Category Archives: work

Have we all been duped by the Myers-Briggs test?

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 15 May 2013

INFP? ISTJ? You’ve probably taken a personality test at some point. But here’s the bad news: even the most popular tests, such as Myers-Briggs (MBTI), are not to be trusted. Retake a Myers-Briggs test after just a five week gap and there is a 50% chance you’ll be put into a different personality category. In this [...]

Also posted in emotions, mental health, psychology, science | Leave a comment

Four Ways to Rethink ‘Having It All’ (Without Leaning In)

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 8 May 2013

Here’s an article I just wrote for the Wall Street Journal on the dilemmas of balancing work and family life. Is Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, author of Leaning In, right to think that women can ‘have it all’ if only they really believe in themselves? My approach is not to answer the question ‘Is it possible [...]

Also posted in belief, family, history, money, politics, psychology, public policy, simple living, travel | Leave a comment

Six Ways to Stop Worrying and Find Work You Love

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 3 May 2013

To celebrate the launch of the US edition of my book How to Find Fulfilling Work, I’ve written a short essay that draws out what I think are the most important, useful and hopefully inspiring ideas within its pages. It’s called Six Ways to Stop Worrying and Find Work You Love, and is published by [...]

Also posted in conversation, emotions, history | Leave a comment

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, ethics, podcasts, psychology, science | 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 [...]

Also posted in emotions, ethics, money, philosophy, psychology | Leave a comment

Five Ways to Make Work Matter Again – Without Changing Jobs

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 12 March 2013

Finding fulfilling work isn’t always about making a drastic career change. In this article for the Wall Street Journal, I suggest five ways to make your existing job more meaningful and stimulating – with a little help from John Maynard Keynes, E. F. Schumacher and  Brené Brown.

Also posted in conversation, creativity, emotions, money, psychology, simple living | Leave a comment

Working from home: the five golden rules

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 26 February 2013

Yahoo’s new boss, Marissa Mayer, has just issued an edict banning her employees from working at home. In this article in today’s Guardian, I give my response, suggesting five ways to become an expert homeworker (and keep bosses like Mayer happy as well).

Also posted in family, money, simple living | 1 Comment

12-Step Guide to Career Change in 2013

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 14 January 2013

Do you want to break free and pursue new career ambitions? Then take a look at  my 12-Step Guide to Career Change in 2013, which appears in today’s Guardian newspaper. The article is based on my book How to Find Fulfilling Work, now available in Korean! (you can also read it in Spanish, Catalan, Dutch, Portuguese and German)

Also posted in money, psychology, time | Leave a comment

How Goethe can change your life – 3 lessons for 2013

By Roman Krznaric | Published: 1 January 2013

So you’ve drawn up your list of New Year’s resolutions. Some are probably achievable, like giving up eating chocolate for breakfast. Others may be more daunting because they represent a long-held desire to take your life in a new direction, anything from changing career to renewing family relationships. If you’ve resolved to make a big change, I suggest [...]

Also posted in belief, history, love, travel | 6 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 [...]

Also posted in empathy, ethics, love, money, politics, videos | Leave a comment

  • 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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