Category Archives: ethics

The Human Zoo: The tyranny of group-don’t-think

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 26 March 2013

There’s a fascinating new BBC Radio 4 series called The Human Zoo, looking at the ins and outs of who we really are – are we led by the head or the heart? what are the quirks and qualities that drive human behaviour? Episode 4 focuses on why human beings find it so difficult to admit when [...]

Also posted in belief, creativity, emotions, podcasts, psychology, science, work | 2 Comments

Who Are You Trying to Impress? How to Escape Status Anxiety

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 16 March 2013

In the eighteenth century, the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau warned against ‘the universal desire for reputation’. And yet so often we seek to be admired by others, pursuing careers and lifestyles that offer the lures of social status. In this article in Psychology Today magazine, I put the idea of status under the spotlight, and ask whether [...]

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Sherlock Holmes and the lost history of empathy

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 1 February 2013
Sherlock Holmes

Here’s a new podcast from the rather wonderful Aeon Magazine, in which philosopher Jules Evans explores the theme of empathy. I kick off by talking about the history of empathy, tracing the concept from Adam Smith’s ideas in the 18th century and through developments in child psychology over the past hundred years. Then comes Maria Konnikova, who [...]

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The Power of Outrospection

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 3 December 2012

What do Mr Spock, Che Guevara and Gandhi have in common? They all appear in my new RSA Animate, The Power of Outrospection, about how empathy can create radical social change. If you want to know more about my ideas on empathy, a good place to start is my book The Wonderbox: Curious Histories of [...]

Also posted in art, conversation, empathy, history, politics, psychology | 11 Comments

Is your job big enough for your spirit?

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 29 November 2012

Here is the video of a talk I gave on my latest book, How to Find Fulfilling Work, at the Union Chapel in London in May. Filmed live in front of nearly 1000 people, it was part of the launch of The School of Life’s practical philosophy book series, edited by Alain de Botton and published [...]

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Can popular philosophy change the world?

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 26 October 2012

I was recently interviewed by philosopher Jules Evans, author of the bestselling Philosophy for Life: And Other Dangerous Situations, as part of his project on the rise of the practical philosophy movement. The interview originally appeared on his website. Here it is in full.  Roman Krznaric is the author of two popular books that came out this [...]

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Ready for a vulnerability hangover? Five ideas from Brené Brown

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 16 October 2012

I recently had the great privilege and pleasure of interviewing Brené Brown, one of the world’s most original and exciting thinkers about emotional life, before a packed audience at London’s historic Conway Hall. It was no surprise that the event, organised by The School of Life, sold out its five hundred tickets within a record [...]

Also posted in conversation, emotions, empathy, family, interviews, love, psychology | 10 Comments

Can reading a novel change the world?

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 24 July 2012

‘It was through books that I first realised there were other worlds beyond my own; first imagined what it might be like to be another person,’ wrote novelist Julian Barnes in a recent Guardian essay. It’s an enticing thought that reading fiction might help us escape the straitjacket of our egos and expand our moral [...]

Also posted in art, belief, empathy, empathy through education, empathy through experience, family, history, literature, love, philosophy, religion | 2 Comments

Why creativity is not about originality

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 21 May 2012

Michelangelo was bad news for creativity In this interview with bestselling novelist Fiona Robyn featured on her blog Writing Our Way Home, I discuss my approach to the process of creative writing and thinking, and suggest why creativity is not about originality, and how musician Brian Eno can help us think more adventurously.  Fiona Robyn: What drives [...]

Also posted in art, creativity, empathy, interviews, work | 1 Comment

New book! How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 10 May 2012

My new book How to Find Fulfilling Work is out today. About the book Part of a new series of guides to everyday living from The School of Life (edited by Alain de Botton), How to Find Fulfilling Work aims to help people navigate the labyrinth of career choices out there and to find a job that [...]

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  • Welcome to OUTROSPECTION, my blog on empathy and the art of living. You'll find articles, interviews and news on the fundamental questions of how to live, with an emphasis on outrospection, which is about discovering who we are by stepping outside ourselves and exploring the lives of other people and cultures.

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