I just interviewed Martin Seligman.

He's the creator of the field of Positive Psychology. Positive psychology views the patient not as having a "mental illness" that needs to be fixed but as a human who would like to maximize his or her potential well-being.

The results, outlined in the books Learned Optimism, Authentic Happiness, and his new book, Tomorrowmind, have been a game changer for me.

I am an optimist in general, particularly on the state of the world. But often I slip into pessimism as regards my personal situation. His books and his PERMA outline of what well-being is have been very helpful to me so I was really grateful to have the chance to talk with him and, in my view, it was a great interview.

Or was it?

I asked ChatGPT what questions it would ask Martin. “

And...they were great.

Here’s the podcast.

And below are the AI's questions. I don't know which would've done a better job. Me or the AI?

What I Usually Ask

I tend to ask...

Questions that specifically help me.

Here I am talking to the pre-eminent psychologist in the field I feel provides the most value in clinical psychology. It's basically the foundation of modern cognitive behavioral therapy.

So I view the podcast interview with him (and his co-author, brain research Gabriella Kellerman) as a personal therapy session for me! Heck, when else would I get the chance?

So my questions in a round-about way are really about my own personal situations although it might not seem that way.

The AI questions are much more news-worthy.

Questions from the AI

If you're planning to interview Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, there are a number of interesting and relevant questions you could ask. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Can you tell us about your work in developing the concept of "learned helplessness"?
2. How does your work in positive psychology differ from traditional forms of psychology?
3. Can you speak to the impact of your theory of "PERMA" on the field of psychology and in the public sphere?

More AI questions

1. Can you discuss the relationship between positive psychology and mental health?
2. Can you talk about your involvement in the field of character education and how it relates to your work in positive psychology?
3. Can you discuss some of the criticisms of positive psychology and how you respond to them?

Even More AI questions

1. How do you see positive psychology evolving in the future?
2. Can you speak to your recent works on Flourish and how it expands on the concept of well-being and happiness.

What do you think?

Is AI going to steal my job?