The School of Life is a new social enterprise offering good ideas for everyday living.

May 18, 2010 3:20 AM

How to be cool? How to stay calm? How to have better conversations? How to make love last? The School of Life is a place to step back and think intelligently about these and other concerns.

You will not be cornered by any dogma, but directed towards a variety of ideas - from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – that tickle, exercise and expand your mind.
Some of you might be able to make it to lectures at their London-based school. For those that can't you can watch some of their "Sunday sermons" online.

Examples: Alain de Botton on Pessimism, Charles Leadbetter on Perspective, Geoff Dyer On Punctuality, Ruby Wax On Loving Your Ego, Oliver James On Envy Barbara Ehrenreich On Optimism, Allegra McEvedy On Gluttony, Mary Warnock On Political Ethics.

posted by jonesor (12 comments total)

Use to live right around the corner from the School of Life. Also recomend Alain de Bottons twitter feed for daily pearls of wisdom:

'It's as hard to get on with colleagues as with lovers, yet there's no room to squabble and resolve tensions through sex.'

'orld divided between those who have to go home before they are treated nicely - and those who have to go to work.'

'Addiction to 'news' becomes a substitute for much-needed reform in one's own life.'
posted by numberstation at 3:27 AM on May 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

Who should go to an event called How to Be Cool? Those who are cool or those who are not?

Those who are not.
posted by three blind mice at 3:37 AM on May 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Bring back the Sermon!

Oh yeah, absolutely. Sunday mornings on the Internet.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:38 AM on May 18, 2010

I feel like I've seen that collegiate blonde some where before... LOL... don't worry, I won't flag.
posted by coolxcool=rad at 3:44 AM on May 18, 2010

How To Be Rich 16 June 2010

...This is not a lesson in bulking up your bank balance but rather an adventurous exploration into the philosophy of money that will help you radically rethink your attitude to material wealth.

Price: £30.00

Lol.
posted by jiroczech at 3:45 AM on May 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

All well and good, but they never win the varsity match against the School of Hard Knocks.
posted by Abiezer at 3:56 AM on May 18, 2010 [5 favorites]

How to shot web? How is babby formed? THEN WHO WAS PHONE?
posted by kcds at 4:02 AM on May 18, 2010 [4 favorites]

I've heard that this functions as an upmarket singles bar for the intellectually aspirational (plus people keen to pick up pearls of wisdom from Alain de Botton).
posted by Mocata at 4:55 AM on May 18, 2010

Well, I went to a couple of events and liked them. "How to be calm" was interesting and not patronising at all. And the "street photography" WE was really fun.
I think Mr. de Botton is greatly overrated, but the SoL is much more than him and the other people delivering the sermons (some of whom I like, some I don't but hey, at least I think it's a nice and original idea). Now if they had a subsidiary here in SarfLondon...
posted by MessageInABottle at 5:33 AM on May 18, 2010

The only problem with the events at the School of Life is that by the time I've gotten around to checking their website for listings, everything's hopelessly oversubscribed, without fail, all the time. So I haven't had the opportunity to go yet.
posted by wingless_angel at 5:47 AM on May 18, 2010

they never win the varsity match against the School of Hard Knocks.

They'll never win a band competition against The College of Musical Knowledge, either.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:32 AM on May 18, 2010

I enjoyed On The Limited Uses of Worry.
posted by misha at 9:35 AM on May 18, 2010