The OptimalWork Podcast

#292: In her recent best-seller “Bad Therapy,” Abigail Shrier argues that therapy for children causes more problems than it solves. Shrier critiques the approach many therapists take as based on a flawed understanding of human nature, and she also draws attention to data suggesting that modern therapy is not stopping the increase in rates of anxiety, depression, etc. and may even be increasing them. In this episode, Sharif and Dr. Kevin Majeres explore Shrier’s work, arguing that while much of her critique is valid, it only applies to a certain subset of therapy. The solution to bad psychology is good psychology, not no psychology.

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#291: Kevin and Sharif pull back the curtain on the major AI overhaul inside OptimalWork, explaining how the platform has evolved into a personalized growth system that helps people set better goals, reflect more effectively, and build momentum day by day. They explore why generic AI advice often falls flat, how a strong governing theory makes AI far more useful, and why the future of human flourishing still depends on something no machine can replicate: the heart of a real mentor. Along the way, they preview the new Grow-Work-Learn vision for the platform—and share why this next chapter could make both personal growth and mentoring dramatically more powerful.

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#290: It can be tempting to fit people into our categories: we think things like, “she’s sanguine,” “he’s not good at math,” “she’s shy,” “he’s melancholic.” We may even convince ourselves that these labels help us people as they want to or ought to be treated. But taken too far, labels prevent us from forming meaningful relationships with people. They can limit what we say or do, leading us to avoid certain topics of conversation or shared activities, and sometimes even introduce fear into the relationship. To form true bonds, we need to be radically open to the other person and treat them as a unique individual.

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#289: The brain’s models and predictions play a central role in the vicious cycles that drive procrastination, dread, and anxiety. When your brain assess a challenge as a threat, often it’s predicting some pain, or shame and sounds the alarm to get you to avoid it. To reverse these vicious cycles and transform them into virtuous ones, we need to shape our brain’s predictions, de-fusing from our models, opening up to reality, and asking: How can this bring out my best? What would a new and better way of doing this look like?

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#288: In this capstone episode, Sharif and Kevin explore a powerful question: Do you have to fix yourself before you can serve others? As they unpack the virtue of justice, Kevin challenges the common belief that relief from anxiety, depression, or anger must come first. Instead, he argues that vitality begins when attention shifts outward—toward real duties, real people, and real bonds. But they don’t stop there. Drawing from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Kevin makes a bold claim: friendship goes beyond justice. While justice orients us toward the good of others, it’s genuine friendship—shared meaning, shared effort, shared attention—that becomes an inexhaustible source of enthusiasm in work and life. From teachers losing early excitement to professionals searching for lasting motivation, Sharif and Kevin show why projects and pleasures eventually fade—while bonds with people never do.

Find more at https://OptimalWork.com