optimism

Simplify and quiet your life: Podcast ep. 65 now released

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We’ve got to clear away some weeds–and sometimes even some healthy plants–to make room for new growth. Matthew makes and announcement about taking a step away from regular Mr. Bright Side podcast episodes.

Don’t worry! He will still be pursuing particular guests who he personally wants to have on, and will publish those interviews as they come. And on top, he will be back in some new incarnation at some point. Listen in for details as to what and why, and think about what you might drop from your own life that may not be as necessary as you think.

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Creating organic relationships of generosity and abundance: Podcast ep. 58 now released

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“Giving is getting” but this popular idea does have a qualifier that must be highlighted and properly understood, as it is often mistaken to refer to some kind of losing in the short term to gain in the long-term—which it kind of is yet isn’t. In this episode, Matthew distinguishes “giving” from “losing” so that we’re not trying to say anything paradoxical like “losing is winning.” There need be no losers for everyone to win.

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Beware the stories we tell about ourselves (and those we love): Podcast ep. 57 now released

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What stories are we telling ourselves and the people we love? Are they serving us or hurting us? And them?

In today’s show, the power of story is made alarmingly clear—I mean powerful at the neurochemical level, and I mean alarmingly in that many of us are mostly passive in allowing old, unchecked, and disempowering stories about ourselves drive us—and not anywhere we want to go.

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Self-preservation is paramount: Podcast ep. 56 now released

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At minimum, you will leave this interview feeling confident and optimistic about yourself, your world, and the prospects in it, as Christmas Hutchinson convincingly reminds each of us that we’re worth more than we give ourselves credit for. Not a little more…way more.

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Why do some thrive while others are crushed by hardship? (Listener question on Podcast ep. 55)

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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).

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Podcast Ep. 12 released

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Do your surroundings overwhelm and hamper your life? Are you aware of how they impact your experience of working, playing, and living?

In this episode, Matthew outlines how to be conscious of the places and spaces within which we live our lives and how not to allow them to dictate to us. You can choose and shape everything about your life, including your character, your body, your relationships, your work, your style, and–of course–your environments.

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Podcast Ep. 11 released

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Get on the same page with your friends, teammates, co-workers–and most importantly–your dearest ones to more fully achieve your goals and have fewer frustrating fights.

In this episode, Matthew discusses and illustrates why constant communication is paramount in “merging your values” with those whose lives are tied to your own, particularly your loved ones. He highlights the reasons why partnerships flounder and fail, and offers the constructive means by which successful associations (including couples) create a “culture” or “identity” towards joyful progress.

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Podcast Ep. 10 released

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Actor Matthew McConaughey made some fascinating comments on Larry King Live some years ago, and MBS’s Matthew delves into their deeper meaning in this latest episode–separating the contradictions from the truth–and helping iron out McConaughey’s admirable attempt to articulate a controversial idea. See why the concept of selfishness has “got a bad rap” (McConaughey’s words), and why, in his view, “you should do for you.”

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Podcast Ep. 8 now released

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In this episode, Matthew has fun dissecting the lyrics of a 2003 Ben Folds song, highlighting the wisdom within related to comparison culture. He discusses the repulsive nature of envy and bullying, and the futility of measuring one’s worth in relation to other people. See what messages you read in the sage words of Ben Folds. What’s your take?

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Enter at optimism

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Estimated reading time 4 mins.

The following is a revised excerpt from my essay, “What is Objective Optimism?”, which you can read in full here. For a briefer introduction to Objective Optimism (OO), which is distinct from Pessimism and—more notably—from Subjective “Optimism” (SO), go here. For some illustrative applications of OO versus Pessimism and SO, go here.

In the Q&A of a mock panel discussion related to the topic of Pessimism versus Optimism in my university classroom this past semester, one student asked the “panelists” an excellent question: Does success lead to optimism or does optimism lead to success?

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Applications and illustrations of objective optimism

Matthew Boulton3 Comments

Estimated reading time 15 mins.

The following is a revised excerpt from my essay, “What is Objective Optimism?”, which you can read in full here. For a briefer introduction to Objective Optimism (OO), which is distinct from Pessimism and—more notably—from Subjective “Optimism” (SO), go here.

In my essay, “What is Objective Optimism?”, I take great pains to separate Objective Optimism (OO) from the subjectivist who evades awareness of real risk or downside and attempts to operate in a kind of “ignorance-is-bliss” euphoria. “It’ll all work out” is not a formula for optimal results and cannot properly be called optimism. I also repeatedly emphasize that the issue of optimism versus pessimism is not about accurately or inaccurately calculating probabilities, but rather, given the probable outcomes, upon what does one place one’s focus and how does one proceed in action?

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