Alain de Botton on Emotional Education

https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=W9X7u-MeJz0

Emotional Education is at the core of what we need to lead a fulfilled life – and is what The School of Life teaches online and in physical branches around the world. In this film, founder of The School, Alain de Botton discusses what emotional education is – and why we so badly need it. He also introduces the School’s new book, AN EMOTIONAL EDUCATION, available here: https://bit.ly/2mBpDN5This lecture was recorded at the Cliveden Literary Festival on the 28th of September, 2019. For more on this festival, see here: http://clivedenliteraryfestival.org/Sign up to our new newsletter and get 10% off your first online order of a book, product or class: https://bit.ly/2LayJ9F For gifts and more from The School of Life, visit our online shop: https://bit.ly/2mzTo0J Our website has classes, articles and products to help you lead a more fulfilled life: https://bit.ly/2o7j8SAMORE SCHOOL OF LIFEVisit us in person at our London HQ: https://bit.ly/2oWYh4NYou can submit translations and transcripts on all of our videos here: https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_panel?c=UC7IcJI8PUf5Z3zKxnZvTBog&tab=2 Find out how more here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6054623?hl=en-GBSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/CREDITS Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/

24 thoughts on “Alain de Botton on Emotional Education

    1. is there anything in the school of life that addresses solitude as a chosen and worthy way of life? or to at least be able to distinguish between solitude that is defensive and solitude that is a soul thriving? it’s an important subject as there is an expectation and a presumption that we need and want relationships and that they are some kind of bedrock for a happy, fulfilling life. is this a therapeutic (oddly conservative) or cultural bias? People (especially women) should be given the fair choice and knowledge that solitude is a worthy and valuable (fulfilling) life choice – for however long – including ‘forever’…

  1. It’s so fascinating listening to him. He knows so much of what he’s saying. He’s so verbally prepared and good for the ears.

  2. I seem to disagree with nearly everything this guy says.

    The reason suicides are up is purpose. People need that, the old fashion community gave people that, religion gave that, just having a stable family and children gave that. These days that’s advised against, don’t have a family or commitment or religion. But people inherently want that as a person. Your purpose might also be something greater and that was also fine.

    Friends are not gained by showing vulnerability, sure you need to be honest and show vulnerability in a friendship. Friendship is bought, you need to invest time, loyalty and caring to gain a friendship. It’s work, it’s not magic.

    This guy has prejudice against Christianity and therefore is trying to replace it, even admititantly. Christianity has the right of most emotional needs of a person and a community. Sure you can take the divinity away but your words can’t change human workings. Workings that also make sense for evolution. Child raising is a huge commitment and that sense of community is needed. People need to work together to survive else live animals from meal to meal, cold and wet.

    1. “The reason suicides are up is purpose.”
      If only that were the answer but it isn’t.
      I’m not saying it is not part of the answer but it sure isn’t the only answer.
      For 32 years after coming back from Vietnam I thought of suicide every day … then in 2002 I had a psych evaluation.
      I found out I was suffering from PTSD – it was manageable – I wasn’t mad at all.
      I haven’t thought of suicide since – nothing to do with purpose.

      “Friendship is bought, you need to invest time, loyalty and caring to gain a friendship. It’s work, it’s not magic.”
      Pretty sure he never mentioned magic… pretty sure trust and honesty come into it too.

      “This guy has prejudice against Christianity and therefore is trying to replace it”
      He nor I were never christers in the first place – we don’t need to replace it.
      I’m a third-generation Dutch-Australian atheist – I have never needed god critters.
      Alain is a Swiss Jewish atheist… and as far as I can tell, always has been.

      Wikipedia: “Alain de Botton’s Swiss-born mother was Ashkenazi, and his father was from a Sephardic Jewish family from the town of Boton[4] in Castile and León. De Botton’s ancestors include Abraham de Boton.[5] De Botton’s paternal grandmother was Yolande Harmer, a Jewish-Egyptian journalist who spied for Israel and died in Jerusalem.[6]”

      “but your words can’t change human workings”
      No one’s talking about changing – it’s more about growing.
      It’s not as if anyone is suggesting one can change the past.

      “Child raising is a huge commitment and that sense of community is needed. People need to work together to survive else live animals from meal to meal, cold and wet.”
      Pretty sure he didn’t say anything to negate any of that.

      “This guy has prejudice against Christianity”
      And you are prejudiced against all non-christians.
      ~
      “Venerated Mortal”
      Are you a cult leader or something? 🙂
      ~

    2. @luckyjohn19 I’m sorry about your PTSD, I am glad you are feeling better now. Sure, the world is a messy place. No two stories are the same.

      He said showing that you are vulnerable is all you need to do to make friends. I implied that it’s an effort in every regard to maintaining a friendship.

      He actually said that he is trying to form some way to replace spirituallity from christianity. “Normal” people need it, how they fill its up to the individual. Everyone has an identity origin idea and philanthropy they follow to make them feel whole. The fact that he has devoted his life to finding meaning tells me everything.

      The reson I refered to inate human working and the committment of raising a child is because the reason people act why they do is not because of a preconception that can be changed, its not about growing. The way I think of it, If we evolved these traits they are probably benificial to human survival. Why is that? People need a family, purpose, comunity, loyalty etc. If you try to change these things you break humanity. We are a very unstable bunch of amino acids. I think thats clear in all psycological data avaliable to us. Suicides are up, divorces etc.

      Everyone preaches thier own philanthropy, your opinion of the legitimatsy is the only thing that changes.

    1. Do not forgive if dead. No peace wanted is why dead. How to live with that person is more important. Do everything to avoid them like you’d do with starvation, thirst, and that bitter cold.

    2. Your time on this planet isn’t limited to your waking days. Not a astronaut to escape that grave. Here you are bound. Enjoy your waking moments.

  3. I’ve watched this over and over again until I’ve almost memorized the words. it may be my hyper fixating tendencies, but I just wholly agree with his points and they way he says them. when I go on my rants about love and dating, these are the words that come out of my mouth 😂

  4. Allen de Bottom, listened to him for years. A very informative intelligent man and he does it with humor. Thank you ❤️

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