Alain De Botton: Why Status is Making You Miserable & Why Parents Want Their Kids to Fail

Alain De Botton is one of the greatest philosophers of our time. His work has had a profound impact on me more than any other. I have wanted to do this episode for the last 8 years. 

In Today’s Episode with Alain De Botton We Discuss:

1. Why Status is Making You Miserable: 

• Why are we richer yet more anxious than ever?

• What is the right way to define status? Why do we want it so much?

• Is it bad to want status? What are some non-obvious signs that you are seeking status when you do not realise it?

• Does social media enhance the desire for status? How so?

• Do the happiest people want status the least? What are Alain’s biggest observations in how truly happy people think about status?

2. Why Parents Want You To Fail: 

• Why is the sign of good parenting when your child does not want to be famous?

• Why do your parents sometimes want you to fail? 

• What should parents do if their child wants to chase an unachievable goal?

• Why should parents encourage their children to start very early? 

3. Why Meritocracy is a Fallacy & Meaningful Work:

• Why does Alain believe a true meritocracy is an impossible dream?

• Why is meritocracy a bad thing when taken to the extreme?

• Why does Alain believe that companies are not families?

• Why does Alain tell people that they should not bring their full selves to work? 

4. WTF is “Meaningful Work”: 

• What does it mean to do “meaningful work”?

• Why do humans need to do “meaningful work” today in a way that we did not many years ago?

• What are Alain’s biggest pieces of advice to young people today, unsure of what they should do with their lives and careers?

• Why does Alain believe the idea of a “calling” is BS?

5. Ambition, Achievement and Sacrifice:

• What does Alain mean when he says “you have to tolerate your own averageness”?

• What does Alain say to the young generation who want work/life balance?

• What does Alain mean when he said you “cannot be at war with yourself”?

• Does Alain agree that to achieve you must sacrifice?