The Optimist: Can you choose to be happy?
The 7
The Washington Post
4.5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You can read today’s edition of The 7 newsletter here. While The 7 podcast takes a break today, we wanted to share this episode from The Optimist. It’s all about if it’s possible to choose happiness.
Are you happy? How would you answer that question if a stranger with a camera asked?
Five years ago, filmmaker Atdhe Trepca quit his job and drove across the country with a camera, asking hundreds of people that question.
His videos reach millions on TikTok and Instagram, and now he’s made a documentary.
Today, Optimist reporter Maggie Penman shares what Trepca has learned – and the research that backs up his observations.
If you want to hear more stories like this, please let us know. You can reach the whole team at podcasts@washpost.com or email Maggie at maggie.penman@washpost.com.
Today’s episode was reported and produced by Maggie Penman, with help from Ted Muldoon, Emma Talkoff, Reena Flores, and Sean Carter, who also mixed the show. It was edited by Allison Klein.
The Optimist has a newsletter! Subscribe here.
And, subscribe to The Washington Post here.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, it's Hannah. Happy New Year. The Seven will be back with another episode on Monday. |
| 0:09.0 | Today, we wanted to share an episode of Post Reports from The Optimist. This one is all about |
| 0:15.0 | happiness, and if you can truly choose it for yourself. Our colleague, Maggie Penman, |
| 0:22.6 | sits down with a filmmaker who has spent years asking strangers if they're happy. You'll also hear from a psychologist who explores |
| 0:28.6 | the research into how we can all be happier and why it's so powerful for your overall well-being. |
| 0:35.2 | I hope you enjoy this listen. And if you do, please give post reports a nice rating or review wherever you're listening. |
| 0:42.2 | Also, subscribe to the Optimist Newsletter. |
| 0:45.2 | There's a link in our show notes. |
| 0:51.1 | For the past five years, Al-Day Trepka has been going up to strangers and asking them a simple question. |
| 0:57.7 | Can I ask you a question? |
| 0:59.0 | Oh, my goodness. |
| 1:00.1 | No. |
| 1:01.0 | The question is, are you happy? |
| 1:06.2 | I, who are you? |
| 1:09.2 | These videos reach millions of people on Instagram and TikTok, and taken together, the answers tell a story. |
| 1:17.2 | They've informed Al Day's ideas about happiness, even the really silly ones. |
| 1:22.3 | Are you happy? |
| 1:23.4 | Yeah, very happy. |
| 1:24.7 | What's making you happy? |
| 1:26.3 | Maybe it's, I can't go a day without eating pickles. |
| 1:29.7 | When Aldeve first started doing this, it was just him and sometimes his brother helping him out. |
| 1:34.7 | He quit his day job and traveled around with his camera. |
... |
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