logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
29m 48s

Does life have meaning? PART 2: Rob Bodd...

Iai
About this episode

PART 2 of Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age?

In the so-called 'happiest' countries in the world, the uncomfortable reality of high rates of depression, suicidality, chronic pain, and social isolation are obscured by the conflation of happiness with capitalist conformity.

In this intriguing talk, Rob Boddice challenges the tenets of happiness indices that flatten the subjective states of citizens, asking pointedly if it is still possible for suffering to be a virtue.


Our London festival is coming up on 21-22 September at Hampstead Heath! Make sure to book your tickets while they are available here: https://howthelightgetsin.org/.

There are thousands of more big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/.

You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
The limits of logic: Should we embrace the irrational? |Iain McGilchrist, Beatrix Campbell, Simon Blackburn
Our culture prizes logic and rationality, if not above all else, as two of the most fundamental social traits. But are we missing out by overlooking the irrational? Can logic explain everything, or what is it missing? And is it possible to live (and enjoy) a life led by logic?Log ... Show More
43m 28s
Jul 2
Consciousness Begins in the Body | Antonio Damasio
We tend to believe consciousness is purely mental. And since Descartes' "I think therefore I am", we've privileged the mind as the centrepiece of thought and consciousness. But such a view is mistaken argues award-winning neuroscientist Antonio Damasio.Feelings, long dismissed as ... Show More
30m 56s
Jun 27
The Selfish and The Selfless SPECIAL | JD Vance, Pope Francis, and the 10 Commandments
What can JD Vance's arguments with Pope Francis teach us about selfishness, altruism, and the morality of the modern world?Join the team at the IAI for four articles about egoism, self-sacrifice, and everything in between, analysing a range of subjects, including: Friedrich Nietz ... Show More
45m 9s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
"Happiness Is Like A Leaky Tire" from Immigrantly
We're bringing you an episode of Immigrantly, where Laurie joined host Saadia Khan to discuss the psychology of happiness education and the expansive realm of happiness. Is happiness a fleeting moment or a sustained state of being? Can it be actively cultivated, or is it an innat ... Show More
44m 30s
May 12
204 - Beyond Happiness
What is the difference between happiness and joy, and how can we experience greater contentment, even when life doesn’t go as planned? In this episode, I explore the Buddhist perspectives and modern insights that reveal happiness as a fleeting emotional state, while joy represent ... Show More
36m 59s
Nov 2024
485: Free Yourself From The Happiness Trap
The pursuit of happiness is one of the most talked about topics in the self-help world and life in general. What does it mean to be happy? Perhaps the pursuit of happiness is actually just a myth and what we really want to be looking for is joy and contentment. Listen to today's ... Show More
49m 52s
Sep 2024
Happiness isn’t the goal
Children live with a beginner’s mind. Every day is full of new discoveries, powerful emotions, and often unrealistically positive assumptions about the future. As adults, beginner’s mind gives way to the mundane drudgeries of existence — and our brains seem to make it much harder ... Show More
53m 58s
Jan 2025
Why You’re Looking for Happiness in the Wrong Places
Hello friends, welcome back to the twelfth episode of ✨ Finding your Casual Magic ✨ (Happy New Year!!!) Learn with Lingoda: 10% off + 45 free classes with code NEWYEARMAGIC: https://try.lingoda.com/NewYearMagic [ad] (all thoughts are my own and I GENUINELY can't recommend Lingoda ... Show More
55m 55s
Dec 2024
What to do with your sadness, pain, and grief
How can we find happiness? That's an old question. Since the beginning of philosophy people have been wondering what makes us happy and how to get more of it. But if you're a real person living in the real world, you know already that it's not possible to be happy all the time. S ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2025
The Extra Scoop: How to Be Happy
Every month, "How to be happy" is searched 45 million times on Google. We all want happiness, yet so many struggle to find it. With anxiety and depression on the rise, what’s holding us back?This week, Dr. David Hamilton — a pharmaceutical scientist, with PhD in organic chemistry ... Show More
27m 4s
Aug 2024
457 | The Science of Happiness
The Minimalists speak with Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, author of Build the Life You Want, about the art and science of happiness. Discussed in this episode:  How do I deal with the intense dissatisfaction I feel when I struggle to let go? (1:50) What role does worry play in ... Show More
49m 12s
Oct 2024
#503 The Pursuit of Happiness: A Fair Game for All
The Pursuit of Happiness: A Fair Game for All Happiness is not a privilege reserved for those with fortunate circumstances, but a state of mind attainable by all. It's about recognizing the power we hold in shaping our own reality, choosing to focus on the positive, and finding g ... Show More
14m 24s