The ‘How to’ of Life

The School of Life may at first sound like another self-help impresario gimmick – yet it’s quite the opposite.

Having reached the height of his study at Harvard, Swiss/British philosopher, Alain de Botton, says he was “A so-called educated person who had no idea how to live.”

He became committed to establishing a space where people could seek quality emotional help, and thus began The School of Life in London 2009, where 100,000+ people have since attended.

And now, Melbourne is the first outpost, established with the hope that Melburnians will “engage with philosophy and literature, art and social science, economics, political theory and poetry, all in the pursuit of trying to help us face everyday challenges,” says director, Kaj Lofgren.

‘How to’ classes will cover learning to be alone, being creative, having better conversations and how to worry less about money.

Acknowledging that our city runs on coffee, the light-filled space on Bourke Street has a café attached to the classroom. The shopfront also offers a carefully curated selection of books and other knick-knacks.

With most sessions already sold out, the school has quickly cemented its place in the heart of Melbourne.  Yet its popularity is no surprise as Button explains, “Life is fundamentally a dark business and we are here to help you with that darkness, just stick with us.”

The School of Life
669 Bourke St, Melbourne
Monday to Friday 7am – 10pm
Saturday 8am – 6pm
9077 8724
theschooloflife.com/world/australia