The Optimistic American - Video Edition: Recent Episodes
The Optimistic American
The past, present, and future of the United States are full of promise. A promise sustained by the efforts of brave individuals and organizations who champion the pursuit of technology, improving the human condition, free markets, and a belief in who we are. We are losing the fact that we are a nation of dreamers, a catapult for those who have the heart to dare, a place that rewards ingenuity and innovation. This country, more than any other, succeeded by making possible the release of the human spirit.
We need to put in the work to bring the actual narrative of abundance forward. We need to make it consumable for everyday Americans. It is how our conversations will pivot towards the positive. Our mornings will begin with promise and faith rather than fear and despair.
If you’re willing to help others feel better about tomorrow, join us. Weekly shows are coming very soon. Follow us to stay notified of new episodes.
Paul Johnson unpacks the concept of addictive ideologies and the role they play in regards to the ongoing divisions in American society.
He points out the addictive ideologies, of the far right and radical left, and the commonalities with all 21st century genocides – from Germany and China to Rwanda and Yugoslavia. And how the U.S. and other Western democracies can avoid similar catastrophes.
- Paul unpacks the question, “What is evil? Is evil an external force or is it actually something that’s inside of each one of us?”
- The list of genocides that took place in the 21st century – from Nazi Germany to China and Cambodia, all the way to Rwanda, and Yugoslavia – is long and has plenty of similarities.
- According to Paul and Dr. Emily Bashah’s research work and analysis, all genocides are tied to an ideology and to tribalism.
- The ideologies that end up becoming violent all start with the idea of an oppressor vs. an oppressed.
- Paul explains how violent ideologies begin with a loss of self-esteem and the loss of something either economical or social.
- Paul illustrates the addictive qualities of ideology, as well as what happens neurologically during an argument and one’s desire to be right.
- There are common traits shared by the far right and the radical left – Paul touches upon them.
- Paul goes over key terms such as tribalism, moral relativism, cognitive dissonance, and amygdala hijacking, and their role in the context of addictive ideologies.
- Paul touches upon the current state of the American political system and shares potential reform ideas.
- The foundations of the American government empowered the individual over itself. Those nations who recognize the individual as the priority though civil rights, equal rights, human rights, property rights and free markets are all more prosperous than their authoritarian counterparts, says Paul.
- Paul shares his prediction of what’s going to happen in the U.S. in the next few years and why understanding our own accountability is key.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
SaveDemocracyAZ.com
Dr. Emily Bashah
Pol Pot
Josip Tito
Proud Boys
Oath Keepers
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haith
American Psycho
Gallup.com
Thomas Jefferson
Martin Luther
Paul Kennedy
The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Ann Coulter
Bill Maher
Viktor Frankl
Martin Luther King Jr.
Paul Johnson’s guest in this episode is Forward Party Co-Chair Christine Todd Whitman. They discuss the current U.S. political landscape, what’s not working, and how ranked-choice voting could change the current status quo.
Additionally, they go over Whitman’s journey from Republican New Jersey Governor and cabinet-level official to becoming involved with the Forward Party, the challenge of being unaffiliated with either major party, and how the Forward Party is trying to bring about change in American politics.
- Forward Party Co-Chair, Governor Christine Todd Whitman shares her story of going from governor of New Jersey and a cabinet-level official to getting involved with the Forward Party.
- There are a few things those interested in joining the Forward Party need to agree to. Upholding the rule of the law, respecting the Constitution, and being willing to solve problems working with others across the aisle. Additionally, willing to work to change the way the American people choose their candidates.
- One of the main goals of the Forward Party is to break the hold of the two parties so that people have more choices.
- Gov. Whitman shares that there are 500,000 elective offices across the country in any given year, and 70% of those are uncontested. Of those, 5-10% are never filled.
- Paul Johnson and Gov. Whitman talk about how the voting system has gotten to where it is today, as well as the consequences of not being affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic party.
- Gov. Whitman opens up about what made her choose the Republican Party, before getting involved with the Forward Party.
- For Paul, the greatest thing the American government has ever done has been to empower the individual over itself.
- Gov. Whitman shares what could be done to have a dialogue between different sides, and what to focus on to get people to buy into bringing about change.
- In Gov. Whitman’s opinion, with ranked-choice voting, there wouldn’t be a need for primaries. Moreover, it would prevent people from voting for “the lesser of evils.”
- Gov. Whitman hopes that ranked-choice voting and primaries aren’t just going to change the voting system but parties, too.
- Gov. Whitman lists the steps people can take to join the Forward Party in its effort to bring about change.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Gov. Christine Todd Whitman
ForwardParty.com
Michael Willner
Andrew Yang
Benjamin Franklin
Mary Peltola
Sarah Palin
Lisa Murkowski
Donald Trump
Martin Luther King Jr.
Fox News
MSNBC
CNN
Joe Biden
James Carville
Paul Begala
Joe Manchin
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
Paul Johnson sits down with presidential candidate and Forward Party Founder Andrew Yang. They discuss the status quo of the American political system and why the partisan system is dividing Americans and not providing them with a functional government.
Additionally, the two talk about how the Forward Party was born and what it’s all about, the biggest threats to American democracy, and some mind-blowing statistics about the current political landscape.
- Andrew Yang and Paul Johnson kick off the conversation talking about the Forward Party and why Yang decided to focus on reform as opposed to simply sticking with the Democratic Party and potentially run in another primary for President.
- In Yang’s opinion, the current two-party system is not designed for good policy, but rather for putting people against each other.
- Yang discusses the aftermath and repercussions of going from being a longtime Democrat to an Independent.
- Yang believes that there are a lot of issues, such as climate change, education and immigration, that aren’t going to be solved unless the political system itself evolves.
- Yang and Paul touch upon what’s not working with the current political system and how people are getting dragged to the extremes by the tribalism of the Party.
- The Forward Party is focused on being a gathering ground for folks who want common sense solutions and good policy, while also advocating for structural reforms.
- Paul and Yang touch upon the financial ramifications of the current political system and what the Forward Party aims at achieving from that standpoint.
- Andrew Yang explains why you can be successful with an effort such as the Forward Party without actually having to win in every state.
- Many people think that 51% is needed for the Forward Party to change politics for the better – however, that number is way lower, closer to 10%, says Andrew Yang.
- The Forward Party’s platform is really designed to change the existing system and empower independents and unaffiliated voters through promoting open primaries and rank choice voting. The effort is designed to push these reforms as well as eliminating dark money in politics, and it allows its members to make up their own minds on divisive issues.
- You can join the Forward Party and remain a registered Democrat, Republican, or Independent. Yang explains what people can do to try and make a change.
- A little dirty secret of American democracy: up to 70% of local races are uncontested or uncompetitive.
- Yang explains that getting a number of committed people together to boost a local candidate can make an enormous difference.
- Paul and Andrew Yang share what they consider the biggest threats to democracy right now. Both are very optimistic about America, but our biggest threat is politics and the two political parties.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Andrew Yang
ForwardParty.com
Voter Choice Arizona
Liz Cheney
Adam Kinzinger
Lisa Murkowski
Previous episode - How Political Reform Created Cooperation and Collaboration in Alaska, with Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel
Glenn Youngkin
Mary Paltola
Sarah Palin
Christine Todd Whitman
Krist Novoselic
Donald Trump
Paul Johnson sits down with Pastor Anthony Cox of the Mercy Hill Church. They talk about the Mercy Hill Church, its role within the Phoenix community, and whether America is worth saving.
Moreover, they touch upon the connection between God, individualism, finding meaning, and what can be done to address divisions and change the status quo of American society.
- Pastor Cox discusses the idea that some religious leaders question whether America, as it is today, is worth saving. This creates a robust discussion of America.
- Paul praises the diversity of Pastor Cox’s inner city church, and the two unpack the concept of a diverse community further.
- Pastor Cox and Paul discuss the connection between individualism, which is what America was founded on, and religion.
- Paul discusses how the Reformation was inspired by Martin Luther’s ideas that every person deserves dignity in the eyes of God. Later, philosophers argued that if God granted every individual dignity, the government should do no less. Thus the connection between the Reformation and the bier of individualism. This helps create an understanding of why western society sees individualism as a governing ideal.
- Paul brings up Viktor Frankl’s idea that we find meaning in any of three things: in our ability to love the people and things we love, we find it in the things we create, and we find meaning in our ability to deal with struggle.
- Paul also believes that we find meaning in the service we give to other people.
- Paul and Pastor Cox touch upon Martin Luther King Jr.’s three words to describe love and Plato’s idea of logos.
- The discussions focus on loving people you don’t know and the importance of forgiveness.
- Pastor Cox opens up about how he, as a pastor, tries to address the divisions and cure the harm that’s generated from the divisions inside his church.
- Pastor Cox and Paul talk about the current state of the American society and political system, and what could be done to try to improve the status quo.
- Pastor Cox talks about how any reform should focus on providing incentive to lower partisanship, and lower the discord between the parties.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Pastor Anthony Cox
Thomas Jefferson
John Locke
The Disappearance of God: A Divine Mystery by Richard Elliott Friedman
Martin Luther
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Martin Luther King Jr.
Plato
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Paul Johnson welcomes the president of Thomas R. Brown Foundations, Sarah Smallhouse, and Rodel Foundation Chairman & Founding Director, Don Budinger, to talk about how political reform is key to improving education.
The three go over why their foundations, that were set up to improve education, have made leadership a high priority. They establish a real connection between a country’s leadership role and the quality of its public education system. They believe the partisan system has harmed our ability to improve education, and they talk about the reform approach they believe should be followed to achieve a high quality educational system.
- Sarah Smallhouse talks about the Brown Foundations and why they have made leadership a high priority. The Brown Foundations have worked to help leaders on both sides better understand state issues through educational programs designed to help leaders understand the complexity. However, Sarah points out that Brown Foundations went into leadership because the real focus was education. However, with so many leaders applying simple partisan approaches to education, they felt it necessary to help educate leaders and the public on issues.
- Don Budinger touches upon the origin story and the purpose of the Rodel Foundation, as well as how things have been on the educational front. Don Budinger had been a tech leader. He and others saw how our educational system in America was dramatically underperforming.
- When building the Rodel company, Bundinger and his partners noticed an educational difference between the high school graduates they hired in Europe and Asia to run their factories and companies in the U.S.
- Don points out there is a strong correlation between a country’s leadership role and the quality of its public education system.
- As countries rise to becoming major superpowers, and those that provide for a high quality of life for its citizens, one of the determining factors is the quality of the educational system. And this is true for the United States too, says Don Budinger.
- Budinger discusses one thing that, if properly addressed during the learning process, can help every kid and improve the whole system.
- According to Budinger, what’s currently missing in Arizona is the leaders’ commitment to do what it takes for the whole system to improve.
- Sarah Smallhouse points out one thing that philanthropy cannot do: replace the public sector funding of public education. Philanthropy and foundations, with all their wealth, are significantly under financed to replace the role the government plays in funding.
- Don Budinger shares the findings of an experiment he ran years ago regarding education for children living in poor environments, and the approach that should be taken. This includes making sure that the children who can be high performers are given the tools to succeed just like those children who will need additional help. Unfortunately in poor environments both are in short supply.
- Paul, Smallhouse, and Budinger talk about the problems with the existing system.
- Paul points out that one party wants more money, but they reject reforms that demand more out of the system. The other party wants to increase demands, but they consistently underfund education. This is because the narrow interests that elect them in their primaries fundamentally are not concerned with improving outcomes, only serving the special interests within the party.
- Don Bundinger highlights the fact that compromise, which used to be the nugget of progress for most of American history, is now perceived as a weakness. The existing system promotes a zero sum game. Education requires the best from both sides.
- Paul and his guests unpack what they consider reform ideas that could help improve both primary and general elections. This would include eliminating the discrimination against unaffiliated voters and candidates that today represent the largest political group. This would empower less partisanship and focus more on the ideas necessary to make improvements.
- Paul pointed out how he had other guests from other states that have implemented reform including the Republican Majority Leader in Alaska. These representatives have said on prior shows that the reforms stopped leaders from focusing on divisive issues like who can use what bathroom and instead focus on big issues like education, quality of life and jobs.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Sarah Smallhouse
Thomas R. Brown Foundations
Don Budinger
Rodel Foundation
Jack Jewett
Arizona Grantmakers Forum
University of Arizona
Flinn Foundation
Craig Barrett
Rusty Bowers
Jeff Flake
Kyrsten Sinema
Hugo Chávez
Sarah Palin
Previous episode - How Political Reform Created Cooperation and Collaboration in Alaska, with Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel
Paul Johnson welcomes U.S. Senator and No Labels Founding Chairman Joe Lieberman to discuss how No Labels plans to revolutionize American politics by empowering the actual majority.
The two discuss how Lieberman almost became Vice President for candidate John McCain, their opinion on how many of today’s leaders operate, how U.S. politics and the public seem to be going in different directions, and what No Labels should do to get the amount of delegates that are necessary to actually become president.
- Today’s episode revolves around one of the most controversial topics of today: No Labels’ attempt to put their party on the ballot and potentially nominate an independent candidate for president.
- Senator Joe Lieberman shares the story of how he, as an independent candidate, was both a Democratic nominee for vice president and almost became vice president under a Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.
- Paul and Senator Lieberman discuss their belief that U.S. politics is a lot more divisive than the public is, and why they believe that’s the case.
- Both Paul and Sen. Lieberman believe that promoting the divisions is a very profitable model for the political parties and the nightly news. Politicians respond to that by being even more divisive.
- Senator Lieberman shares an interesting stat: “49% of the American people describe themselves politically as Independents." He sees that as a reaction to the Republican and the Democratic parties.
- Paul points out that less than 10% of the public vote in partisan primaries and, because of gerrymandering, out of 500,000 elected offices, 70% are decided with no real opposition in the general election, leaving most voters cut out of the process of electing their officials.
- As a result, Senator Joe Lieberman says that too many leaders are playing to the narrow base of people who vote in the primary and using fear to exploit the insecurity around various problems. Everything is existential, and we use alarmism on every issue.This exploitation is dividing the country.
- Paul touches upon what led him to become an Independent, and how, as an Independent, it became much easier to see the excesses of both parties. He points out that both parties see themselves as entitled to being only one of two choices to the American people, and they see No Labels as a spoiler, meaning they don’t believe other choices should be available.
- Senator Lieberman illustrates some of the challenges of the current dual-opposing-parties political system, that No Labels aims to not only give people choices, but to try and allow for a more optimistic view of America than exists within the two parties today.
- Fun fact: the last successful third ticket at the presidential level was none other than Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
- According to Lieberman, even though a third party candidate for president has not been elected since Lincoln, third party candidates, if they've been credible, can really make a difference on policy. Teddy Roosevelt made both parties focus on conservation and rights for workers. Ross Perot campaigned around a balanced budget that resulted in Bill Clinton focusing on the first balanced budget in decades.
- Paul and No Labels Founding Chairman Joe Lieberman talk about what would be necessary for No Labels to be able to get the amount of delegates that are necessary to actually become president.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Senator Joe Lieberman
NoLabels.org
Ronald Reagan
Tip O’Neill
Donald Trump
John McCain
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Gallup.com
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
Joe Biden
Paul Johnson welcomes Arizona business leader Beau Lane and The Value Equation author Christopher Volk.
The three touch upon the role that businesses have inside the U.S. political system, discuss the incredible benefits Americans will have from the growing American economy, and the threat that the current partisan model poses to America. They talk about reforms to the partisan system that business leaders see as a way to help ensure that our political system benefits the economy as opposed to threatening it.
- Christopher Volk starts the conversation off by sharing his story and by mentioning his book The Value Equation.
- The Value Equation is a guide to creating wealth for entrepreneurs, investors and average individuals wanting to improve their financial position.
- Paul Johnson noted the book explains how business really works in layman's language. The book provides a formula that converts complex subjects into manageable problems with easy math everyone can understand.
- The Value Equation is the foundation upon which most large fortunes were built.
- What interests Chirstopher Volk about reform is the excesses of the extremes in the existing system that threaten everybody’s ability to build wealth or even a comfortable retirement.
- Beau Lane shares his story and touches upon how he got involved in politics, as well as why he believes the business community is starting to be engaged with politics.
- Volk points out that in Arizona, only 100,000 of the 1.4 million independents voted in the last primary election This is by design as the parties don't want unaffiliated voters to participate!
- Paul Johnson points out that in America and Arizona, unaffiliated voters now make up the largest group of registered voters. Yet, they are intentionally being discriminated against.
- These unaffiliated voters are much more interested in elected officials working across the aisle than partisan voters.
- Volk believes that 24-hour news has found it profitable to exacerbate the divisions. Yet polling says the level of disagreements across the U.S. isn’t as high as we are led to believe, nor as high as the partisan political system promotes.
- Beau Lane advocates that a solution that businesses, education and unaffiliated voters support is eliminating partisan primaries and have all party, affiliated and unaffiliated, candidates run in an open primary.
- Every candidate on one ballot, with the same amount of signatures, and everyone has the right to vote in the election.
- Lane sees the current political system as an artificial market where there are two very bad products and people just have to pick between two evils.
- Paul and his guests go over what they consider an alternative to the current bipartisan political system and elections. This would be an open primary system which means stopping the discrimination against unaffiliated voters and candidates, and allowing a voice for the greatest amount of people.
- Christopher Volk and Beau Lane discuss what they see as the “features” and the “customer benefits” of the reformed political system. At the top of that list is preserving the ability for Americans to innovate, create and prosper. The existing partisan system has become an existential threat to free markets, free enterprise and the great prosperity of the American system.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube - @optamerican
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
SaveDemocracyAZ.com
The Value Equation by Christopher Volk
Beau Lane
Ronald Reagan
Donald Trump
John McCain
J. D. Hayworth
Rusty Bowers
The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy by Katherine Gehl
Karrin Taylor Robson
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
Tip O’Neill
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson is joined by Eric Bronner and Chris Sylvester from Veterans for Political Innovation.
The three talk about the issues with the American political system, why political reform matters to veterans, the issues with the bi-partisan political scene, and what a real patriot is actually all about.
- Eric kicks off the conversation by sharing what Veterans for Political Innovation is all about.
- The initiative was launched about two years ago with the goal of mobilizing America’s most trusted messengers to help repair some of the least trusted institutions – our partisan political system, through state-based campaigns for better elections, better politics, and more choices.
- Chris and Eric open up about their service for the country and the role they played in the United States military.
- According to Eric, political reform matters to veterans for the fact that independents are tired of the two-party doom loop the U.S. are stuck in.
- Reformers like Eric and Chris believe that reforms are the best path to changing the system itself, and to making American politics – and the country – better.
- Eric and Chris believe the existing partisan system is a threat to American national security.
- Chris talks about his run into politics as a Republican and the lesson he learned about trying to unseat an incumbent of the same party.
- Eric touches upon what he considers two key aspects that could improve the political system: a fully-open unified primary where every voter could vote for any candidate, and real competition for November’s elections.
- Chris believes that the political system is riddled with apathy and ignorance.
- For Eric, if someone is more loyal to a political party or a political leader than to the Constitution, they are not a patriot.
- Eric brings the concept of Final Five Voting into the conversation.
- Chris and Eric go through their definitions of leadership.
- One of the major challenges for existing politicians is that out of 500,000 elected officials, 70% are determined in the primary and never face opposition in the general election. This gives an inordinate amount of leverage to the 10% of special interests who actually show up in the primary.
- Both learned in the Military the importance of putting Country before Party. They swore their oath to the Constitution. Today’s politicians because of the broken partisan system put their party above their oath to the Constitution.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube
Become a premium supporter of the show: OptAmerican.com/premium
Veterans for Political Innovation
Michael Porter
Harvard Business School
George Washington
Martin Luther
Jean-Jacques Rosseau
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
SaveDemocracyAZ.com
Paul Johnson welcomes Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Global Future Scholar, and former Senior Policy Director in the U.S. House of Representatives Dr. Sybil Francis.
They discuss the Center for the Future of Arizona initiative, some of the key findings from big surveys, and talk about the so-called shared public values, and what data is actually showing in regard to divisions in America today.
- Dr. Sybil Francis shares the origin story of the Center for the Future of Arizona and discusses what it focuses on, as well as the methodology it utilizes.
- The two big surveys Dr. Francis and her team have done with Gallup were done in 2009 and 2020 – and they helped better understand who Arizonans are.
- One of the key indicators from polling around the country is that Americans are not as polarized and divided, they agree on much more than they disagree.
- Dr. Francis touches upon the so-called shared public values and some interesting traits about Arizonans that have transpired from the Gallup surveys.
- There’s a specific approach to the Arizona voter's agenda and its goals, and Dr. Francis tells all about it.
- In the polling, Arizonians including the majority in both parties have vast agreement on major topics such as education, immigration, and the environment.
- The Arizona Polling confirms what other polls from around the U.S. show that Americans are not as divided as one could think, yet American politicians are more divided than ever even on this topics where broad consensus exist amongst the public. Dr. Francis says we need to ask why?.
- Paul Johnson and Dr. Francis shares their thoughts about why and it relates to partisan primaries and the incentive for news networks to play to the fringes, and to demonize the other side to terrify the viewers to watch again tomorrow.
- In the 14 years, Dr. Francis has had the data, she hasn’t seen any better or more promising solution to finding a bridge between what the majority of voters want and politicians than the open primary ranked-choice voting system.
- Dr. Francis explains that their work is about helping the public understand who we are and thus change our mental construct of what is possible based on data.
- Furthermore, she plans on taking advantage of the crucial role Arizona will have in the 2024 elections to educate national media about who Arizonans are.
- Dr. Francis believes that ‘changing systems are the greatest leverage to really impactful change.’
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube
Dr. Sybil Francis
Center for the Future of Arizona
Gallup
American Association for the Advancement of Science
AZ HighGround
Arizona Progress Meters
Education Forward Arizona
WESTMARC
State of Black Arizona
Arizona Community Foundation
Paul Johnson is joined by fourth-generation Arizonan, former Speaker of the House in Arizona, and past Senate member Rusty Bowers.
They talk about what led Bowers to run for office, his definition of “conservative,” what happened with the 2020 elections in relation to fake electors, and what can be done to change the current division in U.S. politics.
- Fourth-generation Arizonan Rusty Bowers shares his origin story, what led him to run for office in the first place, and what his first year was like.
- Despite being an artist, Rusty Bowers isn’t just Republican, he’s a rather conservative Republican that can’t be easily put in what he refers to as “the box.”
- For Bowers, a conservative is someone who believes in institutions or principles that are worth conserving and not just for a personal agenda but for a country, a society.
- Paul and Rusty Bowers go over what Bowers considers conservative values, as well as the role of pluralism and finding common ground.
- Paul believes that the current far-right and far-left that are forming are outside the norms of the liberal Democratic Party and of the conservative Republican Party.
- These new leaders of the Alt Right and Woke Left don’t buy into constitutional truths. They see people as part of a racial group in a struggle for power and not as individuals.
- The point of a leader, according to Bowers, is to try to find commonalities and individual characteristics of people as a resource to move something forward.
- Rusty Bowers opens up about when he started to notice a change with the U.S. political system, the role of I.V.A.N., and what happened with the 2020 elections.
- Rusty Bowers shares what he thinks can be done at both an individual and collective level to try to resolve the ongoing divisions.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube
Rusty Bowers
John F. Kennedy Library
Stan Barnes
Mark Killian
Jackie Robinson
Barry Goldwater
Carl Hayden
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson is joined by Save Democracy’s Ted Hinderaker and Ted Maxwell from the Arizona Leadership Council.
The three discuss what it takes, from a community standpoint, to be successful in the U.S. today, reform work in Arizona, the role of Tucson citizens, and the differences between election systems.
- Ted Maxwell shares why he believes the existing system isn’t working and what he considers important, from a community standpoint, to be successful in the U.S.
- Paul, Ted Maxwell, and Ted Hinderaker talk about the importance of understanding your role, and how the Tucson government works.
- Paul shares his experiences running in both a partisan and a nonpartisan primary and goes over the reasons why he believes that elected officials aren’t being held accountable.
- Ted Hinderaker touches upon the characteristics of various election systems – primary, top two, top four, and ranked choice voting – and their effects on society.
- Paul asks his guests what they believe has led to the activation of the people in Tucson.
- Ted Maxwell mentions one of the main reasons why, in his opinion, more people are leaning towards becoming independents.
- Focusing on recruiting candidates that are pragmatic and that are better able to do the job doesn’t last, says Ted Hinderaker.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube
Cathy Giessel
Save Democracy
Ted Hinderaker
Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC)
Ted Maxwell
University of Arizona Foundation
Center for the Future Arizona Civil Francis Organization
The Politics Industry by Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter
Flinn-Brown Fellowship Program
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson is joined by former Senate President and current Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel.
They discuss the role of divisiveness in America today, the existing partisan system that discriminates against candidates and voters not registered in the one of the two major parties, and reform efforts that work to give voters choices. This episode talks with the Republican Majority Leader in the Alaska legislature about how the reform is working in Alaska and how it promotes collaboration – and cooperation – between lawmakers with different political views.
- The current season of The Optimistic American is dedicated to the reforms that are going on in America that can help heal the ongoing divisions.
- Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel is the Republican and Majority Leader in Alaska who can tell how the reforms that removed partisan primaries and implemented rank choice voting actually work.
- The divisiveness in the U.S. is the highest Paul has seen in his 40 years watching the political system.
- Senator Giessel breaks down how a partisan primary system and an open primary system with a top four work. With partisan primaries, 85% of incumbents are in safe seats that are gerrymandered to stop competition in the general election. In an open primary system, every voter gets to vote for or against their representative.
- At first, Senator Giessel was reluctant about the ranked choice voting – she explains why that was the case.
- Senator Giessel shares her experience in regard to how the role of and the interaction with voters changed with the two systems.
- Paul, who ran in both an open primary system for mayor and a closed partisan primary for governor, pointed out that candidates in the open primary have to speak to all voters, even those registered in the other party. In closed primary systems, they only have to speak to members of their own party. He believes that talking to people they don’t necessarily agree with is the single most important thing that educates leaders.
- In Alaska, today’s legislature operates differently than it did before. Senator Giessel touches upon the changes that have taken place and how Democrats and Republicans have been able to work together despite some major differences in the open primary system.
- According to Senator Giessel, the open primary and the rank choice systems have really reduced negative campaigning because when you have multiple candidates in a runoff, going negative hurts the person leveling the negative information.
- Senator Giessel points out that the open primary in Alaska has promoted collaboration and cooperation between lawmakers.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Optimistic American on YouTube
Cathy Giessel
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
Mo Udall
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with members of the Voter Choice Arizona executive committee Blake Sacha, Kathy Knecht, and organizing director Kazz Fernandes.
The panel discusses how Voter Choice Arizona came to be, what it’s all about, and how it aims to change the current political system and improve democracy.
- This season of The Optimistic American will focus on political reforms that can help make certain that the American political system operates better than it does today.
- Paul used it as an example of the disconnect between elected officials and the massive deficit spending of Congress. A balanced budget amendment is supported overwhelmingly by the public yet both parties, when in power, fail to advance it. Surprisingly, the last balanced budget was Bill Clinton’s.
- Paul pointed out how recently even paying the debt of the United States has come into question, with multiple members of both parties voting against the compromise, seemingly willing to put the nation into bankruptcy over partisanship.
- Paul discusses the historical significance of paying the debt back with Alexander Hamilton, demanding paying back speculators who purchased debt instruments from soldiers at pennies on the dollar to Revolutionary War soldiers. His legacy was the importance of securing the good faith and credit of the United States, leading us to be a great power.
- Blake Sacha talks about how he became involved with the reform effort, “Voter Choice in Arizona” designed to treat all voters equally and make elected officials accountable to the public. He believes it is about 'Bad systems that beat good people.'
- Kathy Knecht shares how incumbents try to insure they won’t have competition by making it impossible for independents to run by making signature requirements 6-10 times higher than democrats or republicans. This was why she decided to join Voter Choice in Arizona.
- Organizing director Kazz Fernandes touches upon different aspects of Voter Choice Arizona, including its beginnings, funding, and how the organization finds new members.
- The way Ranked Choice Voting works is simple: vote for the candidate you like and then indicate who your second place person is as well as your third.. If your #1 choice doesn't win, then your vote goes to your second choice.
- By having multiple candidates in the run-off, if you attack another candidate it harms you both, and the third candidate benefits. So, it disincentivizes mudslinging.
- Paul and his guests go over the pros and cons of Ranked Choice Voting and its system. They believe the existing partisan system is failing the American people.
- When asked who are the opponents of Ranked Choice Voting, the panel was clear it was incumbents.
- The reason incumbents dislike open primaries and Ranked Choice Voting is because it creates competition. Today through gerrymandering over 85% of legislative and congressional seats are safe districts. The overwhelming majority of incumbents don’t have a general election opponent. This gives them the ability to ignore independent voters, and voters in the other party and only pay attention to the extremes in their own party. The result is greater division for our country as our elected officials no longer are willing to listen to people in the other party.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
VoterChoiceArizona.org
Rank the Vote
Bill Clinton
Lyndon B. Johnson
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson welcomes North Arizona University’s Martin-Springer Institute Director Bjorn Krondorfer to discuss his new book Unsettling Empathy (Peace and Security in the 21st Century).
The two discuss Professor Krondorfer’s work in the context of the Holocaust and genocides, the concept of “chosen trauma”, and what’s happening with divisions and extremisms in America today.
- Paul opens the discussion by indicating the link between the divisions in America and genocide and extremism.
- Professor Krondorfer opens up about what led him to make genocides, the holocaust, and extremist movements the focus of his work and research.
- A desire for empathy that unsettles our assumptions about ourselves, about history, and about what we think is what led Professor Krondorfer to write his book Unsettling Empathy.
- Prof. Krondorfer discusses what happened when a group of German and Jewish students met at the end of the ‘80s to discuss their different narratives related to what happened in the Holocaust.
- For Prof. Krondorfer, in former perpetrator societies, the next generation has to be suspicious of the narratives that are being passed on to them.
- Paul and Prof. Krondorfer touch upon the good and evil that are inside all of us, the role propaganda makes – and how it’s the common denominator in genocides such as the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide.
- Prof. Krondorfer explains why, throughout several decades, “Chosen Trauma” is a concept that has posed a threat to various societies and cultures around the world.
- It’s easier for unsettling empathy and honest communication to occur when a conflict is over and we’re living in the aftermath (like in the case of the Holocaust) compared to an ongoing conflict like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Paul discusses the concept of amygdala hijacking and the “formula” for trying to move a block of people.
- Professor Bjorn Krondorfer touches upon what “forgiving the unforgiving” entails, and why the focus shouldn’t be so much on forgiveness, but rather on reconciliation practices.
- Prof. Krondorfer unpacks the question, “What’s going on with the divisions in America today?”
- Paul introduces the idea of post-partisanism – and the challenges it would bring about – into the conversation.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
Unsettling Empathy (Peace and Security in the 21st Century) by Bjorn Krondorfer
North Arizona University
Temple University
Dr. Emily Bashah
Vamik Volkan
John McCain
Martin Luther King
New York Times
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Katherine Gehl to discuss the profound challenges in the American political system and the real solutions for a system that benefits everyone. Katherine is a business leader, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy.
- Katherine starts the conversation by describing what inspired her to write a book on political innovation.
- For Paul, politicians are not necessarily bad people. Often, they are good people in a bad system that provides the wrong incentives.
- Paul and Katherine agree that a politician’s primary goal is to get re-elected. However, we live in a world where there’s no connection between solving people’s problems and getting re-elected.
- Katherine explains why we need to change the way people get elected.
- It’s very unfortunate that elections in America today are about choosing the lesser of two evils.
- Paul describes how parties make it impossible for independent candidates to run for office by forcing independent candidates to collect 10 times the signatures, and making it harder for independent or non-party voters to vote.
- Katherine reviews the duopoly of political parties. They no longer serve their customers' needs, but they don’t have to because they have no real competition.
- In the existing system, the political parties use fear to terrify the American voter on the dangers of the other side.
- Paul talks about how our negative bias and preaching the dangers of the other side is far more effective than selling your vision to voters.
- Katherine talks about the reform effort of eliminating the partisan primary, having all candidates run in an open primary where every voter can choose the top 5 candidates to go to a runoff. Then you can vote for your first-place choice, second place, third place etc. This is called the Final Five voting system and why it’s effective.
- Paul and Katherine discuss the benefits of having a single open primary and how it ensures nobody wins the election on primary day. In the partisan system because of gerrymandering 90 percent of all races are decided in the primary. Most voters don’t matter.
- In partisan primaries, people are more persuaded by the negative message about the opposing candidate, but in an open primary with multiple candidates going to the runoff, it is more difficult to go negative and incentivizes candidates to give more positive information about what you will do for them.
- According to Katherine, the most important reason we want to change the election system is to get better results for the community from the government.
- Election reforms should not be designed to change who, or which party wins elections. They should be designed to change what winners do and on whose behalf they’re doing it.
- The problem with American elections is not with the voters or the politicians. Paul believes it’s with the system of how we elect our representatives.
- For Katherine, it’s easier for a camel to get through the eye of the needle than for a problem-solving politician to get through a party primary.
- Katherine would rather lose something that, if she won, would make a difference than win something that, having won, wouldn’t make any difference.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
KatherineGehl.com
Follow @katherinegehl on Twitter
The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy by Katherine M. Gehl
In the final part of "Jordan Peterson : You're Just Wrong on This One," we conclude our discussion on the Ukrainian War and the West's involvement in it. This time, we focus on the broader implications of the conflict for international relations and global security.
Jordan Peterson argues that the West's approach to the Ukrainian War is misguided and dangerous, as it could lead to a global conflict with catastrophic consequences. He suggests that the West needs to adopt a more nuanced and strategic approach that takes into account the complex historical, political, and cultural factors at play.
In contrast, the host of the episode argues that the West's involvement in the Ukrainian War is not just a matter of strategy but also a moral imperative. They believe that supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for maintaining the global order based on democratic values and human rights. They also point out that the Ukrainian War is not just a local conflict but a part of a broader struggle between democracy and authoritarianism that will shape the future of international relations.
We are The Optimistic American, and we are in the business of promoting what is going right in our country. Every day, there is tremendous progress being made in America — across technology, public policy, science and medicine, and much more — that will set current and future generations up for success. Our goal is to highlight these advancements and tilt the scale of news and information from pessimism towards optimism.
This episode reflects the best themes of The Optimistic American, that our best days lie ahead.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In the third episode of "Jordan Peterson: You're Just Wrong on This One," we continue our exploration of the Ukrainian War and the West's involvement in it. This time, we focus on the emotional and moral implications of the conflict and how it relates to the broader context of Western society.
Jordan Peterson argues that the West's declining morality is partly to blame for its involvement in the Ukrainian War. He points out the hypocrisy of Western leaders who claim to promote individualism and free markets but engage in military interventions that go against those values. He also suggests that the West's moral decay is evidenced by the rise of identity politics, political correctness, and cancel culture.
In contrast, the host of the episode argues that the West's values are not declining but rather evolving to become more inclusive and just. They point out that the Ukrainian War is not just a matter of geopolitical power plays but also a humanitarian crisis that demands a moral response. They believe that supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the right thing to do, even if it means opposing authoritarian regimes like Russia.
We are The Optimistic American, and we are in the business of promoting what is going right in our country. Every day, there is tremendous progress being made in America — across technology, public policy, science and medicine, and much more — that will set current and future generations up for success. Our goal is to highlight these advancements and tilt the scale of news and information from pessimism towards optimism.
This episode reflects the best themes of The Optimistic American, that our best days lie ahead.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode 2 of a 4 part mini-series of The Optimistic American, we explore the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the West's involvement in it. Jordan Peterson and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's podcast on Russia and Ukraine sparked a lot of discussion, with Peterson calling out not just the Ukrainian war but also the declining morality of the West. He suggests that G7 leaders should focus on determining exactly what the Russians would accept as a minimum precondition for peace, instead of simply labeling Putin as a modern-day Hitler or Stalin.
However, here at The Optimistic American, we take a different perspective. We believe in the importance of supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and standing up against authoritarian regimes like Putin's Russia. While it's always important to question our government's actions, we see ourselves as part of the fight for the preservation of Western liberal democracy, free markets, and governments that prioritize the individual's wellbeing.
In this episode, we also explore the motives behind the military-industrial complex, and whether their profits may be driving certain political decisions. So tune in, and join us as we navigate these complex issues with an optimistic eye towards the future.
We are The Optimistic American, and we are in the business of promoting what is going right in our country. Every day, there is tremendous progress being made in America — across technology, public policy, science and medicine, and much more — that will set current and future generations up for success. Our goal is to highlight these advancements and tilt the scale of news and information from pessimism towards optimism.
This episode reflects the best themes of The Optimistic American, that our best days lie ahead.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of a 4 part mini-series of The Optimistic American, we explore the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the West's involvement in it. Jordan Peterson and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's podcast on Russia and Ukraine sparked a lot of discussion, with Peterson calling out not just the Ukrainian war but also the declining morality of the West. He suggests that G7 leaders should focus on determining exactly what the Russians would accept as a minimum precondition for peace, instead of simply labeling Putin as a modern-day Hitler or Stalin.
However, here at The Optimistic American, we take a different perspective. We believe in the importance of supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and standing up against authoritarian regimes like Putin's Russia. While it's always important to question our government's actions, we see ourselves as part of the fight for the preservation of Western liberal democracy, free markets, and governments that prioritize the individual's wellbeing.
In this episode, we also explore the motives behind the military-industrial complex, and whether their profits may be driving certain political decisions. So tune in, and join us as we navigate these complex issues with an optimistic eye towards the future.
We are The Optimistic American, and we are in the business of promoting what is going right in our country. Every day, there is tremendous progress being made in America — across technology, public policy, science and medicine, and much more — that will set current and future generations up for success. Our goal is to highlight these advancements and tilt the scale of news and information from pessimism towards optimism.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss gun control, mass shootings in the United States, and how we can use the data to prevent mass shootings from happening in the future.
- Paul and Emily start the conversation by describing how mass shootings, directly and indirectly, impact local communities.
- According to Emily, we need to understand how mass shooters think and operate - only then can we prevent more shootings from happening in the future.
- Emily breaks down what the data says about mass shooters.
- A study done in the 2021 book, The Violence Project: How to Stop A Mass Shooting Epidemic, compiled detailed data including the life history of 180 shooters.
- The data shows that nearly all mass shooters have a history of trauma and most mass shooters are suicidal and the hatred they have for themselves turns outward.
- Almost all mass shooters have one thing in common: they all want to die and don’t care who they take with them.
- To solve the problem of mass shootings we have to be willing to look for answers that can work politically, be constitutional, and be effective. Some of the solutions being bantered about are ineffective if the data is correct.
- The solution will need both gun restrictions and mental health efforts.
- Paul and Emily agree that dedicating funds to community mental health efforts can help identify and potentially reduce the number of mass shooters. Especially on school campuses where the data helps us identify those people who are most at risk.
- Paul talks about gun laws that would effectively reduce the number of mass shootings in the US and those that will have little effect.
- Paul points out that while he isn’t defending AR-15 sales,most of the shootings happen with hand guns, and if you banned AR-15’s, there isn’t evidence it would have stopped any of the mass shootings. It just would have happened with a different gun.
- Paul points out the type of gun laws that data shows works is the gun laws that keep guns out of the hands of people who commit the crimes, notably kids, people with a history of violence and those who are suicidal. This includes safe storage laws, red flag laws, and the ability to put restraining orders issued by a judge on people who have shown signs of being violent.
- Emily points out that at the scene of most mass shootings, there are usually many people with guns in the parking lot that didn’t stop the shootings. We have to work on creating barriers before the incident.
- Paul and Emily agree that reducing the number of mass shootings is only possible if both gun laws are adopted that target the potentially dangerous individual and a focus on mental health.
- Emily points out the type of clues and hints mass shooters exhibit before attacking innocent civilians. Those clues can help us identify at risk individuals and save lives.
- Who is to blame for the increase in number of mass shooters? Emily believes it’s everybody - from the government to the parents and everybody in contact with the mass shooters has to take responsibility to fix this massive problem.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic by Jillian Peterson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to talk about the right way to engage in politics. They explain how being obsessed with civic duties can make you a target for radicalization and impact your ability to find meaning in life.
- Paul and Emily start the conversation by describing how people can be involved in politics without harming their ability to think independently.
- The goal of people who run political parties is to use fear to radicalize you.
- Emily describes how winning an argument releases adrenaline and dopamine. This creates an addiction to both arguing and the need to always be right.
- Paul said the right and the left are both necessary, but the extreme right and the extreme left don’t like America - they both reject the idea of an individualistic society.
- Politics is the place we go to resolve our problems; it will always be controversial. Compromise is essential if the union is to survive, but unfortunately, many people have a negative view of compromise.
- Paul shares why gerrymandering allows politicians to win without ever having to face half the voters who are in the other party. He feels elected officials should face every voter every time they run for office.
- When we allow politicians, political Party’s or the nightly talk shows to terrify us, it drives us towards more extreme ideologies, giving these very groups more control over you.
- According to Emily, it’s 100% possible to be involved in politics without jeopardizing your ability to lead a normal life, but you have to maintain your sense of objectivity and agency.
- Politics becomes an addiction when the obsessive components of the ideology are no longer in your control. You lose control when issues begin to scare, frighten or terrorize you.
- The people who often become radicalized are not those who have a lot and want more or those who have nothing and want something. They are the people who once had something and lost a piece of it.
- Paul uncovers the connection between genocide, terrorism, and extremist groups: ideology.
- The most dangerous ideological groups are the ones that separate people into the oppressed and the oppressor.
- Paul points out that in his experience, small radicalized groups can dramatically impact society with radical and harmful ideas (unless rational people say no).
- Once you believe a person is fundamentally evil, you objectify them and then you can begin to justify your atrocious acts against them.
- Radicalized leaders have the ability to take good people and make them do bad things.
- Paul and Emily agree that the easiest way to avoid radicalization is to stop consuming hateful TV and social media content, to find other things in life other than politics.
- People need to focus more on meaning and less on happiness. If we focus on happiness, we’re never going to find it. If we focus on meaning, we have a chance of finding happiness.
- Paul shares how struggle can help you find meaning and happiness in life.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah sit down and discuss the three C’s of every healthy relationship: communication, compromise, and compliments, and why it takes courage to be vulnerable enough to find love.
- There are three C's to every healthy relationship: communication, compromise, and compliments.
- If someone you are with can’t get any insight into who you are and how you feel, it’s going to be very difficult to grow together. Choosing how you communicate with your partner is going to be critical for a successful relationship.
- You need to understand the core values that brought you together in the first place.
- It’s important to remember that your relationship with someone can end at any time and shouldn’t be taken for granted. A mentor of Emily’s advice on marriage was to “never stop pursuing your spouse. Just because you have someone, that doesn’t mean you can keep them.”
- If you can’t coach the other person (and vice-versa), and help them understand where you’re coming from, the odds of you being able to communicate with them and compromise, or get the compliments you’re looking for become very remote.
- Abusive relationships can come as a result of trauma bonds, where there are positive feedback loops and patterns in the relationship alongside the abuse. This can result in codependence. Oftentimes, the abuser will foster the dependency on them which encourages the environment of captivity, which is when autonomy begins to disappear.
- Be financially capable of taking care of yourself.
- Research has shown that men and women are both hardwired and socialized differently. Women tend to be process-oriented, and men tend to be product-oriented, but that’s not a set-in-stone rule.
- These traits are necessary for a good parenting environment, even if they don’t come from the traditional male/female pair. We need both perspectives and diverse ideas if you want a company or a country to succeed.
- Love is one of the most important things you can find in life, and do find it you need to dare greatly. You need to be able to surrender and be vulnerable in a relationship, and that takes courage.
Communication Strategies
- Emily has clients that tend to be fault-finders when it comes to their relationships, but she turns that around by observing what that attitude says about themselves. You can’t expect someone to want to be with you if they always feel inferior because of your criticism.
- Emily tells the story of how something at work was making her life very difficult and her very frustrated. She asked for “pre-forgiveness” as a way to let other people know you’re stressed and not at your best. We’re all human and we are all going to make mistakes, asking for pre-forgiveness upfront will give people a heads up and make them much more likely to extend the grace you need.
- Good communication makes things clear and prevents your partner from creating stories in their head to fill in the gaps of their understanding. It’s important to externalize the problems and name them, so the other person doesn’t feel threatened by it.
- We all have problems and challenges in our lives, and those have emotional effects on us. You can make the situation worse if you don’t inform people what is going on in your life. By communicating those emotions, you give the other person the opportunity to feel like an ally rather than a contributor to the problem.
- We all have moments of crisis in relationships. They come about because you both have a version of the story going on in your heads, and without knowing each other’s story the odds of finding common ground are slim.
- Don’t fight via text. Get them on the phone or meet them in person. You will apply the version of the story in your head and miss all the nuances that in-person communication comes with.
- Really listen and try to feel through the other person’s perception. It’s hard to see our own habits, but you can get a glimpse of how others perceive you by paying close attention.
Compliments
- Some believe that others learn through criticism. Paul believes that people learn more effectively through inspiration.
- Compliments lead naturally from inspiration. If you constantly highlight what you like about someone and their behavior, it will naturally reinforce those things in the relationship.
- Keep your eye on the good places you want your relationship to go and focus your language around that.
Compromising
- Compromising can be easily misunderstood. Co-dependent patterns in relationships can form when this becomes too extreme.
- Co-dependency is an excessive amount of emotional dependence on your partner.
- This can also lead to an abusive and controlling relationship.
- The traditional roles of men and women in relationships are changing as society is changing. 60% of all women are in the workforce today.
- People in a relationship can take roles in different spheres of life without being co-dependent if we look at the value of the effort both parties are bringing to the table.
- We each contribute to our relationships in different ways and we all play a role. The real key is to value those roles and come to a relationship with love.
- We all have limitations. It’s important to accept each other for who we are. We each have to compromise and respect the role each person plays in the relationship.
- A common issue among couples going through a divorce is resentment. If you see that pattern in your relationship, it’s important to get some therapy to work through that because resentment will gradually destroy everything.
- Tell your partner what you need when you are laying your problems out to them. If you’re a man, a solution is not always the reason people come to you. Sometimes, they just need you to listen to them and be there for them. They might just be looking for support and understanding, not a hero.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah sit down with Dr. Mark Goulston, a psychiatrist, executive coach, and consultant to major organizations. He is the inventor and developer of the Surgical Empathy Process, where he uses focused empathetic listening to break through to people and free them of their internal emotional and psychological blocks.
- Paul and Emily introduce Mark Goulston and the uniqueness of his work.
- Mark describes his journey to psychology and how he dropped out of med school twice.
- The three main steps in the Trifecta of Hope and learning to listen to people's hurt.
- Emily shares the approach she uses with suicidal patients - and what it takes to overcome the pain that won't go away.
- Paul and Mark talk about the different forms of extremism and how to deprogram a radicalized person.
- Emily describes the power of active listening instead of forcing your ideals on others.
- Mark reveals how the Magic Paradox technique can be used to show extremists that you understand what nobody else understands.
- Understand that people are listening for something as they're listening to you.
- Mark shares the steps he would take when he feels a conversation is not going well.
- Paul and Mark talk about finding meaning in life.
- For Mark, being an empathetic listener is about seeing the good in people and believing they're doing their best.
- Mark shares how he helps suicidal people see that finding something worth living for is possible.
- Mark describes his role in the OJ Simpson trial - and how detectives unsuccessfully tried to play psychological tricks on him.
- According to Mark, talking to extremists is difficult because they aim to make you feel powerless and helpless.
- When you feel that your spouse is tolerating you, Mark believes it can be painful until you realize how difficult you are and then it's a gift.
- Emily reveals the best thing you can do to support radicalized family members.
- How difficult people work: they set you up and corner you.
- Paul highlights the best way to act when confronted by an angry person.
- Mark's approach to talking to people that drive you crazy.
- According to Mark, most people don't do well with conflict. They either get angry or avoid it.
- Mark dissects the three steps to turn aggressive conflict into healthy conflict.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss how cults and extremist groups suck people into addictive ideologies. They talk about the most dangerous aspects of an addictive ideology, the growth of incel culture, and ways to deprogram an addicted cult member.
- Paul and Emily start the conversation by describing how Ideologies and cults suck people into addictive ideologies.
- Emily describes the difference between a cult and an addictive ideology.
- Paul describes how ideologies become toxic when they see the world in terms of the oppressor and victimhood.
- Emily breaks down the characteristics of cult leaders and what makes them charismatic.
- Paul shares his thoughts on woke culture.
- Emily reveals how the incel community was formed and how "involuntarily celibate" men become radicalized.
- Emily describes how incels justify their acts of physically harming women.
- Emily shares her experience working with Muslim extremists and people from the incel community.
- Paul confirms with Emily how people in cults are not necessarily crazy or delusional - they just have a biased view of the world.
- Paul and Emily agree that the type of people prone to joining extreme ideologies and cults have a destabilized identity and are looking for meaning in life.
- For Emily, the one consistent thing among extremists and cult members is a loss of identity - which the cult leaders replace with flawed beliefs.
- Paul and Emily explore the dopamine hit people experience when winning an argument - and how wanting to be right all the time can be addictive.
- Emily outlines the chemical changes in the brain during and after an argument.
- Emily and Paul discuss how you can help loved ones trapped in cults or addictive ideologies.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Basha to talk about the friction that exists between attachment and anti-fragililty when raising children. They discuss what it takes to raise confident kids, how to bring up anti-fragile kids, and ways to support your child's sense of agency.
- Paul and Emily start the conversation by describing what it takes to raise a child correctly.
- Know that people will criticize and judge your parenting style no matter what you do.
- For Emily, you are not forever damned if you had a poor childhood. You can still do something to salvage the situation for you and your kids.
- Emily breaks down the concept of scaffolding your kids and whether it's effective for all types of kids.
- Paul and Emily agree that parents need to give themselves a break - parenting is complex, and you're doing your very best.
- According to Paul, to love your kids, you need to also care for yourself.
- Paul and Emily assess what the research says about caregiver stress and why it's the most predictive component of a child's well-being.
- Emily dissects attachment theory and the four distinct types of attachments.
- Paul shares all of us are leaders in that leadership is defined as the ability to influence people. We are leaders as parents trying to mold our children into leaders.
- Emily and Paul go through the four main types of parenting styles and how they overlap with each other.
- Paul and Emily discuss the concept of anti-fragility. Both agree that kids need attachment but anti-fragile children’s learning can be inhibited by overprotective parents who believe they need to be handled with care.
- Emily is convinced that parents who see their kids as fragile objects rarely raise confident and courageous kids.
- It is an error to believe what doesn't kill you makes you weaker. According to Paul, believing that failure and painful experiences will do lasting damage is setting your children up for long-term failure.
- For Emily, using anti-fragility concepts turns children into confident and courageous persons - but it takes hard work.
- Paul points to behavior psychologist Jonathan Haidt in the Coddling of the American Mind and the challenges and causes of our children being less resilient to what others think of them.
- Emily explains why we need to raise kids who can do what is unconventional despite what others think.
- Paul talks about the consequences of over-intruding in your child's life.
- According to Paul, safety is important when raising kids, but we have over valued emotional safety and studies have indicated this is resulting in higher levels of stress and depression.
- Paul and Emily discuss the hierarchy of agency as it relates to raising your kids.
- Paul and Emily discuss how to teach your children independence and give them the power to actualize their dreams.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Basha to discuss the public sector vs private and how they contribute to economic development in the U.S. They cover how the public sector boosts economic development, ways to be successful in business, why money should not be the primary motivator for going into business, and so much more.
- Paul and Emily start the conversation by describing how the public and private sectors of the U.S. economy work.
- According to Paul, the greatest thing the government has ever done is empower individuals over itself.
- Paul is convinced the private sector is where you can make a positive social impact.
- Emily explains why you should start a business if you want to make a lasting change in the world.
- Paul describes why the world needs more producers and consumers - and how this can help end world poverty.
- Paul reveals the common trait among America's wealthy class.
- Emily and Paul agree that the government's primary job in driving private business success is to stay out of the way.
- Emily and Paul go through what it takes to succeed in business.
- Paul believes great business success only comes from taking great risks.
- According to Paul, anyone can be in business, but not everyone should be. Some of us are better off employed.
- Paul explains why you should not quit your job immediately after starting a business.
- For Paul, spending less than you make is the number one rule of accumulating wealth.
- According to Emily, the first business you go into should be something you're an expert in.
- Emily and Paul describe why money should not be the primary motivator for going into business.
- Paul reveals that most of the billionaires he's met did not start with the goal of becoming billionaires - they all wanted to solve a need in the community.
- Paul explores why customers buy from you - it's not because they like you.
- Emily and Paul go through the common mistakes and failures business people face when launching and scaling their businesses.
- Paul believes the only thing standing between you and success is fear.
- Paul breaks down the top 5 things you must do to go from nothing to something.
- In business, credibility is all you have. Protect it with your life.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Brandon Tatum to discuss race and police relations in America.
They cover some very controversial issues ranging from race relations, the reality of White privilege, police shootings, and the 1619 Project.
- Paul and Brandon start the conversation by discussing Brandon's early life, his relationship with God, and playing competitive sports.
- Brandon explains what it means to be uncoachable and why you should stop taking things personally.
- Brandon shares why he believes too many Black people have a victim mindset that enslaves them in a "mental plantation."
- According to Paul, the answer to a victim mindset is purpose, and chasing happiness is not sustainable. People should focus on finding meaning. Only then can they find true happiness.
- Paul highlights how the victim triangle is keeping you stuck.
- Brandon shares how he discovered a passion for policing after going on a life-changing ride along.
- Paul and Brandon discuss the disconnect between the police and the general public.
- Both Paul and Brandon discuss their involvement with police, Brandon as a police officer and Paul as Mayor of the 5th largest city in the US.
- Brandon reveals what the data says about police killings and racial bias - and why it's rarely about race when a cop pulls you over.
- Brandon points out that many people raise their children to hate the police and that does damage to the child and to society.
- Brandon and Paul agree that the case of Tyre Nichols was not about race, or even systemic racism, but there are groups of people who want it to be about race because it drives their agenda.
- According to Paul, people are so focused on racism especially as it comes to police departments that it actually harms their ability to fix the real issues. He points to the bigger issue of creating relationships between police and neighbors but that requires resources.
- Brandon explains why we need community policing and how defunding the police will only lead to low-quality policing.
- Brandon goes through the best way to interact with the police and how to act when a cop pulls you over.
- When it comes to police brutality, Paul believes the worst thing you can do is trust the media on the right or left because they rarely have facts on what actually happened, and they profit from sensationalized reporting.
- The police kill about 2 to 4000 people a year. Medical malpractice kills more than 300,000 people annually - but the police are the enemy.
- Brandon reveals that white people are shot twice as much as Black people - but you will never see it in the news.
- Brandon and Paul discuss opposition to The 1619 project because it has bad history. It’s designed to divide people, and most importantly, abandon the foundation of our country based upon the Declaration of Independence. We were also abandoning the importance of believing that all people are created equal.
- For Brandon, it's disgusting that some people profit from us living in fear and hating each other.
- Paul describes the link between agency and finding truth.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Brandon Tatum's LinkedIn
Subscribe to Brandon Tatum's YouTube Channel
Beaten Black and Blue: Being a Black Cop in an America Under Siege by Brandon Tatum
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss how to master your emotions.
They cover ways to improve your life through emotional mastery, the role of cognitive dissonance in our lives, and how being too analytical can rob you of simple life pleasures.
- Paul starts the conversation by defining emotions and how to differentiate them from feelings and thoughts.
- Emily and Paul discuss the best way to start your journey to emotional mastery.
- Our actions determine who we are, not our beliefs.
- Paul explores how diet and exercise can influence a person's emotions.
- According to Emily, taking the easier route does not necessarily mean you'll feel better; you might feel even worse.
- Emily is convinced you cannot master your emotions when your thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with your behavior.
- Paul shares the discrimination he faced growing up and how you can use rejection to achieve success.
- Emily uncovers the link between self-agency and identity.
- Paul talks about his overly analytical nature and how being too analytical can rob you of simple pleasures.
- Emily and Paul agree that you have to identify an emotion before trying to manage it.
- Emily explains the easiest way to get out of a power struggle - a strategy that works well for both toddlers and adults.
- For Paul, the single biggest inhibitor to real change is fear.
- Paul explains how the labels we put on ourselves influence how we think - if you see yourself as a victim, you'll never escape victimhood.
- Emily and Paul agree that the opposite of being a victim is recognizing that you have choices - and sometimes, your only choice is to view things differently.
- Paul goes through reasons why people need to be aware of their self-fulfilling prophecies - good or bad, these expectations can influence how people see you and how you see them.
- According to Paul, becoming emotionally resilient is ultimately achieved when you build a strong mental fortitude.
- Start by writing down how you feel and look for evidence for and against that belief.
- Paul and Emily discuss the benefits of seeking help from a psychiatrist to help you master your emotions.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss trauma and the effects it can have on a person's life.
They cover the different stages of trauma, ways psychologists treat it, and effective practices you can use to work on trauma yourself.
- Emily starts the conversation by defining trauma from a clinical perspective.
- Paul and Emily agree that you cannot treat PTSD if the person is still in a traumatic environment.
- Emily describes the physical changes in a person's brain after experiencing a traumatic event.
- According to Paul, no two traumas are the same - never compare a person's trauma to someone else's. Trauma often comes down to its impact on the individual.
- Paul explains that it's possible for people to hang on to their trauma, especially if it's meshed into their identity.
- Paul and Emily talk about the effects of failure on a person's self-worth.
- According to Emily, a person's brain that was rewired by trauma can be rewired again through healing and therapeutic experiences.
- Paul goes through the three basic elements of motivation:
- You have to challenge yourself.
- You need someone who will encourage you.
- You must see growth and be able to measure it.
- According to Emily, not all trauma is bad or needs to be fixed - you can lead a happy and fulfilling life without needing therapy.
- Paul shares ways to help someone who grew up in a traumatic environment.
- Talking to people about their trauma starts with trust, and you cannot build trust without giving people the truth.
- Paul and Emily go through the seven ideals of healing trauma.
- Emily describes the power of changing your story in trauma healing - you are the story you tell yourself. You are either a victim or a victor of life.
- Paul and Emily share their opposing thoughts on trauma and discuss whether forgiveness is the correct response to trauma.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart―Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley et al
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss cognitive biases and blindspots and how they relate to you being able to find your sense of agency.
They break down common biases that affect our everyday lives and how you can use love and connection to counter people who get high from being right.
- Paul and Emly start the conversation by defining blindspots and cognitive biases - and how they relate to being able to find your sense of agency.
- Paul uses one of his favorite movies, The Matrix, to describe biases and the ability to see things as they are.
- Emily shares a fun little exercise that makes it possible to navigate typical biases and why not all stereotypes are inherently bad.
- Paul and Emily discuss why some people have this inherent need to always be right.
- Did you know that there's a heightened dopamine release when you feel like you're winning an argument? Paul explains that this is why some people are addicted to the high of always being right.
- Paul highlights how you can use love and connection to counter people who get high from being right.
- Paul explains how the hormone released when you're proven wrong can sometimes feel like enduring physical pain.
- Paul and Emily talk about the power of love and how inspirational people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi used it to drive change.
- Emily talks about cognitive biases and the need to be right from a relationship and political point of view.
- Paul believes the smartest people often don't have all the answers and don't see the need for intellectual superiority.
- Paul and Emily analyze the difference between a narcissist and a psychopath.
- Emily reveals that the reason most relationships fail is the lack of intimacy - relationships these days are transaction-based with little to no commitment.
- Emily goes through the graph of what you know about yourself and what people know about you - and ways to identify deep blindspots.
- Paul and Emily discuss the difference between System 1 and System 2 thinking.
- According to Paul, nobody wants to hear your analysis of them. The best way to do it is to start by talking about yourself and opening with a question.
- We all have biases; if you think you're unbiased, then you're the one with a problem.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson et al
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Marc Bonilla to discuss the art of negotiation and why it's such an important skill to master.
They break down practical ways to improve your negotiation skills, the value of trust in negotiations, and how to protect your reputation during a negotiation.
- Marc and Paul start the conversation by describing the key features of a great negotiation and the benefits of mastering the art of negotiations.
- Marc explains why all negotiations should be built on mutual satisfaction.
- Marc and Paul agree that everything in life is a negotiation. It doesn't matter what you do or who you interact with; you will be in negotiations all day long.
- According to Paul, the easiest way to get people to your side during a negotiation is to make them feel you're doing everything you can to de-risk their concerns.
- Trust is the glue that cements all negotiations - without it, Marc believes the interaction becomes transactional instead of relationship-driven.
- Paul describes the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset - and why you need a growth mindset to become a master negotiator.
- Marc highlights why it's crucial to know what's important to you before going into a negotiation.
- Marc believes the absolute worst thing you can do during a negotiation is waste the other person's time.
- Paul explains why it's never a good idea to lie during a negotiation.
- Paul and Marc debate whether it's advisable to be the first one to make an offer during a negotiation.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
viaonecre.com
Marc's email - Marc@viaonecre.com
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Dr. Emily Bashah and Paul Johnson discuss ways employees can improve the quality of life at work and get their needs met.
They break down topics like ways to ask for a raise or a promotion, the rise of the victimhood mentality, and the 5 keys to becoming a superstar employee.
- Emily and Paul start the conversation by describing the difference between a public and a private-sector employer.
- Paul shares why professional services like doctors struggle with great product delivery.
- Emily and Paul talk about negative beliefs employees have and the problems they cause at the workplace.
- Do we actually have control over our own destiny? Paul believes we do, but most people leave it to their environment.
- For Emily, mentors and coaches are the most important people when launching careers or starting a business.
- Paul goes through the 3 main avenues for finding meaning in life.
- Paul and Emily agree that although we cannot control all situations in life, we can control how we think and, therefore, how we feel when tragedy strikes.
- According to Paul, we are all leaders - but high-quality leadership is learned and earned.
- To be an outstanding leader, Paul believes you must be a great follower first.
- Emily highlights the benefits of being a nice boss and a nice employee - and ways to prevent yourself from being too nice.
- What is the victim triangle, and how does the victim mindset impact a person's destiny?
- Paul and Emily discuss the worrying rise of the victimhood culture and why it's time we consider it a worldwide epidemic.
- Paul feels the best way to navigate problems is to first take responsibility and admit it's your fault - only then will you be able to fix it.
-
Paul and Emily go through the 5 keys to becoming a superstar:
-
- Learn to listen - This is a hard skill to master because to listen, you have to ask questions.
- Know the vision - Know the vision of the company you work for and what they're trying to achieve.
- Know your value - Be very clear on your strengths, limitations, talents, and what you bring to the table.
- Know and deliver on your timelines - If you consistently deliver projects on time, you will be seen as a superstar.
- Expand your education - This is a key part to getting promotions and succeeding at work.
-
According to Emily, the best way to treat your customers is the exact way you would treat your mother.
- When it comes to income disparities, Paul feels the question to ask yourself is whether it's better to bring down the people at the top and get rid of inequality or raise everybody up but increase the disparity.
Mentioned in This Episode:
optamerican.com
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
POWER OF TED (THE EMPOWERMENT DYNAMIC) by David Emerald
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Former NATO commander General Wesley Clark to discuss what we can do as Americans to have better conversations with one another.
They break down what the Civility Leadership Institute is all about, the role of the US in keeping world peace, and how strengthening public accountability makes democracy work.
- Paul and Wesley start the conversation by breaking down the three main parts of a democracy - Leaders, Laws, and Institutions.
- According to Wesley, strong democracies are built on the culture of a people and what they believe to be right and just.
- Although the internet and social media have greatly boosted access to information, Americans are still struggling with effective communication online.
- Wesley believes everybody has the right to an opinion, and you, as an individual, have a responsibility to respect that opinion.
- Why do we need civil leadership education? Paul and Wesley agree that the main reason is that we are a country of diverse people with diverse opinions.
- Wesley goes through the similarities and differences between the Bosnian war, the American Civil war, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Wesley explains why the US still engages in other people's conflicts, even with all the issues plaguing the country right now.
- For Wesley, America's role in ending international conflict stems from the fact that we are a country that believes in the international order of law and a peaceful settlement of disputes.
- Paul reveals what impressed him the most during Wesley's presidential campaigns.
- The two main concerns about Putin's invasion of Ukraine are whether he'll use Nuclear weapons and how far he is willing to go after capturing Ukraine.
- Wesley and Paul discuss what Americans should expect from Putin and China's Xi Jinping - two world leaders openly against the American World Order.
- With everything happening in Ethiopia, Taiwan, and Ukraine, the world is looking at the US to show its strength and commitment to democracy.
- Paul believes the US cannot make democracy work around the world if we cannot make it work back home.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Wesley Clark's LinkedIn
RenewAmericaTogether.org
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson welcomes back Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss psychopathy, decision-making, and agency in the context of hierarchy.
The two also discuss their book Addictive Ideologies, Stanley Milgram’s 1960s experiment and tyranny.
- Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah discuss psychopathy, the mistakes that are often made when trying to define it, and the tools that can help explain and identify a psychopath.
- Bashah explains that not all convicted killers are psychopaths, and that not all psychopaths are killers – there are CEOs, successful politicians, and companies that do share psychopathic traits and tendencies.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah talk about whether psychopathy has a genetic nature to it or not, and about the differences between narcissists and psychopaths.
- Paul shares his definition of power and his hypothesis about how it manifests in different contexts such as parenthood and politics.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah go over taking action, guilt, making decisions, and doing so as an informed person, as well as the tyranny and persecution that happened in Iraq with Saddam Hussein, during the Second World War, in the Bosnian War, and in Rwanda.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah bring up the role that agency has in the context of hierarchy, and they go over the psychology of a con artist.
- Paul’s and Dr. Bashah’s new book is called Addictive Ideologies – they focus on one of the key points they make in it.
- Bashah talks about when and why complacency is key, and about the 1960s experiment of Stanley Milgram.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You
Dr. Philip Zimbardo
How to Become a Tyrant (Netflix series)
Stanley Milgram
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson welcomes former Phoenix Mayor and past Attorney General of Arizona Terry Goddard to talk about dark money and the key role it plays in political campaigns.
They discuss what dark money is all about, how it’s influencing political campaigns and the ongoing efforts to get rid of it.
- Paul Johnson shares his thoughts about being optimistic. It doesn’t mean that you don’t recognize that there are problems and challenges. Paul has always been a believer in this: the people who are going to solve our problems are those who think they can.
- Paul and Terry Goddard discuss the role of dark money within politics and its repercussions on political campaigns.
- Amygdala Hijack is a process that can play a crucial role in politics – Paul and Terry unpack the concept and talk about what it can lead to.
- Many people don’t want to have anything to do with politics because “all politicians are sleazy and corrupt”. Paul and Terry go over where this line of thinking and the American voters’ problem actually come from.
- ‘Politicians use a similar trick that cartels use’, says Terry Goddard. He explains what this actually means and how dark money and money laundering are very similar in that respect.
- Paul and Terry go over what Terry is proposing in order to address dark money in Arizona.
- For Paul, if people want the political system to work, it needs to be approached like an industry where people need and receive accurate information to be able to make a judgment.
- Paul and Terry discuss the arguments that the challengers of Terry’s efforts against dark money are going to make.
- Terry shares his advice for people who are thinking about running for office.
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Disclosure Initiative
Citizens United
Koch Brothers
Justice Antonin Scalia
Justice Anthony Kennedy
The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy by Katherine M. Gehl & Michael E. Porter
Securities and Exchange Commission
Dark Money: The Hidden History of Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson welcomes former Maricopa County County Attorney and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Rick Romley to discuss his incredible story of overcoming adversity and finding meaning in life.
The two also discuss Romley’s career and the key challenges he faced, as well as running for office and giving back to the community.
- Rick Romley joined the Marine Corps in March of 1968 with the goal of joining for two years to get his G.I. Bill and help finance his college studies. He ended up being shipped to Vietnam with the First Marine Division, where he stayed until 1969.
- Rick shares what happened during his deployment, culminating in him getting significant injuries to both legs caused by an IED (also known as a booby trap).
- Rick went through some hard times following the injury, which was labeled as critical. He opens up about being close to giving up, about the moment he believes saved his life, and about how he has been helping and inspiring other veterans.
- Rick Romley ended up going back to college to get his law degree, all while being a single parent of two young boys and being severely handicapped.
- Paul talks about Viktor Frankl’s story of surviving Auschwitz, his Logotherapy concept, and the three things Frankl deemed to be helpful in finding meaning in life – even during hard times.
- Rick and Paul discuss how Rick ended up becoming County Attorney in Maricopa County (Arizona), and some of the great challenges he faced during his time there – including being involved in the investigation and prosecution of the deadliest mass shooting in the history of Arizona.
- According to Paul, the greatest thing the American Government ever did was empower the individual over itself. Paul and Rick unpack the concept of patriotism.
- Paul and Rick share their thoughts about doing the right thing when it comes to both one’s professional and personal life.
- Paul asks Rick for his advice for someone who’s thinking about running for office.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Rick Romley
Viktor Frank’s Logotherapy theory
Viktor Frankl
The Waddell Buddhist Temple Shooting
Phil Gordon
Mary Rose Wilcox
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah address several questions they received from people in regards to the concern about the arising recession and how to navigate your way through it, as well as the hierarchy of agency, how to navigate difficult conversations and finding meaning in life.
- The conversation between Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah kicks off by addressing the biggest part of the problem related to the bad national economy: the concept of the ‘dark passenger’.
- Paul shares something he considers inarguable: the fact that we’re going through a period of Enlightenment where we have dramatically reduced poverty throughout the world, decreased child mortality, and increased literacy, as well as promoted trade and free market, and advanced both the human condition and the economy in the U.S.
- The concept of Enlightenment dates back to the 1800s where it was challenged by followers of the so-called End of the Century movement that promoted the idea of pessimism and the notion that how people felt wasmore important than optimism and rationality.
- The End of the Century “philosophy” came to an end in the 1930s when the stock market crashed in 1929. That was followed by the rise of “isms”, Communism, Fascism and other movements that began to blossom all around the world.
- When talking about contemporary Enlightenment, some people bring the concept of Dark Enlightenment into the conversation. Some people have a very pessimistic view of the world. They believe that democracy isn’t working and that the only way to solve the issues that are bothering them is by overthrowing democratic means.
- Paul believes that many people have the Dark Passenger within themselves, and that’s overpowering their ability to make decisions and move forward in life.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah touch upon the role that showing your own vulnerability can make in regards to agency, having conversations with others and how to approach – and diffuse – difficult situations, and showing that we care about other people.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah unpack four elements of the hierarchy of agency: ‘know the truth’, ‘be accountable to yourself’, ‘finding meaning’, and ‘we, not me’.
- Paul brings up Viktor Frankl’s roadmap for finding meaning in life – and he and Dr. Bashah share what their meaning and purpose are.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Previous episode featuring Prof. Pinker - Free Speech, Human Nature, and the New Wave of Enlightenment with Prof. Steven Pinker
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Joseph Grenny and Kerry Patterson
The Hierarchy of Agency
John D. Rockefeller
Viktor Frankl
Dr. Philip Zimbardo
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson is joined by Professor Michael Beckley.
They discuss his new book Danger Zone, the role of China and the threat that exists, as well as how it could affect places like Taiwan and how the U.S. should be responding to it.
- According to Professor Michael Beckley, there is such a different narrative about China than the one we see going on in mainstream American politics, where China is inevitably going to keep rising.
- When looking at Chinese history, one can notice that the last 40 years are an anomaly. In Danger Zone, Prof. Beckley argues that China's exceptional rise has been the result of a few exceptional circumstances, all of which are rapidly turning against China and affecting its economy.
- Prof. Beckley and Paul Johnson discuss the concept of peak China and why China's current socio-economic situation will make it almost impossible to grow the economy.
- Prof. Beckley explains that, typically, rising powers will exist peacefully when things are going well. However, when their economy starts to slow and they start to get encircled and realize their system is no longer working for them, they try to reorganize the system in a better way for them.
- In his book Danger Zone, Prof. Beckley makes the argument that China isn't really an 80-year threat, but rather that it has a limited horizon.
- Paul Johnson and Prof. Beckley talk about Lenin's theory of capitalist imperialism, the challenge China will face in regards to its growing debt, the concept of danger zone, and potential repercussions for Taiwan and the United States; including military ones.
- Prof. Beckley illustrates the concept of encirclement and the long-term challenges it will create for China.
- Paul Johnson and Prof. Beckley go over their optimism; but also the fragility and challenges toward the United States.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Michael Beckley: https://www.michaelbeckley.org/
Previous Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-strengths-are-unrivaled-michael-beckley/id1615223090?i=1000563044728
Danger Zone and Unrivaled: https://www.michaelbeckley.org/books
Ray Dalio: https://www.principles.com/
Why Nations Fail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Nations_Fail
Jack Ma: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ma
Hal Brands: http://halbrands.org/
In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson is joined by his co-author of the upcoming book Addictive Ideologies: Dr. Emily Bashah.
They talk about the key principles and differences between the Alt-Right and Politically Correct Authoritarians, as well as studies that have covered human psychology in such areas.
- Paul Johnson sets the stage for the episode by discussing the fact that the alternative right and the politically correct authoritarians represent a minority of people but have a loud voice because of social media and the news focusing on them.
- Paul and Dr. Emily Bashah discuss the fact that what happens on college campuses is affecting the agency, and go over the potential repercussions of the term value.
- Dr. Bashah discusses a study that had been done on a couple hundred students, which identified a link between cognitive distortion and the need for safety. Moreover, she touches upon cognitive distortions, emotional reasoning, and the mental trap they represent.
- People in the so-called “dark triad” fall into one of these categories: Machiavellian, narcissist, and psychopath. Dr. Bashah and Paul Johnson break down each one and go over similarities and differences.
- Paul brings Dr. Ballinger’s study on Obsessive Ideologies into the conversation. He and Dr. Bashah share the four key aspects of the study.
- Paul has a very clear opinion in regards to Stuart Rhodes, Donald Trump, and the January 6th Capitol Hill attacks: to Rhodes, Trump was just a tool.
- Dr. Bashah and Paul share their thoughts on political correctness, cancel culture, and why some people may decide to remain quiet even when they witness something they don’t like.
- In their book Addictive Ideologies, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah talk about seven ideals people should focus on. During their conversation in today’s episode, Paul talks about those that fall into three categories: rationality, finding meaning in life, and the sense of belonging.
Host Paul Johnson welcomes Harvard University Professor and author Steven Pinker.
They discuss the new wave of enlightenment, what stands in the way of us being more rational, the difference between being an optimist and an optimistic, free speech, cancel culture, and more.
- Paul Johnson and Prof. Steven Pinker discuss the ongoing issue of American people losing faith, which often leads to losing agency and having a problem with identity politics.
- Prof. Pinker touches upon the fact that several historical trends have gone in a positive direction but that people aren’t aware of this because they get their world’s view from the news.
- Paul Johnson and Prof. Pinker talk about the causes behind this new enlightenment, why the U.S. seems to be behind compared to other Western Countries and the conditions that have created the ongoing enlightenment period.
- Why do ‘progressives hate to see progress?’ Prof. Pinker shares his thoughts and the psychological aspects that he believes may stand behind that line of thinking.
- Prof. Pinker illustrates what he considers things that stand in the way of us becoming more rational.
- Paul asks Prof. Pinker about his approach that tends to be questioning everything: the values of the left, his own ideas, and himself.
- Prof. Pinker talks about how, from a psychological standpoint, to help people rationalize and look at things rationally when they are panicking.
- Paul and Prof. Pinker go over amygdala hijacking, and the difference between being an optimist and being optimistic.
- Nowadays, there seems to be a strong streak of authoritarianism by the left and young people seem to be strong supporters of free speech. Paul and Prof. Pinker discuss why that appears to be the case.
- Prof. Pinker shares what he believes gives him the ability to test the norms, even when they could lead to long-term challenges for his career.
In today’s episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah address those questions, as well as points around agency and authoritarianism related to leadership, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the concept of locus of control.
- In today’s episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson and Dr. Emily Bashah address questions around how agency and authoritarianism relate to leadership, the psychology behind leadership, and tactical things that can make you a better leader.
- Dr. Emily Bashah shares that in her clinical practice she sees people wanting models that are going to inspire them, give them hope and something to look forward to.
- Paul shares how he can be optimistic despite the threat of a potential new Cold War.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah go over their definition of leadership and list the traits they believe a good leader should have.
- Dr. Bashah praises Paul for the approach he has when talking about their book – this leads them into a conversation on ambition, leadership, and legacy.
- Dr. Bashah unpacks the concept of locus of control and the impact it can have on leaders.
- According to Paul Johnson, something “being your fault” isn’t a negative thing, quite the opposite. That’s because, as his father used to say, ‘If it’s your fault, you can fix it.’
- Paul and Dr. Bashah talk about taking ownership, the best place to find agency, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
- Paul believes that you should pick a different type of leadership – such as the servant leader, the coach, and the visionary – for different types of situations.
- Dr. Bashah mentions a study that looked at the power position and shares her advice in regards to making presentations and the importance of listening.
- Through his work, Paul employs and gets to interact with hundreds of millennials. He discusses how he translates some of his teachings to them.
In this episode of The Optimistic American, host Paul Johnson sits down with Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to discuss what led to the conflict, the current situation, and what potential future scenarios could mean for the U.S. and the rest of the world.
- This episode of The Optimistic American focuses on the Ukraine war and addresses the question, what does the Ukraine war mean for the U.S.?
- Today’s guest is Marie Yovanovitch, who served as an ambassador in Ukraine and who’s the author of Lessons From the Edge.
- Ambassador Yovanovitch talks about why, whether Russia ends up controlling Ukraine or not matters from an American standpoint.
- According to Yovanovitch, the U.S. is supporting Ukraine because it’s in its own national security interest.
- Yovanovitch shares that she has come to take some of the freedoms and American democracy for granted and didn’t realize that institutions are only as strong and as resilient as the people who actually inhabit and work in them.
- Paul believes that the single greatest thing the American Government ever did was empower the individual over itself and that it has contributed to solving big problems of human progress.
- Paul expresses his concern over what’s happening in Russia and in China – and with their respective Governments.
- Quoting CIA’s William Burns, Ambassador Yovanovitch shares the new role of the U.S.: not being a superpower but a pivotal power.
- Paul and Ambassador Yovanovitch discuss whether the U.S. should have or should have not gotten involved in the Ukraine war – and whether the U.S. should give Putin some ability to save face or not.
- Yovanovitch sees Ukraine as currently winning the war. She explains why that’s the case and shares the views some of her military contacts have on the ongoing conflict.
- Paul and Yovanovitch talk about the effect a Ukrainian victory over Russia could have on other authoritative regimes and dictators.
- Ambassador Yovanovitch goes over some of the history of Ukraine, the revolutions that took place, her role in everything, and how we ended up where we are today.
- Ambassador Yovanovitch shares her thoughts on her former colleagues, and where she sees the U.S. going as a country.
This episode of The Optimistic American kicks off season two – listen to learn about what’s to come, addictive technologies, the history of prosecutions in Iraq’s and their impact on Dr. Emily Bashah, and what to consider and do to avoid falling prey to “amygdala hijacking”.
- This episode discusses what’s to come in season 2, as well as the prosecution of Jews in Iraq and how that impacted – and is still impacting – Dr. Emily Bashah’s family.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah’s upcoming book Addictive Ideologies discusses the fact that genocides don’t happen with just one person nor overnight. They happen with a group of people that begin to fall into a cult-like type of mentality, and when people begin to lose agency.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah talk about what they consider to be the exact altar side of the spectrum from authoritarianism: agency.
- Dr. Bashah shares the connection between agency, the theory of mind, and morality.
- Paul and Dr. Basha touch upon amygdala hijacking, and what you should consider and do to avoid being manipulated.
- Dr. Bashah brings Dr. Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment into the conversation. The study aimed at looking at what brings the evil out of people. The results were that people aren’t inherently evil but they do become if you put them into certain circumstances and conditions.
- Paul discusses the book In the Garden of Beasts and the four results from studies on obsessive ideologies.
- Dr. Bashah reads the opening chapter of Addictive Ideologies and talks about the prosecution of Jews in Iraq, how that impacted her family, and the repercussions it still has today.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah touch upon different key moments in the history of Iraq that led and followed what happened to Dr. Bashah’s family and many other members of the Jewish community.
- According to Paul, ideologies are about power. If you want to keep your agency, he says, the best ideology is rationalism. It’s about recognizing that all sides bring benefits and detriments, and about having the ability to sort through the options to figure out what’s best – so long as the rule of law stays in place.
- Paul and Dr. Bashah give a sneak-peek of what’s to come in season 2 of The Optimistic American and share the 7 ideals future episodes will revolve around.