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The School of Life

tscol·Hosted by Alain de Botton·617 episodes

HealthFitnessMentalSocietyCultureAudio essaysShort episodesDailyPhilosophicalEmotionally reflectiveStandalone episodes

Master your emotional intelligence with The School of Life podcast. We apply classic philosophy, modern psychology, and culture to the everyday issues that matter most: work, love, anxiety, and the search for meaning. In each episode, we explore the deepest questions of the human condition through calm, insightful audio essays designed to help you understand yourself and the world around you. Whether you are navigating a difficult relationship, seeking career fulfillment, or simply looking for a moment of calm in a chaotic world, our content offers the wisdom and perspective you need to live a more resilient life. Join millions of l...

Why listen

The School of Life turns philosophy, psychology, art, and everyday emotional problems into short, calm audio essays. With Alain de Botton and The School of Life team as the guiding voice, it is a good fit for listeners who want thoughtful reflection on love, work, anxiety, childhood, and meaning without a heavy academic format.

Episodes

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
The First Rule for Thriving Relationships

In relationships, honesty is key. Learn how to say what you truly feel by following this one simple rule. If you are looking for more rules to help guide your relationship, check out this article: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/a-rule-to-help-your-relationship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=The%20number%20one%20rule%20for%20healthy%20relationships The secret to maintaining a mature and respectful relationship is honest and open communication. Yet many of us hold back, suspecting that a frank confession of our feelings would risk upsetting or alienating our partner. The solution lies not in giving vent to anger, but in voicing the more vulnerable and sympathetic fears that lie beneath our complaints. Watch our film to learn the art of vulnerable communication – and discover what a healthy relationship truly looks like. Looking for more relationship advice? Check out our Relationships playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcEwc0qydf2jSszQFSht81E ☀️📚 About The School of Life: We are a passionate group of people on a mission to bring about healing, growth, calm and self-understanding. We derive our ideas from psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy, art and culture. As our name – The School of Life – suggests, we are here to teach people how life can be lived and what can make it truly worthwhile, effective and fulfilling. To discover more, visit our website and subscribe today: https://www.theschooloflife.com/the-school-of-life-youtube/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=The%20number%20one%20rule%20for%20healthy%20relationships --- ✅ To keep up-to-date with all of our upcoming YouTube videos, subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@theschooloflifetv?sub_confirmation=1 --- 📈 Do you want to equip your business with the tools to promote emotional well-being and success? Contact us today to find out about our programmes: https://t.ly/VySeS --- ☎️ Find us on other social channels: 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 Produced in collaboration with: Deanca Rentysata https://www.deancarensyta.com/showreel Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife #Relationships #HealthyRelationships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
How to Recognize the Most Delightful People in the World

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=Who%20are%20the%20loveliest%20people%20in%20the%20world? 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=Who%20are%20the%20loveliest%20people%20in%20the%20world? FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/the-loveliest-people-in-the-world/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=Who%20are%20the%20loveliest%20people%20in%20the%20world? “The loveliest people are not the applauded and the haughty ones, the elated and the optimistic ones. They are the ones who long ago shed their pride, who can tell you frankly how lonely and sad they are, who can face their self-hatred and accept their regrets…” 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/ 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: Faye Fillingham https://www.instagram.com/fayefillingham/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk kindness, compassion, empathy, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, vulnerability, authenticity, human connection, relationships, personal growth, spotting genuine people, seeing beyond the surface, traits of truly lovely people, understanding hidden kindness, appreciating vulnerability, connecting with authentic individuals, building meaningful relationships, emotional intelligence in real life, finding beauty in unexpected places, the power of vulnerability, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 21, 2026
Concealed Contemplations: Jaffa Cakes

#eatingdisorderawareness #secretthoughts #theschooloflife The best way to stop eating is to have something better to do with your life. That isn’t always very easy. 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/lGCOq Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/N3vMy 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Khyan Mansley http://www.youtube.com/khyan1 #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 min
Jul 21, 2026
LITERATURE - Charles Darwin

Darwin liked to say he had thought of calling his book “the Ascent of Man” - but that that would suggest some idea of progress. Rather what he wanted to do was show that despite the obvious technical advances of past centuries modern people were still at the same moral level, or perhaps slightly worse, than their remote ancestors. 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/qSQ9q Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/WjvSY FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/charles-darwin-and-the-descent-of-man/ "It is completely understandable that we are often maddened by what might be called ‘normal’ humanity. The way in which emotion so regularly triumphs over careful reasoning; the power of group loyalty, even when the group doesn’t seem to deserve much devotion; the vast mechanisms of status-seeking that drive so much excess consumption; widespread selfishness and indifference to the greater needs of more distant others. And we can find ourselves — in the privacy of our heads, or in the occasional late-night outburst — railing against the fools and idiots who (so unfortunately) seem to occupy so many of the prominent places of power, wealth and influence..." MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on LITERATURE in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLliterature 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: Zedem Media http://www.zedemanimations.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
How to Cease People Pleasing and Discover Happiness

One of the more curious aspects of the ways we are built is that it can take us a very long time indeed to work out what we need in order to be happy. 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/dSfO3 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/v9zA9 FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3dRCGnS “One of the more curious aspects of the ways we are built is that it can take us a very long time indeed to work out what we need in order to be happy. We might assume that the process was obvious; what could be more straightforward than to want. We’ve ostensibly been doing it since we were four years old and began a powerful campaign for an electric train or set of farmyard animals…” 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: Aaron Sampson https://www.motionmaverick.com https://www.instagram.com/motionmaverick/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
Why Your Child's Drawings Matter

Children can’t draw very well in the technical sense - but their art has important value for us nevertheless. 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/uimEx Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/jYHzt 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Delphine Burrus https://vimeo.com/delphineburrus #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 21, 2026
Concealed Musings: The Marriage

After seeing them only a few seconds, certain people prompt us to dream of spending forever with them. Crushes are sweet and deeply romantic, in a way. They are also an immature form of madness we should outgrow. 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/fmeh0 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/GfKeY 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Khyan Mansley http://www.youtube.com/khyan1 #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Ultimate Test of Your Social Skills

You’ll know you’ve truly become socially adept when you finally manage to make small talk with that most challenging and unforgiving of characters: a small child you hardly know. 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/7DmMD Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/2u3UN FURTHER READING “It can be easy to imagine we possess reasonable social skills, because we know how to maintain a conversation with strangers and – every now and then – manage to make a whole table laugh. But there’s a test far sterner than this, surprising in its ability to trip us up: the challenge of having a pleasant time with a child we don’t know. Theoretically speaking, this should be so easy. We were all once kids. We know a great deal more than they do and – as far as they’re concerned – hold all the cards: if we felt like it, we could buy 26 packets of biscuits and go to bed whenever we wanted…” You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/9APsau 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: Martin Pickles http://martinpickles.com/ #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 min
Jul 21, 2026
HISTORY OF IDEAS - Attachment

We think of love as merely spontaneous – but it is in fact an emotion acutely shaped by its history. Understanding more about the course of love in time can help us think through our options in the present. Please subscribe here: http://tinyurl.com/o28mut7 If you like our films take a look at our shop (we ship worldwide): http://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/all/ 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/jrv9j Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/i4KTU Produced in collaboration with Mike Booth http://www.youtube.com/somegreybloke #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Hidden Strength Of Psychedelic Therapy

There is a form of therapy which is, right now, in most countries of the world, illegal but which stands to become a dominant way of doing therapy over the coming years and may be the principal route by which many people will heal from their traumas. 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/Gg-Je Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/z_H7i FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3xwDWDK “There is a form of therapy which is, right now, in most countries of the world, illegal but which stands to become a dominant way of doing therapy over the coming years and may be the principal route by which many people will heal from their traumas. The reason why psychedelic therapy is likely to prove so important is that it has the power to overcome the central impediment to successful therapy right now…” 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/ 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: Deanca Rensyta https://www.deancarensyta.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
Intimate Musings: I'm so busy

We spend a lot of time on our screens, looking at things that aren’t always strictly necessary – and might sometimes be a bit secret. And yet we are, of course, 'so busy'... 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/MA1wR Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/30SXq 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Khyan Mansley http://www.youtube.com/khyan1 #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Downfall of London

London's skyline was for decades protected by regulations governing the heights of buildings in the historic core. These regulations have now been torn up, and an unprecedented tower building-boom has been unleashed. Please subscribe here: http://tinyurl.com/o28mut7 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/uXPCX Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/ui7GE 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with David Horsburgh http://www.davidtheanimator.com #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
How to Shield Ourselves

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Why do highly capable people become powerless in intimate relationships? This film explores the paradox of individuals who are shrewd in public but unable to protect themselves in love. We trace this pattern to a childhood survival mechanism, where unwarranted innocence was necessary to cope with uncaring caregivers, preventing them from seeing or defending against private danger. #Psychology #SelfProtection #Relationships #TraumaHealing #EmotionalSafety Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subscription to our podcast, articles, videos, and exercises, specially tailored to your needs. 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/ You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/why-we-become-unable-to-protect-ourselves/ “There are people who, in most walks of life, are extremely canny and highly able to look after themselves. They may be shrewd in business, undaunted in social encounters, and vociferous in defending their causes in public. And yet, in other situations, these very same people can find themselves sharply and strangely unable to protect their own interests. This is one of the more subtle effects of childhood trauma in adulthood. The situations in which these people become powerless, innocent, unworldly and too pure for their own good are intimate ones. In close relationships, the years seem to fall away from them. They find themselves in a couple and lose any ability to imagine that their partner might be anything other than ‘very nice’ and ‘on their side’. Other people may spot a problem at once; in their eyes, all is completely well until it is far, far too late…” 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 CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Natalia Talkowska https://www.natalkadesign.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Agonies of Jealousy

Never feel bad about not being mature about jealousy: sometimes wisdom means recognising when wisdom isn't an option. 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/n_WnB Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/RMti9 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Khyan Mansley https://www.youtube.com/user/Khyan1 With Ian Smith - https://twitter.com/iansmithcomedy Letty Butler - http://unitedagents.co.uk/letty-butler #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
How Damaged People Chase More Pain

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Why do we choose partners who punish us? This film dissects how childhood wounds lead to unhealthy adult relationships. Break the cycle, understand attachment trauma, and seek true connection. #Trauma #Relationships #AttachmentTheory #Healing #SelfSabotage #Psychology Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subscription to our podcast, articles, videos, and exercises, specially tailored to your needs. 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/ You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: 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 CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Aaron Sampson https://www.motionmaverick.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 min
Jul 21, 2026
PHILOSOPHY - Hegel

The German philosopher Hegel believed that strange and alien bits of history have much to teach us. He believed story and civilisation do not move in a straight line, so important ideas and attitudes get left behind. 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/DfRZo Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/w7hp_ MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE More films on PHILOSOPHY: http://bit.ly/TSOLphilosophy 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with http://www.madadam.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Mysteries of Happiness – in 60 Seconds

Hours of thought by the team at the School of Life have led us to a 60 second film, summarising a lot of what we know about satisfaction. If you like what we do, can you help us not to go bust? 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Mad Adam http://www.madadam.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Concealed Expense of Skipping Key Stages of Development

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=The%20Stages%20of%20Development%20-%20and%20what%20if%20we%20miss%20out%20on%20one… 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=The%20Stages%20of%20Development%20-%20and%20what%20if%20we%20miss%20out%20on%20one%E2%80%A6 FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/the-stages-of-development-and-what-if-we-miss-out-on-one/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20stranger%20aspects,to%20finish%20the%20stage%2C%20even?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=The%20Stages%20of%20Development%20-%20and%20what%20if%20we%20miss%20out%20on%20one%E2%80%A6 “One of the stranger aspects of the way we’re built is that we need to go through a number of stages of development in childhood and adolescence in order to reach maturity – and if for whatever reason we miss out on any one of them, then a part of us will in the background be craving to return to finish the stage, even if it is one normally associated with being a toddler and we happen to be well into middle age…” 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: Deanca Rensyta https://www.deancarensyta.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 21, 2026
NEW! LEGO 'THINKING' RANGE

After wasting too long making kits about police forces and Indiana Jones, Lego has at last raised its game and begun to produce a far more worthwhile range about… philosophers. 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with James Morr https://www.youtube.com/user/SpastikChuwawa And: Tommy Williamson http://bricknerd.com #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
A Writing Exercise to Help You Discover Yourself

In order to accurately reflect what we truly think we may have to not to agonise about every word, not to go back and correct anything - and instead, just to write down everything that comes into our minds the very moment it does so. 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=A%20Writing%20Exercise%20to%20Help%20You%20Meet%20Yourself 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=A%20Writing%20Exercise%20to%20Help%20You%20Meet%20Yourself FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/why-we-should-practice-automatic-writing/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=A%20Writing%20Exercise%20to%20Help%20You%20Meet%20Yourself “Usually, when we set out to write, sounding coherent and polished are our central priorities. We may think hard before setting anything down, we keep an eye on spelling, we may go back and correct words that feel not entirely right, we may delete a paragraph or two - all in the hope of eventually reaching a point where what we have articulated seems accurately to reflect what we truly think…” 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: Aaron Sampson https://www.motionmaverick.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Distrust Test

One of the most useful realisations we might come to about ourselves is that we are ‘paranoid.’ 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/cxq3S Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/J8vtE FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3b3YJGZ "One of the most useful realisations we might come to about ourselves is that we are ‘paranoid.’ The word is easy to laugh off as impossibly eccentric, evoking people who insist that they are being tailed by the secret service or watched over by an alien species. But the reality is lot more normal-looking and far less comedic-feeling. To be paranoid in the true sense is to suffer from a repeated feeling that most people hate us, that most situations are extremely dangerous and that some kind of catastrophe is likely to befall us soon..." 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: Gemma Green-Hope http://gemmagreenhope.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
Clandestine Food Obsession

In many areas, we're far weirder than we let on in public. For example, consider the business of eating: there's such a difference between how we do it with, and without, onlookers. 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/SOjaq Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/RtpXS 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 that master film-maker and comedian Chris Bingham https://www.youtube.com/user/slomozovo #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 min
Jul 21, 2026
PHILOSOPHY - Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault was a philosophical historian who questioned many of our assumptions about how much better the world is today compared with the past. When he looked at the treatment of the mad, at the medical profession and at sexuality, he didn't see the progress that's routinely assumed. 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/T7tWu Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/4tlzZ FURTHER READING “Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was a French 20th-century philosopher and historian who spent his career forensically critiquing the power of the modern bourgeois capitalist state, including its police, law courts, prisons, doctors and psychiatrists. His goal was to work out nothing less than how power worked and then to change it in the direction of a Marxist-anarchist utopia. Though he spent most of his life in libraries and seminar rooms, he was a committedly revolutionary figure, who met with enormous popularity in elite Parisian intellectual circles (Jean Paul Sartre admired him deeply) and still maintains a wide following among young people studying at university in the prosperous corners of the world…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE More films on PHILOSOPHY in our playlist below: http://bit.ly/TSOLphilosophy 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: Mad Adam http://www.madadamfilms.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
How Not To Rant

When we next catch ourselves going on a bit too long on a topic – or, to put it bluntly ‘ranting’ – we should dare to ask ourselves where our behaviour is coming from. 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/lZqPo Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/MYgQw FURTHER READING “One of the risks of social life is that we will in the course of an evening or in the kitchen at a party end up trapped with a person of excessive conviction or, to put it more colloquially, a bore. Bores can be found harbouring any manner of obsessions: they may be deeply concerned...” You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/hCCbyl 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/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Direction and animation: Lee Arkapaw and Tessa Chong Sound Design: Alister Mew #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 21, 2026
Why Is Leaving a Relationship Often an Act of Emotional Maturity, Not Failure?

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Get weekly insights for better relationships, deeper self-knowledge, and inner calm straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 min
Jul 21, 2026
How to Aid Those We Love

Loving someone isn’t enough to guarantee we will know how to care for them. For this, we need to learn to understand the distinctive way in which they need our love to manifest itself in order for it to feel real to them. 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/e23kf Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/HN_Vm You can read more here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/articles//?/ Watch more films on RELATIONSHIPS in our playlist: http://bit.ly/20DqEgb 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: http://bit.ly/2cNB2Us 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/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with Avi Ofer http://www.aviofer.com/ #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Importance of Flattery

We’re used to thinking rather badly of flattery; but in fact, it’s one of the moves that can help people to develop and grow into better versions of 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/XDsm8 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/yQP_O FURTHER READING “Flattery has a bad name. It’s associated with saying something upbeat but untrue in order to hoodwink its unsuspecting target for low personal gain. In Aesop’s famous fable, The Fox and the Crow, an ugly crow has found a piece of cheese and retired to a branch to eat it. A sly fox, wanting it for himself, flatters the crow, calling it beautiful and wondering whether its voice will be as sweet as its appearance. The crow lets out a horrific screeching sound and the cheese drops straight into the fox’s gaping expectant mocking jaw. But there’s another form of flattery with more valuable and ethical ambitions. Parents of small children invariably discover its uses – which deserve to be better known and practiced around all age groups. Let’s imagine that a child isn’t yet entirely kind to their brother, or good at drawing, or a perfect cook or helpful around the house – but the parent declares that they are so as to encourage and make more concrete what is as yet only tentative and fragile in their ambivalent nature. The child is being helped to end up as some of the things he has already been described as being...” You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/Mn9GJp 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/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Ana Stefaniak http://www.anastefaniak.co.uk/ https://vimeo.com/sirmagpie #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 min
Jul 21, 2026
LITERATURE: Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka is a guide to some very dark feelings most of us know well concerned with powerlessness, self-disgust and anxiety. This literary genius turned the stuff of nightmares into redemptive, consoling art. 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/YvWZH Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/uJ__A 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/ Produced in collaboration with Mike Booth http://youtube.com/somegreybloke and Carla Pereira http://carlapereiradocampo.blogspot.co.uk/ #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
How To Be A Genius

The route to our best, most genius-like thoughts is not to be afraid of our stranger-sounding insights and hunches. 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/AiqOb Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/OjeAm FURTHER READING “We hear a lot about genius. We are taught to admire the minds of those infinite, baffling but astonishing geniuses like Einstein, Tolstoy or Picasso. Quite what genius might actually be is left a little vague. It’s a codeword for ‘brilliant but perhaps too other-worldly ever really to fathom.’ We are invited to stand in awe at the achievements of geniuses but also to feel that their thought processes might be quasi-magical and that it is ultimately simply mysterious how they were ever able to come up with the ideas they have had…” You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/AV1fgk 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/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Tom Fisher www.tomffisher.co.uk Catherine Prowse www.catherineprowse.com Hannah Quinn www.itshannahquinn.com Ada Wikdahl cargocollective.com/adawikdahl #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
Freud on: Channelling

A lot of what we long for and desire will never be ours; we might go out of our minds with frustration, were it not for a very useful manoeuvre first identified by Sigmund Freud: sublimation. 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/kuNrq Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/wblr6 The 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/xP3EL 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 Brought to you by http://theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Mad Adam http://MadAdamFilms.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 min
Jul 21, 2026
Emerging Philosopher: Where to Start with Philosophy?

Where do you start with philosophy? What are the good books to start with? These are questions that Em, our resident Student Philosopher, gets asked all the time - and so here recommends four titles that she liked. 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/RrqP5 Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/IFXHb Em's book choices are: The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russell The Consolations of Philosophy, Alain de Botton The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera #theschooloflife 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/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 min
Jul 21, 2026
Why People Develop Mental Illness

It sounds really strange to speak of the upsides of being ill. Surely there are only downsides? 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/A-Kje Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/p2E41 The 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/xP3EL FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3cCj4E0 “It sounds really strange to speak of the upsides of being ill. Surely there are only downsides? But rather than assuming, as we normally do, that our mental illnesses are just a problem for us, we can dare to ask in a spirit of open-minded exploration: What are my illnesses doing for me? Whatever their costs, what are their secret upsides? What are their unexpected benefits? Why might I be covertly siding with them against the possibility of health?” 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: Natalia Ramos https://www.instagram.com/natalia_ramas/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 21, 2026
Why Do We Sometimes Escape From the Very Love That We Crave?

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Get weekly insights for better relationships, deeper self-knowledge, and inner calm straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Enjoyment of Kissing

We know that kissing is pleasurable but the reasons why are a little mysterious; it may have a lot to do with feeling accepted. 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/7XUDQ Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/8akU6 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Matthew Hammett Knott http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/matthew-hammett-knott #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 min
Jul 21, 2026
Are you scared of closeness? #animation #shorts #intimacy

Sometimes we may end up in a couple where we spend a lot of time complaining - to concerned friends and family - that the other person is evidently and committedly ‘afraid of intimacy.’ They don’t often talk of their emotions; they may find it hard to be physically cosy; they don’t cry so often. 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/7K1To Learn, heal and grow. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/35AUz FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://t.ly/Wj9FS “Sometimes we may end up in a couple where we spend a lot of time complaining – to concerned friends and family – that the other person is evidently and committedly ‘afraid of intimacy.’ They don’t often talk of their emotions; they may find it hard to be physically cosy; they don’t cry so often. Whereas we on the other hand – as all our acquaintances know – are the emotionally fluent ones. We long to be close to someone, we long to discuss our feelings openly and without restraint, we are healthy and ready for love. It’s simply such a pity – and so profoundly unfortunate – that we have ended up with such an unyielding and resistant partner…” 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: Dave Anderson https://daveandersonart.com/ Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 21, 2026
How to Remove Your Parents from Your Thoughts

The human mind between the ages of one and ten is infinitely attuned to its environment. A somewhat cold forbidding father or an erratic mother really may be all that are required to breed an elevated degree of anxiety or self-hatred that colours the next eight decades. 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/yZSHQ Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/udCE8 FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3qg8Jk2 “One of the most difficult things about being human is how easily influenced we are by our childhoods — and more particularly, our parents. The human mind between the ages of one and ten is dauntingly receptive, infinitely attuned to its environment. A somewhat cold forbidding father or an erratic mother really may be all that are required to breed an elevated degree of anxiety or self-hatred that colours the next eight decades...” 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: Mike Booth Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 min
Jul 21, 2026
The Singular Path to Dating Successfully

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Dating success starts with self-love. This film explores how a strong sense of self-worth is your greatest defense against bad partners and needless heartache. Learn the essential rules for dating with confidence, knowing what you deserve, and developing the discernment to navigate rejection and find truly reciprocal love. #DatingAdvice #SelfLove #SelfWorth #HealthyRelationships #EmotionalIntelligence Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subscription to our podcast, articles, videos, and exercises, specially tailored to your needs. 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/ You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/dating-when-youve-learnt-to-love-yourself/ “Dating is ostensibly the business of searching for someone to love – but for it to go well, it requires us first to work on a much more fundamental relationship: the one that we have with ourselves. We won’t be successful daters – or indeed, successful lovers – if we haven’t first reached a healthy perspective on our own natures. Dating presents us with the ultimate test of our powers of discernment and of our sense of self-worth. What exactly does it mean to suggest that we may need to learn to love ourselves before we try to love someone else? It means that we won’t be in any position to work out who is kind and good, who is worth investing in, until we are firmly on our own side. We need to have overcome our self-suspicion, to be sure of what we deserve and to have a healthy sense of our value – in order to correctly judge who could adequately reward our presence and in order not to despair at all the rejection we will inevitably encounter on our journey to love…” 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 CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Diego Londoras https://thebrightagency.com/uk/animation/artists/diego-lodeiros Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk ​<

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
A Handbook For the Recovering Avoidant

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=A%20Guide%20For%20the%20Recovering%20Avoidant 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=A%20Guide%20For%20the%20Recovering%20Avoidant FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: hhttps://www.theschooloflife.com/article/a-guide-for-the-recovering-avoidant/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=A%20Guide%20For%20the%20Recovering%20Avoidant “‘Avoidant’ is the term usefully coined by attachment theorists to define those of us who, through no fault of our own but with full responsibility for our condition, have grave difficulties around intimate relationships…” 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: Natalia Begaj Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 min
Jul 21, 2026
One Crucial Question to Emancipate Yourself From Childhood

The most fundamental idea at the heart of modern psychotherapy is that in order to heal ourselves from our neuroses in the present, we have to understand what went on in our childhoods. 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/eCzoy Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/QV1i- FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3LULJBq The most fundamental idea at the heart of modern psychotherapy is that in order to heal ourselves from our neuroses in the present, we have to understand what went on in our childhoods. Though this thesis makes impeccable theoretical sense, there is one enormous problem with it: amnesia. Simply put, almost no adult remembers a single thing that happened to them before they were three years old: countless days and nights, a succession of complicated moods, sensations and events will have vanished into thin air, like a library of precious books that is sent up in smoke or dumped unceremoniously into the sea. Furthermore, most of us remember very little of what went on before we were seven. This may seem like an obvious point, but it has momentous implications. A period that we’ve identified as extremely central is also going to be entirely nebulous… 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: ttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Na Na Na Studio https://nananastudio.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 min
Jul 21, 2026
What's Tricky About Your Sex Life?

We tend to feel very alone with the challenges of our own sex lives – but thereby miss a general truth: there isn’t anyone on the planet for whom sex hasn’t been, either now or at some point, an acutely difficult subject. We shouldn’t compound our miseries by imagining we are alone in having them. 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/55zvq Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/40fsC FURTHER READING “We are repeatedly given messages that we live in sexually enlightened times, that we belong to a liberated age. And therefore the implication is that we ought by now to be finding sex a straightforward and untroubling matter. We are not – after all – Victorians or prudes. The standard narrative of our release from past inhibitions goes something like this: for thousands of years across the globe, due to a devilish combination of religious bigotry and pedantic social custom, people were afflicted by a gratuitous sense of confusion and guilt around sex. They thought their hands would fall off if they masturbated. They believed they might be burned in a vat of oil because they had ogled someone’s ankle. They had no clue about erections or clitorises. They were ridiculous…” You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://goo.gl/hFe5G2 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: Matthew Hamilton-Knott https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/matthew-hammett-knott #TheSchoolOfLife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 min
Jul 20, 2026
PHILOSOPHY - Søren Kierkegaard

Soren Kierkegaard is useful to us because of the intensity of his despair at the compromises and cruelties of daily life. He is a companion for our darkest moments. 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/No09W Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/7QRLu 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Mad Adam Films http://www.madadamfilms.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
Jul 20, 2026
Why We Should Draw More (and Take Fewer Photos)

Our cameras make it so easy to feel we've captured what's important in the world. But to really appreciate what's around us, we might need to learn a weirder, less technologically-advanced skill: drawing. 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/2dAgr Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/MxhrW 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Martin Stacey http://www.martinstacey.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 20, 2026
Why Design Signifies

Far from being some sort of luxury or add-on, good design is central to a good society. It changes how we feel and interact. 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/58Lmt Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/ClG-b 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 Brought to you by http://www.theschooloflife.com Produced in collaboration with Mad Adam Films http://www.madadamfilms.co.uk #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min
Jul 20, 2026
Why Are Minor Joys So Readily Missed, and Why Are They Essential?

Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Get weekly insights for better relationships, deeper self-knowledge, and inner calm straight to your inbox: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 20, 2026
Regulating your Mood: Tips for Staying Present | The School of Life

Why is it so hard to regulate your emotions? Learn how to stay in tune with your mood and embrace emotional fluctuations. Read our article, ‘We are made of moods’ to find out more about your changing emotional states: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/we-are-made-of-moods/ ?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=We%20are%20made%20of%20moods Our moods are affected by the smallest of changes – from fluctuations in our blood sugar content and serotonin levels, to whether or not our partner gave us a kiss before we left for work. In turn, our emotions condition almost every aspect of our behaviour: how we respond to events, react to challenges, and feel about ourselves. Understanding just how powerfully our emotional state impacts our thoughts and actions can help us manage those effects more readily – and build a more stable and forgiving relationship with ourselves. ☀️📚 About The School of Life: We are a passionate group of people on a mission to bring about healing, growth, calm and self-understanding. We derive our ideas from psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy, art and culture. As our name – The School of Life – suggests, we are here to teach people how life can be lived and what can make it truly worthwhile, effective and fulfilling. To discover more, visit our website and subscribe today: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscribe-for-the-app-and-unlimited-website-articles/ --- ✅ To keep up-to-date with all of our upcoming YouTube videos, subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@theschooloflifetv?sub_confirmation=1 --- 📈 Do you want to equip your business with the tools to promote emotional well-being and success? Contact us today to find out about our programmes: https://www.theschooloflife.com/at-work/who-we-are/ --- ☎️ Find us on other social channels: 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 Mike Booth https://www.youtube.com/user/somegreybloke #TheSchoolOfLife #MoodChanges #EmotionalAwareness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 min
Jul 20, 2026
Questions to Examine your Parents

We might think back to our pasts and give our carers a score out of ten to measure how things went. It isn’t unfair or mean sometimes - in the privacy of our own minds - to hold people to account. Finish the sentence, "My Parent made me' below and give each a score out of 10. My parent made me: - feel deeply loved and wanted. - Was often highly attuned to what I actually felt - Was able to tolerate a degree of innocent disobedience - Was authentically happy about my success - Lacked sadistic impulses - Avoided imposing too many of their own issues on me - Didn’t demand to be admired - Wasn’t too exciting - Knew how to play - Had boundaries - Tolerated dissent - Took an interest in my ‘small’ joys and pains We don’t need a score of a hundred and twenty to be robust, but if things were to drop much below sixty, there might be grounds for a good deal of reflection and sorrow. 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/4dSKU Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/0MF1U FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3Mdm2fy “Some people assume that you can’t really say what a good — or indeed a bad — parent actually is. But we don’t agree. So we’ve designed a checklist of what we think makes up a good parent…” 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: Gemma Green-Hope http://gemmagreenhope.com Sarah Hope http://www.artist-sarah-hope.co.uk Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 20, 2026
The Ancient Source of Cancellation

It’s natural for most of us to spend time descending into worry about our reputation: what if we are accused of something, what if we are ostracised, mocked and cancelled? A useful way out of the panic was suggested many centuries ago by the Stoic thinkers of Ancient Greece and Rome. 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/n1w4X Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/gMqIG FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3enfYod “It’s natural for most of us to spend time worrying about our reputation: what others think of us, whether we are deemed good or bad by the community… This can quickly become a painful topic, and our thoughts can descend into bonfires of worry: what if we are accused of something, what if we are ostracised and mocked, what about if we become a pariah? A useful way out of the panic was suggested many centuries ago by the Stoic thinkers of Ancient Greece and Rome. They suggested that we divide the topic of reputation into two. On the one hand, who we are and what we think of ourselves. And on the other: what other people may decide to declare or say about us.” 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: Compote Collective http://compote-collective.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 20, 2026
On Feeling Compelled

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=On%20Feeling%20Obliged%20 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=On%20Feeling%20Obliged%20 FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/on-feeling-obliged/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=On%20Feeling%20Obliged%20 “For some of us, our lives are guided – and hemmed in – by one overwhelming imperative: we must never let people down. Not just a few friends and family members, but pretty much anyone who wants anything of us. Perhaps someone wants to see us again for supper. We kept them entertained and now they want more. The problem is that we really don’t much like them – but we go anyway, because how could we not, next time and probably the twenty times after that. We give money to people we don’t trust, we stay up too late at parties we hate, we wind up on holiday with characters we have little in common with. We would feel a sense of obligation to someone…” 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: Mike Booth https://www.youtube.com/user/somegreybloke Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 min
Jul 20, 2026
Kierkegaard on Romance

One of the most provocative analyses of love ever produced is to be found in the writings of the Danish Existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. In a book entitled Works of Love, he proposed a theory which deliberately upset every leading idea that his own age liked to entertain about this hallowed concept. FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://bit.ly/3yNFBW8 “One of the most provocative analyses of love ever produced is to be found in the writings of the Danish Existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. In a book entitled Works of Love, published in Copenhagen in 1847, Kierkegaard — then thirty-four years old — proposed a theory which deliberately upset every leading idea that his own age (in this respect very similar to our own) liked to entertain about this hallowed concept. First and most importantly, Kierkegaard insisted that most of us have no idea what love is — even though we refer to the term incessantly. The first half of the nineteenth century in Europe saw the triumph of what we today call ‘Romantic love’, involving a veneration and worship of one very special person with whose soul and body we hope to unite our own…” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on WESTERN PHILOSOPHY in our playlist: https://bit.ly/3TvF5E1 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: Reflective Films http://www.reflectivefilms.co.uk Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions https://www.valeproductions.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 min
Jul 20, 2026
Unoccupied Chair Therapy: Repair Your Past, Better Your Future

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=Empty%20Chair%20Therapy:%20Heal%20Your%20Past,%20Improve%20Your%20Future 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=Empty%20Chair%20Therapy:%20Heal%20Your%20Past,%20Improve%20Your%20Future FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/the-usefulness-of-speaking-your-feelings-to-an-empty-chair/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=Empty%20Chair%20Therapy:%20Heal%20Your%20Past,%20Improve%20Your%20Future “One of the simplest and most useful exercises that psychotherapy has gifted to us is known as the Empty Chair Technique. A client who has been wrestling with their feelings towards someone is gently requested to stop discussing them in the third person and is instead invited to face a chair and start talking to this bit of furniture as if there were on it – to all intents – the specific troubling person in their life, perhaps a long dead absent father, a neglectful mother or a traitorous so-called friend…” 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: 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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Listening context

Casual listening
Best for: commutes, evening listening, housework, short walks
Tone: calm, reflective, thoughtful, insightful

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