ReThinking: Matthew McConaughey on avoiding cynicism and finding gratitude

23/09/2025 34 min
ReThinking: Matthew McConaughey on avoiding cynicism and finding gratitude

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Episode Synopsis

Matthew McConaughey is the Academy Award-winning star of Dallas Buyers Club, Dazed and Confused, or Interstellar. But he’s not just an actor—he’s also an entrepreneur, philanthropist, teacher, and prolific writer. His second book, Poems and Prayers, was built on decades of his journal entries, poems, and life lessons learned. In this episode, Matthew and Adam discuss the difference between cynicism and skepticism, reflect on Matthew’s experience in learning to laugh at his embarrassing moments, and consider effective and ineffective steps for practicing gratitude. Matthew also shares the story behind his iconic “Alright, alright, alright” catchphrase and why he’ll never get tired of hearing it.FollowHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)Guest: Matthew McConaughey (Instagram: @officiallymcconaughey) LinksPoems & Prayers by Matthew McConaugheyGreenlights by Matthew McConaugheySubscribe to TED Instagram: @tedYouTube: @TEDTikTok: @tedtoksLinkedIn: @ted-conferencesWebsite: ted.comPodcasts: ted.com/podcastsFor the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/worklife/worklife-with-adam-grant-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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