Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of a LeftPodcast.

This is a sample of our recent bonus episode every couple of weeks or so, our crew of researchers,

Amanda and myself get together for a roundtable discussion.

So here's a few minutes for free so you can see what all the fuss is about.

We're starting with an article Amanda came across called,

Tragic Optimism is the opposite of toxic positivity,

this is from the Atlantic,

and just sort of very broad strokes that actually make sense to start at the end of the article,

and it just explains that having gratitude, essentially, for life, even when life doesn't go well,

having gratitude as a fleeting emotion can come and go, but gratefulness or existential gratitude

can pervade your entire life through its ups and downs, it asks for nothing but is on the lookout

to find the hidden benefit and opportunities for growth in everything, even during a global pandemic.

As Eamon said at the recent International Meaning Conference,

gratitude is not just a switch to turn on when things go well, it is also a light that shines in the darkness.

How do I get a ticket to the International Meaning Conference?

Maybe so. Maybe I'll check out. Maybe some press passes.

Oh, there you go.

So does anyone have initial takeaways on the benefits of gratefulness on mental health?

So what this article is talking about, you know, it's not just gratitude,

although gratitude is part of the method to get to this point,

but tragic optimism involves the search for meaning amid the inevitable tragedies of human existence,

something far more practical and realistic during these times, trying times is how they introduce it.

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