In this excerpt from Studio B, Unscripted, philosopher Alain de Botton and social commentator Ayishat Akanbi discuss the importance of life’s simple pleasures and whether sadness is often at the root of laughter.
A best-selling author, whose books have been described as a ‘philosophy of everyday life’, de Botton founded The School of Life, a social enterprise determined to make learning relevant in today’s culture using philosophy to help others “live wisely and well”.
Ayishat Akanbi is a fashion stylist and writer. Through her work and online following, she confronts complex issues related to surviving in today’s society. She uses her platforms to comment on and call out injustice and inequality.
This meeting of two minds from different backgrounds explores a range of topics from ancient Greek tragedies and Russian literature, to racism, social media and loneliness. The topics of conversation revolve around the nature of good vs evil, the notion of empathy towards others and how emotional intelligence can be a vehicle towards a better society for all.
You can watch the full show here.
The views expressed in this programme are the guests’ own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Studio B, Unscripted is a free-flow conversation between two guests and a small audience, with no mediation, no MC, no TV presenter – focusing on what brings us all together and how we can tackle and discuss some of the big issues of our time.
Source: Al Jazeera
