Optimism In Our Age of Anxiety
From Offline with Jon Favreau by Crooked Media
March 28, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 228
About this episode
Dr. Deepika Chopra discusses the importance of optimism in combating cynicism and its role in democracy.
Why fight for a better future if we don't believe one is possible? Why organize, why vote? Dr. Deepika Chopra, the "Optimism Doctor," joins the show to talk about the dangers of cynicism, and to explain how optimism is a more rational and democracy-safeguarding response to this political moment. In her new book, The Power of Real Optimism , Dr. Chopra argues that the outlook is neither a trait nor mindset; it's a learnable set of skills that even the most pessimistic among us can incorporate. And it’s an essential safeguard against the paralyzing, numbing effect our media ecosystem has on our brains. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
People in this episode
Host: Jon Favreau
Guest: Dr. Deepika Chopra
Topics covered
- optimism
- cynicism
- politics
- democracy
- mental health
- media influence
Keywords
- optimism
- cynicism
- political engagement
- mental health
- media
- skills
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Crooked Media
Books & works: The Power of Real Optimism
More episodes of Offline with Jon Favreau
- Is Masculinism Holding MAGA Together? · June 6, 2026 · 1h 2m
- Chatbots, MDMA, and Finding Love in the Digital Era · May 30, 2026 · 55 min
- Breaking the Cycle of Political Violence · May 23, 2026 · 57 min
- This Candidacy Is a Test Case for AI Regulation · May 16, 2026 · 54 min
- Healing Our Broken Brains · May 9, 2026 · 52 min
- How Screens Have Warped Morality · May 2, 2026 · 56 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Offline with Jon Favreau podcast page.