tendency to optimism and enthusiasm, long before he ever developed his mature and formal philosophy. Listeners can take a lesson in self-awareness from these reminiscences.
Continue readingI’m so happy to be over forty: Podcast ep. 49 now released
At what age does one become a fully-formed individual? One modern-day comedian and one sage character from a short story published in 1939 have both offered a similar magic number. How is that two people from distinctly separate eras and experience have both identified the same thing?
Continue reading“Celebrations should only be for those who have something to celebrate”: Podcast ep. 48 now released
Free time gets old quick.
Retired people know this. So what’s the cause of that antsy, anxious feeling that makes it so that you just can’t enjoy your leisure time anymore? And how can we remedy this?
Continue readingWhat does good charity look like?: Podcast ep. 47 now released
How does charity fit into a life dedicated to gaining—not surrendering—values? If healthy human relationships are about win-wins, and charity is about gaining nothing for oneself, then is it good? And why do many of us feel so unfulfilled after engaging in sacrificial charity, if it’s the right thing to do?
Continue readingChristmas is a universal, inclusive holiday: Podcast ep. 46 now released
There is a war on against Christmas. And it’s coming from all directions. From one point, it is attacked for being too “commercial” and “material.” From another, and right in step with the general cancel culture that’s pervaded our society, Christmas is maligned for being “exclusive,” as it is taken as the purview of a single religion (and a majority one in the West, which is an even graver sin today): Christianity.
But what if we separated the holiday from religion?
Continue readingSay ‘thanks’ to great producers: Podcast ep. 45 now released
How are billionaires and trillionaires regarded in our culture, and what does it say about us?
Last week, Matthew referred to a children’s science textbook outlining three symbiotic relationships in nature: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism, and argued that only win-wins (mutualism) are good while win-lose/lose-wins (parasitism) are immoral.
Continue readingOnly win-wins are moral: Podcast ep. 44 now released
If win-win relationships are possible, why should we want any part of a win-lose or lose-win? Yet lose-win is what conventional morality offers us explicitly if we take it seriously. And we ought to take it seriously. Our self-esteem and mental health depend on it.
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Mr. Bright Side 