86. Should We All Be Taking More Long Shots?
Summary
Angela Duckworth and Stephen Dubner explore the psychology of hope and optimism, distinguishing between dispositional optimism and agentic hope. They discuss how believing in one’s ability to influence outcomes drives success, resilience, and social support. The hosts analyze the value of taking "long shots," using examples like NBA three-pointers and personal failures to illustrate how striving changes odds.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and intro
The allure of long shots and hope
Hope, optimism, and imagining futures
Dispositional optimism vs. agentic hope
Agentic hope and historical progress
Causality of optimism and social support
Listener stories on long shots
Benefits of failing at long shots
Basketball three-pointers and expected value
Patience and traits correlated with hope
Fact check and credits
Outro and sponsors
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