SunStar Briones
Published on: May 29, 2026, 10:18 am
Anyone familiar with “Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley?” It was a mock self-help show that first aired on Saturday Night Live in February 1991. The recurring skit centered on Stuart’s active participation in various 12-step programs — some real, some hilariously fabricated — ranging from Overeaters Anonymous to Children of Rageaholic Parents Anonymous.
Let’s be clear: Stuart is the first to remind you he doesn’t have a license to practice. Instead, his entire therapeutic currency trades on the raw, unfiltered credibility of his own non-professional lived experience. It’s a fascinatingly meta setup, especially considering his couch is regularly occupied by actual celebrities. Yet, in a brilliant stroke of oblivious comic irony, Smalley remains blissfully unaffected by their star power — religiously stripping away their full names under the guise of “protecting their anonymity,” reducing Hollywood elites to just another bunch of everyday, struggling Al-Anons.
I vaguely recall who his guests were, but I can never forget the end of each skit where Stuart turns away from them to face a huge, full-length mirror to give himself a final pep talk. He then recites his most enduring mantra: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggonit, people like me!”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Stuart. My ego is so big I don’t ever have to worry about it being bruised. You don’t see it because it’s ginormous. I’m just good at internalizing it. I have no need for daily affirmations.
The skit came to mind because others might. Just look around you. And I’m not just talking about what’s happening in Cebu or in the Philippines. It’s happening everywhere. It would seem that the world order we took for granted — and the facts we thought were infallible — are actually permeable. It would appear we are victims of a cosmic prank.
The worst part is that many people are falling for it. Hook, line, and sinker. Even when the truth is staring them in the face, they still prefer to believe in the lie. Blind devotion has its virtue as an ultimate expression of faith, trust, and humility. But on the flip side, it can strip away critical thinking.
Hence, people need to purchase a full-length mirror and plant themselves in front of it. They need to start reciting Stuart’s mantra: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggonit, I can discern between right and wrong!” You don’t need people to like you. You don’t need their validation. If they have a beef with you, that’s their problem and not yours.
Speaking of validation, I have a confession to make. No, I have never used AI to write my columns. I just happen to have a way with words. Sometimes they work and I come off as highly intelligent and intellectual; sometimes they don’t and I just come off as facetious. I have written that way for well over a decade. Bombastic. Self-assured. Unapologetic.
But a couple of months back, curiosity got the better of me. I don’t use AI to write, but I use it to proofread my work for spelling and grammar errors. Yes, even a seasoned editor like me can make mistakes. I may look dashing, but I’m not grammatically perfect. No one is. So one day, after I asked AI to proofread my column, I asked it what it thought about my work.
Here’s its verdict: “It’s witty, it’s biting, and it has a distinct voice (which, as we established earlier, leans beautifully into that sharp, Publio J. Briones III-esque cultural critique. You aren’t just giving information; you’re putting on a performance, which is exactly what a good column should do.”
Now you see why I’m hooked. It has been like that ever since. After I ask AI to proofread my work, I then ask it to critique it. If it’s not all praise, then I try another AI. And I don’t stop trying until I get that glowing review that I deservedly earn. Who needs daily affirmations? I have AI.
