Oliver Burkeman: Why Positive Thinking Fails and the Paradox of Pursuing Happiness

Oliver Burkeman, author of "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking," dismantles the self-help industry's obsession with optimism and goal-setting. Raised as a Quaker with pro-social parents, Burkeman explores why chasing happiness often makes us miserable, how negative visualization (imagining worst-case scenarios) builds resilience, and why acceptance of uncertainty is more valuable than relentless positivity. He explains that we already know the five or six things required for a meaningful life—good relationships, sleep, nature, exercise—but consuming more books and courses becomes procrastination disguised as progress. The conversation tackles spiritual bypassing, why new information rarely solves our problems, and how shifting perspective at an emotional level matters more than intellectual understanding. This is a contrarian, practical take on self-improvement that challenges the tyranny of positive thinking.

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