The School of Life

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  LITERATURE - Jane Austen 04.10.2026 9Min.

  Jane Austen’s novels are so readable in part because she wasn’t an ordinary kind of novelist: she wanted her work to help us to be better and wiser people. Her novels had a philosophy of personal development at their heart. Uploaded 09-10-15Enjoying 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/dw_SvBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/YFEkoSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSBrought to you by http://theschooloflife.comProduced in collaboration with Mad Adamhttp://MadAdamFilms.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  8 Secrets of a Healthy Mind 04.10.2026 9Min.

  Sadly, in most cases, mental illness is a chronic condition: not a one-off, but something that’s likely to recur in the future. Coping requires us to accept this - and put in place a strategy for managing our symptoms over the long-term.Uploaded 02-06-21Enjoying 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/XpKqrBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/CgaKzFURTHER READINGYou can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3uHrdKh"We would – of course – like any encounter with mental illness to be as brief as possible and, most importantly, to be isolated and singular. But the reality is that for many of us, the illness will threaten to return for visits throughout our lives, it will be a condition to which we will be permanently susceptible. So the challenge isn’t to learn to survive only a one-off crisis; it’s to set in place a framework that can help us to manage our fragility over the long-term. Some of the following moves, practical and psychological, suggest themselves:.."MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLselfSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Mike Boothhttps://www.youtube.com/somegreybloke Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Quiet Force of Undelivered Letters 04.10.2026 5Min.

  A general principle of mental health is that the less we are able to express, the more unwell we get it. Our spirits can lighten and our horizons expand once we can find a way to lend outward form to our pains. 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/WeuWe Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/E3-I9 FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://9qq0.short.gy/yMFjhk “A general principle of mental health is that the less we are able to express, the more unwell we get it. It’s when we have to stifle our rage, sadness or fear that we start to develop secondary symptoms (sleeplessness, paranoia, bitterness, poor digestion); just as our spirits can lighten, and our horizons expand, once we can find a way to lend outward form to our pains…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLself SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Cara Watson https://cara-watson.com/Animation Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Make a Country Wealthy 04.10.2026 12Min.

  If you were setting out to make a country rich, what kind of mindsets and ideas would be most likely to achieve your goals? We invent a country, Richland, and try to imagine the psychology of its inhabitants. 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/e3-1B Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/i6jJm FURTHER READING You can read more here: https://goo.gl/StpBHa MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on CAPITALISM in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLcapitalism Do you speak a different language to English? Did you know you can submit Subtitles on all of our videos on YouTube? For instructions how to do this click here: https://goo.gl/RK1kdE SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Download of App: https://goo.gl/E9S7uW Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Vale Productions http://www.valeproductions.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Is It OK to Keep Secrets From Your Partner? 04.10.2026 5Min.

  We’re taught that love requires honesty, and that secrets are anathema to healthy relationships. But there may be very noble reasons for concealing things from our partner - and instances where it is far kinder to lie than reveal hurtful truths.Uploaded 31-03-21Enjoying 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/ltnQMBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/bDo9YFURTHER READINGYou can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3m6Sd36MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLselfSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Iris Abolshttps://irisabols.co.uk/ Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Secret Power of Gratitude 04.10.2026 6Min.

  Life constantly requires that we say thank you to people - for presents, favours and helpful actions. But expressing thanks is a far from straightforward business. To be properly skilled at it, we need to learn the art of getting specific.Uploaded 17-03-21Enjoying 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/vB20CBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/4wUdMFURTHER READINGYou can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/30OGxYP“Life continually requires that we write down a few words of thanks: for holidays, meals, presents or people’s place in our hearts. However, too often, our messages end up flat or somewhat unconvincing; we say that the dinner was ‘wonderful’, the present ‘brilliant’ and the holiday ‘the best ever’, all of which may be true while failing to get at what truly touched or moved us…”MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on ART in our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpcp7jXVszdNruKUtHZ2zuZbSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Ana Pérez López https://www.anaperezlopez.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In Conversation: Alain de Botton on Excellent Company with Jamie Laing 04.10.2026 1Std. 5Min.

  Alain de Botton sits down with Jaime Laing on the @GreatCompanyPodcast. Together they dive into such subjects as: What is love? How do we navigate heartbreak? Why is our childhood so critical in shaping the rest of our life? And what does it all mean, anyway? Along the way, Alain walks Jamie through some of the reasons why we experience the ‘ick’, the typical emotional burdens parents project onto their children, and why breakdowns often lead to breakthroughs. They also explore ways of understanding our own relationships – and how our attachment styles and past experiences can shape the way we love. Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot Productions uploaded with their permission to The School of Life. If you enjoyed this podcast you can find more on the Great Company podcast, links below: YouTube |  @greatcompanypodcast Instagram |  @greatcompanypodcast TikTok |  @greatcompanypodcast -- 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://www.theschooloflife.com/the-school-of-life-youtube/ Learn, heal and grow. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/articles/ Timestamps 00:00 What is the meaning of life? 00:45 Finding the extraordinary with the ordinary 3:30 An exercise that can help with anxiety 07:00 How difficult self-awareness is 08:50 What Jamie was like as a child 10:20 Why funny people often come from sad childhoods 12:50 Looking for familiarity not happiness in relationships 18:00 Examining Jamie’s relationship through attachment styles 21:45 Acknowledging a relationship is between two broken people 23:00 Why asking ‘How are you mad?’ on a date can help 25:00 Best way to diffuse an argument with a partner 26:30 The worst heartbreak comes from the nice ones 29:20 How to become the best version of yourself 31:20 Our past can explain how we act in our current relationships 36:45 What has led me to do what I do 39:20 Life is about deepening time not just lengthening it 40:40 Ways to help when feeling mentally unwell 48:30 Breakdowns can actually be breakthroughs 50:15 Why read my new book ‘A Therapeutic Journey’ 52:00 Final eight questions #THESCHOOLOFLIFE #GREATCOMPANYPODCAST #ALAINDEBOTTON -- THE CREDITS: Exec Producer: Jemima Rathbone Assistant Producer: Gurlina Heer Editor: Steve Melia Video: Jake Ji Marketing: Eleanore Bamber Social Media: Laura Coughlan SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: X: https://x.com/TheSchoolOfLife/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theschooloflife?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When We Fall Mentally Ill... 04.10.2026 5Min.

  Mental crises can seem to come out of the blue, but their roots probably reach back years, even decades. Recovery begins only when we begin to listen to what our pain is trying to tell us.Uploaded 24-02-21Enjoying 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/9QZGGBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/ifDMXThe School of Life runs a global online psychotherapy service that assists clients from over 40 countries. To find out more and book a session today, please visit our website: https://t.ly/xP3ELFURTHER READINGYou can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3bw2nW4“For a long time, we may cope well enough. We make it to work every morning, we give pleasant summaries of our lives to friends, we smile over dinner. We aren’t totally balanced, but there’s little way of knowing how difficult things might be for other people, and what we have a right to expect in terms of contentment and peace of mind. We probably tell ourselves to stop being self-indulgent and redouble our efforts to feel worthy through achievement. We are probably world experts in not feeling sorry for ourselves…”MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLselfSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Dal Parkhttps://dalpark.net/ Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How Unloving Parents Generate Self-Hating Children 04.10.2026 8Min.

  Our sense of self-worth is dependent upon the love we were shown as children. The legacy of an unloving parent may be a lifetime of self-hatred, which we need to unpick in order to escape.Uploaded 24-03-21Enjoying 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/g8WsBBe more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/nTVEmFURTHER READINGYou can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/2PrPh4H“A central fact about early childhood is that babies are born into the world entirely at the mercy of others. They have no native strength, intelligence or utility, they cannot fight or complain, walk away or argue their case, their survival depends solely on their capacity to look up from their cots with vast innocent beautiful eyes – and charm their parents into caring for them. It’s their power to attract love that ensures they will be fed and clothed, protected and kept alive. In exchange for this nurture, young children readily offer their parents or caregivers unconditional admiration. They naturally adore and are boundlessly impressed by those who pick them up and bathe them, warm their milk and change their sheets. They are in awe at these giant people who know how to turn on a washing machine and kick a ball over a tree. There is – at this stage – no innate desire whatever to question or doubt figures of authority…”MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLselfSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Deanca Rensytahttps://www.deancarensyta.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Good Societies Are Pessimistic 04.10.2026 8Min.

  We may associate pessimism with bad things, but at a political level, the world’s best societies are all experts at pessimism. Uploaded 20-07-17Enjoying 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/4YZ68 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/7_NN0FURTHER READING“It might be normal to imagine that a good society would be one in which a majority of people held optimistic views about themselves, their fellow citizens and their prospects for their collective futures. But, in fact, quite the opposite appears to be true: deep pessimism seems a key ingredient for the maintenance of any good society…”You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/o8cnwfMORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on CAPITALISM in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLcapitalismSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with: Phil Tibbhttps://www.philltibb.com/ #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How To Choose A Companion Thoughtfully 04.10.2026 7Min.

  We’re given very little guidance on how to choose our partners and tend to leave it to that mysterious force we know as ‘instinct’. However, it truly pays to be a little more rational in this area and work out how our instincts operate and why they push us towards some people and away from others. 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/84CGe Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/qMbgP FURTHER READING “How do we choose the people we fall in love with? The Romantic answer is that our instincts naturally guide us to individuals who are kind and good for us. Love is a sort of ecstasy that descends when we feel ourselves in the presence of a benign and nourishing soul, who will answer our emotional needs, understand our sadness and strengthen us for the hard tasks of our lives. In order to locate our lover, we must let our instincts carry us along, taking care never to impede them through pedantic psychological analysis and introspection or else considerations of status, wealth or lineage. Our feelings will tell us clearly enough when we have reached our destiny. To ask someone with any degree of rigour why exactly they have chosen a particular partner is – in the Romantic world-view – simply an unnecessary and offensive misunderstanding of love: true love is an instinct that accurately and naturally settles on those with a capacity to make us happy.…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on RELATIONSHIPS in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLrelationships SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Zedem media http://www.zedemanimations.com/ #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Seek Help When You're Overwhelmed 04.10.2026 6Min.

  Feeling at rock bottom? Don't despair. This film explores how to ask for help at times of crisis and loneliness. Learn to overcome shame and find support in times of crisis. #MentalHealth #Vulnerability #Help #Support #Crisis #Resilience 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://www.theschooloflife.com/the-school-of-life-youtube/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=How%20to%20Ask%20for%20Help%20When%20You're%20Drowning Learn, heal and grow. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDjlHY5Z2xI&t=7s MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLself SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: X: https://x.com/TheSchoolOfLife/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theschooloflife?lang=en CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Diego Lodeiros https://thebrightagency.com/uk/animation/artists/diego-lodeiros Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Genuine Power of Community 04.10.2026 5Min.

  There’s a lot of pressure on us to make our individual lives interesting. But sometimes, the best experiences aren’t those connected up with our personal triumphs; they’re moments of joy at belonging with others. 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/5PIMj Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/zHodB SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Impact of Dishonesty to Transform Your Love Life 04.10.2026 4Min.

  Relationships suffer from a fundamental tension between the desire to be honest and the fear of being abandoned. We go into relationships in order to be ‘ourselves’ but were we to really be entirely ourselves, there is a high risk we would be left. Could silence be the price we have to pay for companionship? Or is there another way? 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/ctA55 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/MqJRS FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://9qq0.short.gy/2YF8kv “Relationships suffer from a fundamental tension between the desire to be honest and the fear of being abandoned. We go into relationships in order to be ‘ourselves’ but were we to really be entirely ourselves, there is a high risk we would be left. Silence seems the price we have to pay for companionship. However much we may claim to be open minded, very few of us genuinely make room for another’s complexity in so far as we are its targets. We say they can ‘tell us anything’ but in practice the topics any of us are really prepared to listen to is small - and lovers unconsciously mutually know it. Tell me who you really are - just leave out most of the details…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on RELATIONSHIPS in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLrelationships SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Léon Moh-Cah https://nananastudio.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The 17 Secrets to a Fulfilling Relationship 04.10.2026 5Min.

  It’s often said that no one can ever really say what a good relationship is, let alone draw up a checklist for a prospective one. We politely disagree… 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/lqRVO Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/s9P4- FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://9qq0.short.gy/PKUS7i “It’s often said that no one can ever really say what a good relationship is, let alone draw up a checklist for a prospective one. We politely disagree: 1. Pick someone you feel profoundly grateful ever decided to look your way. Start from a sense that you are the lucky one - and that they are superior (the truth is irrelevant). 2. Make sure you fancy them. Check out that you have compatible areas of perversion - and little interest being normal in bed. 3. Allow yourselves both to admit, from an early stage, that you are ‘mad’; heavily distorted by your pasts, unable to understand yourselves, prone to irrational assumptions - and unsteady in your assessments of reality. 4. Make apology the most regular of occurrences. Say sorry about everything all the time and reduce the price of an admission to almost zero. 5. Remove all pride from your character. You were an idiot then, you are an idiot now, you will be an idiot tomorrow. There’s no other option for a human being. Make jokes. 6. Regularly explore how you have disappointed one another. Let them sometimes hate you and you them. Don’t be frightened by anger moderately expressed. The enemy of love is stifled emotion, not maturely explored authenticity. Listen very carefully when they tell you how they feel. 7. Never describe them categorically as this or that (insulting trait). Only ever say: I feel you are this or that… Observe the difference. 8. Get good at sensing the fear beneath your angry moods, then express the fear gently rather than acting out the anger. 9. Reduce expectations of perfection. It’s going to get horrible at times. Allow for major frustrations. You will want to kill them and they you. Don’t. 10. Accept you will have crushes on others. Let them wash over you - and, if the mood is right, share them with the partner. 11. If there are children, recognise that love will suffer hugely. Look forward to properly picking up the baton again in 15 years. 12. Become the sort of person who has no embarrassment about being ‘needy.’ Accept the child in you and look after their needs in the relationship. 13. Read up about attachment theory - and keep the concepts close at hand. 14. Stop being defensive; stop needing to maintain a proud hold on your own dignity. Laugh continually at your foolishness - and apologise for it. 15. Accept that they can’t save you from your own disturbances. Try to be happy in yourself and if you are not, don’t redirect the blame. Observe how often your rocky patches are projected versions of your own life crises. Get a therapist. 16. Don’t expect everything from love. 17. Be very prepared (though reluctant) to leave. Remain out of choice, never desperation. “ MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on RELATIONSHIPS in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLrelationships SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Hannah O'brien https://www.hanobrien.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How To Break Your Negative Patterns - Alain de Botton on Chris Williamson 04.10.2026 1Std. 55Min.

  Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ This is an original podcast from @ChrisWillx uploaded with their permission to The School of Life. If you liked this please check out their other content. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: http://www.x.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/ Expect to learn: where bad inner voices come from, why we struggle to connect with our emotions, if there is a danger of intellectualising too much, Alain’s advice for obsessive people who want to let go, advice for an anxious person dealing with an avoidant one, why we get stuck in unhappy relationships, how to improve your self worth and much more… Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subscription to our podcast, articles, videos, and exercises, specially tailored to your needs. - 00:00 Where Do Bad Inner Voices Come From? 08:22 Healing a Negative Inner Voice 22:31 Why Do We Struggle to Fully Connect With Our Emotions? 28:14 The Danger of Intellectualising Emotions 36:01 Letting Go as an Obsessive Person 43:06 Openness & Transparency in Relationships 52:13 Advice for People in an Anxious-Avoidant Relationship 58:37 How Malleable Are Attachment Styles? 1:08:42 Embracing Playfulness in a Serious World 1:12:26 How Childhood Impacts Adult Relationships 1:16:02 Why People Get Stuck in Unhappy Relationships 1:22:33 Our Tendency to People-Please 1:29:59 Taking Ownership of Your Patterns 1:37:12 Are Deep Thinkers More Lonely? 1:41:05 What Drives Alain? 1:51:51 Where to Find Alain Get weekly insights for better relationships, deeper self-knowledge, and inner calm straight to your inbox. Sign up for more ideas, plus 10% off your first shop order: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ OUR COLLECTIONS https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcEwc0qydf2jSszQFSht81E https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpckOvZZ_AZjD7WM2p9-6NBv https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpeUL1vz9Su7OmeghBDgmj7X https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpeypJMHfNbJ4RAFkRtmAN3P https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcpxBm1RoGRx4mVKNRIrKkG https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpcp7jXVszdNruKUtHZ2zuZb https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpfv2COuuJaKzy6E2n8nSMdi https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpc1qCJ6RYYh4rKNOOlKtFIK SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theschooloflife?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Seven Most Calming Works of Art in the World 04.10.2026 10Min.

  In moments of agitation, personal and nation-wide, what would often best calm us down are not pills or meditation - but the right works of art. Here are seven of the world's most calming works of art, works that know how to restore perspective, reassure us of the future and gently return us to a more bearable state.Uploaded 27-05-20Enjoying 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/iXZBG Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/jhgxZFURTHER READINGYou can read more about this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/2XuP952“Art has never been mere entertainment. Alongside philosophy and religion, it has been humanity’s chief source of consolation. It is what we should turn to in our very worst moments. Here are seven of the most calming works of art ever produced....”MORE SCHOOL OF LIFEWatch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLselfSOCIAL MEDIAFeel free to follow us at the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITSProduced in collaboration with:Deanca Rensyta Mihardjahttps://deancarensyta.brushd.com/about Title animation produced in collaboration withVale Productionshttps://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Only Two Questions to Restore a Relationship 04.10.2026 4Min.

  How can we prevent damage in our relationships? To start with we can regularly ask our partners two ostensibly simple yet hugely central and effective questions… 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/843mW Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/GMpyM FURTHER READING You can read more on this here: https://9qq0.short.gy/ys7oSs “Relationships get damaged; every day brings with it small challenges - disappointments, frustrations, and irritations - that can come between even the most committed lovers and subtly wear away at the sincerity of their connection. To prevent the risks, lovers should regularly make room to ask themselves - in a calm spirit of gentle openness and curiosity - two ostensibly simple yet hugely central and effective questions: What are you angry with me about? How have I scared you recently?” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on RELATIONSHIPS in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLrelationships SOCIAL MEDIA Feel 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/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Gemma Green-Hope http://www.gemmagreenhope.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The GENUINE Political Divide 04.10.2026 9Min.

  We’re used to splitting voters into right and left camps, but might there be a more fruitful division between ‘classical’ and ‘romantic’ voters? Which one are you? 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/yHERy Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/_srjB FURTHER READING “We’re used to dividing how people vote in elections according to the categories of right-wing and left-wing. But there might be another way of labelling an electorate that taps into something broader and deeper in human personality. We might apportion people into the camps of Romantic and Classical voters. Which might you be?...” You can read more on this and other topics here: http://bit.ly/2d6wTtB MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on CAPITALISM in our playlist: http://bit.ly/2bvXBwj SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ X: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Noelle Smith Design http://www.noellesmithdesign.com/ #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Life is Not About Pursuing Happiness 03.10.2026 5Min.

  Is happiness overrated? This film challenges the pursuit of constant contentment, advocating for a life of meaningful experience and psychological depth. Embrace the complexity of life and find fulfillment. #Meaning #Purpose #Psychology #LifeLessons #Philosophy #Growth 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://www.theschooloflife.com/app/ Learn, heal and grow; get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/an-interesting-life-rather-than-a-happy-one/ “We typically assume that the ultimate aim of all our efforts is to have a happy life. And judged on this basis, many of us have to admit – in the silence of our minds – that we are not really doing very well. There is so much that – every year, and perhaps almost every day – comes along to spoil our ambitions: there is a power struggle at the office, there’s a problem in our families, our friends feel superficial or disengaged, our anxieties don’t abate and our relationships are scratchy or distant. Our difficulties generate a basic layer of misery, but a secondary layer is then swiftly added to it – caused by an underlying sense that our unhappiness represents a fundamental…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLself SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theschooloflife?lang=en CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Hannah O'brien https://www.hanobrien.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices