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Alain de Botton: Finding Answers to Life’s Tricky Questions

Feb 4, 2020

Alain de Botton, philosopher and founder of The School of Life, discusses the meaning of life, his books, and the emotional education provided by The School of Life. He shares insights on work-life balance, upbringing, and the origins and mission of his organization

55:36

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Alain de Botton

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Quick takeaways

The School of Life focuses on providing an emotional education to help individuals lead more fulfilled lives, prioritizing work and relationship issues.

Alain de Botton emphasizes the significance of embodiment and effective thinking, and encourages appreciating the beauty of the planet and finding joy in simple moments.

Deep dives

The School of Life: Starting a Dream

The founder and chairman of the School of Life, Alain de Botton, shares his journey of starting the organization and the importance of fulfilling education. He discusses the challenges of working with others and the need to prioritize the happiness and contentment of colleagues. Alain also emphasizes the role of religion in education and the significance of embodiment, exploring topics like architecture, food, and space in relation to learning. He delves into the concept of effective thinking and the value of moments when the mind is free from pressure. Alain concludes by emphasizing the need to acknowledge the fragility and unpredictability of life, and the importance of appreciating the beauty of the planet and finding joy in simple moments.

Introduction

2min

Upbringing and Early Years

14min

Getting Rid of Dislikes and Introducing VORBOS

4min

Origins and Mission of the School of Life

27min

Reflecting on a Shameful Moment and Finding Joy in the Beauty of the Planet

2min

Security Certifications, SaaS Management, and Favorite Quotes

3min

Parting Words, Rearranging the World, and a Sneak Peek

3min

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? Of course you have, you’re only human after all.

Well, today’s guest, Alain de Botton, philosopher and founder of The School of Life, has not only wondered the same thing too, philosophising this age old dilemma, he’s also written a book on the subject.

Actually, he’s written well over 15 books as a solo author and collaborated on countless others.

“I was a young man who really wanted to know the meaning of life. I wanted guidance in the big questions. I wanted to know why I was anxious. Why I might be sad. What love was. How to secure love. What a good relationship was. What friendship was. What a satisfying career might be. I wanted to know all of these things. And really, there were very few clues in my education.”

And so as well as writing on meaningful topics to help elucidate these deep subjects, Alain also founded The School of Life. He set it up in 2008 with colleagues, friends, supporters and his family, with the aim to offer an emotional education, focusing in particular on the issues of work and relationships.

From a vague plan his business has fast grown into an organisation that now not only provides a home for developing the tools for people to lead a more fulfilled life, it supports countless businesses, enabling them to get the most out of their employees, and vice versa.

So if you want a more fulfilled life, start by listening to this podcast with a modern day thinker. It’s truly insightful.

We chat about:

How his upbringing shaped his early existence
The School of Life and its inspiration
How to cope with crippling anxiety in your work
The connection between food and your state of mind
How the School of Life can help your business
Why his deepest fear is catastrophe

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