Alain de Botton views the world in a way that is profound yet easy to understand; a modern-day philosopher and essayist, he set up the School of Life, which explores self-understanding and aims to educate people on the aspects of life we don’t get taught at school - like relationships, careers, anxiety, ageing and so much more. I had the honour of sitting down with Alain to chat, and am so pleased it was recorded as I’ll be listening back to this episode aplenty.

What is love? How do we navigate heartbreak? Why is our childhood so informant on the rest of our lives? How do we sit with ourselves? And while we’re at it - what actually is the meaning of life? Alain talks me through why we experience the ‘ick’, the emotional burdens parents project onto their children, and how breakdowns can be breakthroughs. He also helps me understand better my own relationship, examining how attachment styles and past experiences can shape the way we love.

This conversation is rich in kindness and full of appreciation for the complexities of being a human.

If you enjoyed this episode, please click follow - we have so many great guests like this one, you won't want to miss out!

You can also follow us on Instagram and Tiktok @greatcompanypodcast

And if you want to read Alain's latest book, A Therapeutic Journey: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Therapeutic-Journey-Lessons-School-Life/dp/0241642558

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THE CREDITS

Exec Producer: Jemima Rathbone

Assistant Producer: Gurlina Heer

Editor: Steve Melia

Marketing: Eleanore Bamber

Video: Jake Ji and Ryley Kirby

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

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Ep. 83: A Survivor Shares His Tale of Horror