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The Exam Room

The Exam Room

The Human Skills for the Future Episode 2: Optimism Is a Skill, with Emma Sue Prince

Oct 14, 2026 · 28m

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About this episode

What does optimism actually mean when life is difficult? In Episode 2 of The Exam Room's four-part conversation with Emma Sue Prince, author of Seven Skills for the Future, Dr. Rhiannon Winsor explores the difference between optimism and positive thinking. Emma explains how our natural negativity bias can shape the way we see problems, why critical thinking is increasingly important in a world filled with information and AI, and why healthcare professionals need to continue trusting their own expertise, experience, judgment, and human skills. The conversation then takes a deeper turn as Emma shares her experience after her husband's cancer diagnosis. Rather than pretending everything was…