Matthew McConaughey on avoiding cynicism and finding gratitude

Matthew McConaughey is the Academy Award-winning star of Dallas Buyers Club, Dazed and Confused, and 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. Follow Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/) Guest: Matthew McConaughey (Instagram: @officiallymcconaughey)  Links Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey Subscribe to TED  Instagram: @ted YouTube: @TED TikTok: @tedtoks LinkedIn: @ted-conferences Website: ted.com Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna TEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.