# Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167

An episode of [Modern Wisdom](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1347973549), 24 Oct 2026, 1 h 21 min.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/SIXMSB5643935467.mp3

Dr. Martin Seligman is a psychologist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, pioneer of positive psychology, and author. Expect to learn why some people experience exactly the same adversity and come out more resilient; which traits matter the most in life: efficacy, optimism, or imagination; what people 2,000 years from now possess psychologically that we don’t possess today; if you can be highly competent but still have very little agency, what actually makes life worth living and much more… Sponsors: Sign up for a free trial from Shopify at https://shopify.com/modernwisdom Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (00:00) Has Martin Always Been a Scientific Rebel? (03:07) Why Martin Chose Mastery and Agency (09:24) The Epiphany That Changed Martin’s Career (17:50) Can You Train Your Brain to Be Optimistic? (27:50) Optimism vs Agency: What’s the Difference? (29:16) Is Agency the Biggest Predictor of Success? (32:04) How Our Understanding of Agency Has Evolved (38:55) How to Inject Agency Into Your Life (42:22) Is AI the Key to Unlocking Human Creativity? (54:41) Does Our Environment Shape Our Understanding of Agency? (57:08) Were Humans Conscious 3000 Years Ago? (01:02:04) Why Agency Is Double-Edged (01:04:39) Are Optimists More Successful? (01:13:48) What Actually Makes a Good Life? (01:15:04) Martin’s Most Underrated Work (01:18:48) Why Being Boring Is a Choice (01:19:34) Where to Find Martin Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.