The School of Life

We’re used to thinking hugely well of democracy. But interestingly, one of the wisest people who ever lived, Socrates, had deep suspicions of it. If you enjoy our videos, get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles with The School of Life Subscription: https://www.theschooloflife.com/40-off-articles-offer/ Watch more films on Philosophy in our play...

Being disliked by others is one of the most unavoidable but unpleasant realities: learning to cope without panic belongs at the core of wisdom. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/WjL6d Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the...

Part One of this film is here: https://youtu.be/K2a79WhvmAU Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/pJzMG Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/sv0nB FURT...

James Joyce deserves our ongoing interest for his momentous discovery of the Stream of Consciousness. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/2TKlu Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered strai...

‘I don’t play games,’ is a favourite mantra declared by hopeful people at the beginning love stories the world over. However, it can be less obvious what games playing really involves - and therefore how definitively to avoid its dynamics Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The...

Remaining mentally healthy requires a bit of thought and effort. Here are a few things that can help us to remain balanced and calm. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/FHjUG Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The...

Having a partner far away is normally seen as a curse. It’s time to acknowledge the many advantages of the arrangement as well. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/1_qmd Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The Scho...

John Maynard Keynes was arguably the greatest economist of the 20th century. He discovered the idea that governments should stimulate demand during economic downturns – and was the creator of both the IMF and the World Bank. His ideas continue to underpin a lot of the modern economic system. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-pro...

We tend to look patronisingly at people convinced they might win the lottery. But we often harbour equally misguided hopes for our romantic and professional lives. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/5EvdV Be more mindful, present an...

One of the great challenges of the modern world is how to keep calm in the face of bureaucracy. A small film for anyone who has ever wanted to shout at the airline counter or the operator. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/4-NOB Be...

We all are, at times, the victims of one of the cruellest and most remorseless of all mental afflictions: obsessive thinking. But why? FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://9qq0.short.gy/m0b8dK “For some of us, today like every day, will mean another case of immersing ourselves, from the moment we wake up, in a by-now very familiar set of painful thoughts. We w...

We don’t need our lovers to be perfect. We need them to warn us of their quirks in good time. We need them to give us an instruction manual to themselves. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/a6-gx Be more mindful, present and inspire...

What holds us back from being more confident at work is often a sense that we are fundamentally different from those who succeed. We suffer – needlessly – from The Impostor Syndrome. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/LBTsq Be more...

At the School of Life, we’ve pioneered a new form of Meditation we call Philosophical Meditation, designed to help with anxiety, sadness and a lack of direction. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/IhBM7 Be more mindful, present and...

It isn’t macabre or nihilistic to think of death. It’s the start of a proper, braver engagement with the possibilities of life. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/EEeL3 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The Scho...

The ideology of Romanticism has been fatal to our chances of long-term happiness in modern relationships. Here, School of Life founder Alain de Botton delivers a lecture at the Sydney Opera House charting a wiser course for love. With deepest thanks to the team at the Opera House. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking arti...

We frequently ask ourselves to be not merely good, but perfection. Our perfectionism makes us sick. We need to learn to accept the virtue of being ‘good enough’. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/mVE3h Be more mindful, present and...

We’re used to thinking of pessimism as the enemy of good things, but when it comes to relationships, it can be a vital ingredient in keeping a couple together. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/KeGun Be more mindful, present and in...

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Is true relationship success rooted in the ability to be alone? This film explores the uncomfortable truth that making peace with singlehood isn't about finding joy in solitude, but accepting its difficulties. Discover how this radical acceptance can become your greatest strength, fostering the clarity and cour...

It might strike us as odd to claim that a person might be ‘too’ clever. Yet excessive intelligence can blind us to some of life’s simplest pleasures — and most important truths. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/7au1a Be more mindf...

Most of life is dreadful — which is why it's important to focus on what remains hopeful, fun or sweet. Here's a roundup to keep us going. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/V4luD Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best o...

Paradoxically, one of the signs of a 'mature' relationship is a willingness to be infantile with one's partner. Sign up to our new newsletter and get 10% off your first online order of a book, product or class: https://bit.ly/3HpVdSa For books and more from The School of Life, visit our online shop: https://bit.ly/3Gp6514 Our website has therapy, articles and products to help you lead a more fulfi...

We pride ourselves on living in a sexually liberated age. But we haven't in fact begun to know how to face up to, or discuss, our true sexual natures. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/uEFUs Be more mindful, present and inspired. G...

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ We often fail to see the red flags in those around us. This film explores the painful truth behind the adage, "when people tell you who they are, believe them." Discover how a childhood spent making excuses for difficult caregivers can prevent us from seeing the plain and simple clues others give us about their...

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ The same fight, everywhere. This film dissects the toxic cycle of feeling controlled vs. abandoned in relationships. Learn to break the pattern, communicate hurt, and build empathy. #Relationships #Communication #Conflict #Attachment #Psychology #Empathy Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subsc...