1179: Dr. Martin Seligman on How Agency Propels Flourishing

1179: Dr. Martin Seligman on How Agency Propels Flourishing

September 10, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Dr. Martin Seligman discusses the concept of agency and its role in human flourishing.

The father of positive psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, discusses how to harness the hidden engine of human progress: agency. — YOU’LL LEARN —  1) The key concept that determines whether we give up 2) The building blocks of human agency 3) How to find your human edge in the age of AI Subscribe or visit   AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1179  for the full transcript!  — ABOUT MARTIN —  Martin Seligman is the most influential psychologist in the world and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs the Positive Psychology Center. A former president of the American Psychological Association, he earned his BA in philosophy from Princeton and his PhD in psychology from Penn, and holds ten honorary doctorates. His research—from learned helplessness to learned optimism to prospection—has reshaped how science understands human well-being. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Flourish , Authentic Happiness , The Hope Circuit , and Tomorrowmind . • Book:  Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —  • Book:  Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell — THANK YOU SPONSORS! —  •&nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: How to be Awesome at Your Job

Guest: Dr. Martin Seligman

Topics covered

Sponsors

Shopify, Vinted, Fitnexa

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, American Psychological Association

Books & works: Flourish, Authentic Happiness, The Hope Circuit, Tomorrowmind, Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress, Cloud Atlas

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