If statement not working despite having triggered the appropriate boolean value | Python

Question

I want to get this if statement to execute when good_view_list is True , I'm aware that it's a list but whenever I print out its boolean it gives me a True value (I'm assuming because there are strings inside), why then doesn't this if good_view_time is True: if statement work if good_view_time is in fact True .

I'm aware of other alternatives, just want to know why THIS one doesn't work.

good_view_time = ['https://www.instagram.com/p/CKmTcvmHYkY/', 'https://www.instagram.com/p/CKcOxtlHJsy/' , 'https://www.instagram.com/p/CKpHBAcHkhl/']

#returns True
print(bool(good_view_time))

if good_view_time is True:
    for post in good_view_time:

        print(post)

Answer 1

bool(good_view_time) returns True , but good_view_time itself is a list, it can't be literally True . good_view_time is not True , but converting it to Boolean gives True because non-empty lists are truthy. In the same vein, bool("Hello") is True , but the string "Hello" itself is most definitely not equal to True (why would it be? It's a string,), nor is it exactly equivalent to True as the is operator would check.

So, you should be comparing:

if bool(good_view_time) is True:

Or, which is equivalent:

if good_view_time: