Steven Pinker, the experimental psychologist, Harvard psychology professor, and bestselling author of Enlightenment Now explains our tendency to look at the past through rose-colored glasses and view the present world much more pessimistically and why that thinking doesn't reflect reality.
 
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Why Optimism Is a Better Match for Reality

goop CEO and founder Gwyneth Paltrow and author Cleo Wade take turns hosting the brightest thinkers and culture changers.

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This is a special episode from our archives: In 2018, shortly after we launched The goop Podcast, Gwyneth sat down with her own mom, actress Blythe Danner. The two opened up to each other about old boyfriends, what it was like acting together, things they'd approach differently at this stage of their lives, and more.
 
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On Mothers and Daughters (with Blythe Danner)

The founder of Brown Girl Therapy and the author of But What Will People Say? joins Cleo Wade to talk about belonging, family, and identity. Kohli examines her own experiences as a child of South Asian immigrants, and the pressure to present different versions of herself across different cultural contexts.
 
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Examining Our Stories (with therapist Sahaj Kaur Kohli)

Sue Varma, author of Practical Optimism, served as the first medical director and attending psychiatrist at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program, treating civilian and first-responder survivors in the aftermath of 9/11. She shares how her work there led her to develop a framework for practical optimism. She explains what it means to be a practical optimist (and why it's different than blind optimism), ways for moving forward if you're feeling stuck, and how small intentional changes have the power to impact our physical and emotional health.
 
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How to Be a Practical Optimist (with psychiatrist Sue Varma)

Legendary author Anne Lamott discusses the many ways love can transform us. She shares how she learned to break free from perfectionism, the spiritual value of crying, the mantras that help ground her in self-love, and her new book Somehow.
 
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Thoughts on Love (with author Anne Lamott)

Katara McCarty is the founder of Exhale, an app focused on the mental wellness of Black women. Today, she shares her personal life story with Gwyneth. They talk about how McCarty’s work has been informed by a unique survey she conducted in 2023. And what it means to hold space: “I think that holding space takes acknowledging the fullness of the person you’re holding space for,” McCarty says.
 
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Why Optimism Is a Better Match for Reality

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