How and Why Optimism Works & Why a Little Defiance is a Good Thing

Why are dalmatians often associated with firefighters and fire trucks? Is it just a mascot thing or is there more to the story? Of course, there is more to the story and this episode begins with a quick explanation. https://www.livescience.com/33293-dalmatians-official-firehouse-dogs.html The world is full of optimists and pessimists. Which is better? How do we come to be one or the other – are we born that way? What does it mean to be an optimist and are there benefits to it? These things I explore with my guest Sumit Paul-Choudhury. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of New Scientist; he trained as an astrophysicist and has worked as a financial journalist. He is also author of the book The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One (https://amzn.to/3W3Ndzl). Have you ever NOT spoken up at a meeting because it is just easier to go along with the crowd – even when you know you were right? It seems we have been taught that compliance and being a team player is best while defying the consensus is bad. Well maybe not. There is another way to look at this, which is why Dr. Sunita Sah is here. She believes saying no and defying conventional wisdom is often the right thing to do. And you can do it in a way that doesn’t offend. Sunita is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. She is author of the book Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes (https://amzn.to/49Zecln)  Keeping warm in the winter cold can be tricky and expensive. Listen as I offer some easy and practical ideas that will help keep everyone in your home nice and warm without having to turn up the heat and run up the bill. https://www.thespruce.com/ways-to-keep-warm-without-turning-up-the-heat-1388206 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY:  "Established in 2025". Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk . Go to SHOPIFY.com/sysk to grow your business! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices