Back to School

The experts have spoken — developing emotional intelligence can lead to a calmer, wiser and more fulfilled life. This mantra is at the heart of THE SCHOOL OF LIFE and its wide-ranging lessons offering advice on pertinent and often complex life issues. Co-founded in 2008 by acclaimed philosopher Alain de Botton, the thought-provoking educational organisation is headquartered in London and has outposts scattered around the world offering courses, therapy, books and helpful lifestyle products.

The idea is to choose a key aspect of your life to improve — think relationships, work, self-knowledge, calmness, sociability and leisure — and then draw on the school’s eclectic and insightful range of tools and suggestions. We’ve chosen a few of our favourite pieces of wisdom and have done what we do best — curated the most relevant ones.

“Excessive self-hatred is a great enemy of relationships, but so too is excessive self-love.”

—The School of Life, How to Find Love

Our take: Stop the selfies and put down the phone — remember, food is for eating, not for tweeting.

“We mostly encounter the edited versions of other people. While we are continually exposed to the unedited version of ourselves. The unfair comparison means we inevitably feel much weirder than we really are.”

—The School of Life, Small Pleasures

Our take: In the endless scrolls through social media and left or right swipes on dating apps, it's easy to forget that you’re only seeing the best, or best-looking, version of others.

“Sophisticated people tend to scorn. They are afraid that such enthusiasms might be evidence of a failure to acknowledge or understand the awful dimensions of the world.”

—The School of Life, What Is Culture For?

Our take: It’s OK to like things — even basic things! Don’t be disheartened by negative natter about your tastes.

The School of Life Taiwan expert Pablo is coming to Lane Crawford ifc mall on May 25 and 27, and Lane Crawford Pacific Place home store on May 26 to give advice on The School of Life products. With a love of philosophy and a background in performing arts, Pablo believes that “the warmth of personal connections and inner reflections opens the most meaningful discussions”.

Navigating life with sensitivity towards others is very Blue of you. Check out our blue curation and unveil a portrait of your inner world.

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