Can You Become a "Practical" Optimist?

你能成为一位“务实的乐观主义者”吗?

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

2025-04-21

45 分钟
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There are many benefits to being an optimist - particularly when things go wrong in our lives. But we aren't all naturally optimistic, so can we learn to adopt the best and most positive behaviours of born optimists? Through treating New Yorkers caught up in the 9/11 attacks, psychiatrist Dr Sue Varma developed a concept she calls "practical optimism". She shares her tips on how we can all be more optimistic in the face of life's challenges.  Read more in Sue's book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being   Get ad-free episodes to The Happiness Lab by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.  Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  • Pushkin.

  • There's no way around it.

  • Sometimes life is tough.

  • Awful even.

  • Bad things happen all the time, whether it's an unanticipated health problem,

  • a new relationship woe, or dire news on the job.

  • Sometimes these nasty circumstances result from our own behaviors and choices,

  • and sometimes they have nothing to do with us whatsoever.

  • Every day, people become the victims of random accidents,

  • natural disasters, or even unprovoked attacks.

  • In the aftermath of awful events like these, it's easy to feel upset and broken.

  • And when things are really bad,

  • you can even start wondering whether you'll be able to pick up the pieces of your life again.

  • This spring, I was invited to host a discussion at the World Happiness Summit in Miami.

  • And that gave me the chance to interview someone who's dedicated her career to helping people whose lives have been impacted in awful ways.

  • This is psychiatrist Dr.

  • Sue Varma.

  • Sue was the first medical director at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program at NYU,

  • where she treated people caught up in the attacks of 9-11.

  • Sue has now gathered her insights from decades of this kind of work into a new book called Practical Optimism,