Violent criminals are strangely compelling and consoling to read or hear about on the news. The reason is specific but …
Category: Self Development
Why Germans Can Say Things No One Else Can
German is a wonderfully inventive and bold language, full of gloriously long compound words for emotions and ideas that most …
How Not to be Boring
No one is ever boring: we just seem boring when we haven’t learnt the surprisingly easy art of being honest …
Thoreau and Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau not only wrote Walden; he is also responsible for a small pamphlet titled Civil Disobedience, which recommends …
Are we too Materialistic?
The worry that we are too materialistic is an inevitable one in modern consumer society. The answer, surprisingly, is that …
The Problem with Over-Friendly People
Friendliness is a great virtue. Over-friendliness can be an unexpected problem. For gifts and more from The School of Life, …
Why Hegel knew there would be days like these
The German philosopher Hegel helps us to understand that progress in societies is never linear, and that these societies may …
How to cope with impotence
The cause of certain kinds of impotence lies in a curious and poignant area: with excessive respect. If you like …