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EPISODE · Oct 1, 2026 · 1H 9M

The One Word That Explains Progress

from The Next Big Idea · host Next Big Idea Club

Martin Seligman founded the positive psychology movement. Now, at 84, he’s shaking up the field all over again. He’s got a new book out. It’s called Agency. And in it, he says, he’s trying to “found a new field.” It’s called psychohistory. “I'm after the rigorous possibility that we can use the tools of psychology to go back in history to ask the questions: What produces innovation? What produces progress? And what produces stagnation?” 🎥 The Next Big Idea is on YouTube! You can find our episodes here. 📱 Follow Rufus on LinkedIn, subscribe to our Substack, or send us an email at [email protected]. Today's episode is sponsored by: Granola — The AI notepad with notes, actions, and memory, and no annoying meeting bots. Try it totally free for three months at granola.ai/idea Life at the Speed of Play — Purchase one copy at getmarksbook.com/next and author Mark Pincus will send you two Northwest Registered Agent — Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/nbifree Sequencing — They're offering our listeners up to 10% off your full Genome test, plus free shipping. Go to sequencing.com and use promo code IDEA for 10% off.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 1, 2026

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The One Word That Explains Progress

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