• THE SCHOOL OF LIFE
• ART OF LIVING ESSAYS: EMPATHY, TIME, WORK
  

I teach at The School of Life, a new and extraordinary cultural enterprise based in London that provides instruction and inspiration on the art of living. Amongst its innovative offerings are classes on topics such as Work, Love, Family, Play and Politics, as well as holidays to unusual places like Heathrow Airport, Conversation Meals and a unique bibliotherapy service. A list of my upcoming classes are available on the homepage.

Press coverage of The School of Life:

• Time Out - on what The School of Life is all about
• Tate Etc Magazine - on the experimental origins of The School of Life
• Slate - on exploring work with a cheese monger and Mark Twain
• Icon - about a work course visit to a craft workshop and drawing Stravinsky
• The Times - on mapping your career path next to Alain de Botton

EMPATHY AND THE ART OF LIVING

This essay shows how developing empathy - that is, making the imaginative leap of being able to look at the world from the perspective of others - is the ultimate art form for the twenty-first century and the age of outrospection. Mahatma Gandhi and other great empathetic adventurers will be your guides.

Dowload a free copy here.

'Empathy is imaginatively and practically explored in Empathy and the Art of Living, an essay by the ever thoughtful and surprising Roman Krznaric.' - Mark Vernon, author of The Philosophy of Friendship

'Roman Krznaric has written a fabulous downloadable booklet called “Empathy and the Art of Living”. Go get it and read it. I highly recommend it. Now I don’t know if Roman has invented the word “outrospection”. But if he has then it’s hats off to him! This SO hits the spot!' - Bob Leckridge, Heroes Not Zombies

From the back cover:

'In this essay Roman Krznaric shows how empathy can become both a guide to the art of living and a source of wider social change. His meditation on the lives of others suggests that too much self-help is narrow and individualistic, and that if we want to live joyful and fulfilled lives, each of us needs to look beyond our own concerns and tackle our personal empathy deficit. The essay not only provides ideas for how to do so, but draws on historical examples to show that empathy can be generated in society on a mass scale to form the basis of a revolution in human relationships. Empathy and the Art of Living reveals why introspection is not enough, and how we can all benefit from a new adventure in outrospection.'

TIME AND THE ART OF LIVING

This essay on the art of living is designed to help you reinvent your relationship with time and to nurture the gentler and more creative sides of its character. You will also discover what Charlie Chaplin can teach us about the tyranny of the clock.

Download a free copy here.

'I read a thought-provoking and optimistic essay by Roman Krznaric today on "Time and the Art of Living". I hope it will change my attitude and behaviour towards time. I have the urge to recommend it to lots of people...it was for me the catalyst of a day of joy.' - Christopher Whalen, Domeheid blog

From the back cover:

'Most of us are dominated by the tyranny of the clock. Since the industrial revolution we have become increasingly obedient to time and addicted to a cult of speed. As Roman Krznaric argues in this essay, once we recognise that our attitudes to time are a social invention, it becomes possible to unshackle ourselves and forge a new relationship with it. Time and the Art of Living explores unexpected possibilities to help you break old habits, such as challenging pervasive metaphors of time in our language and escaping the cultural straitjacket of linear time. If time is a tyrant in your life, this essay will inspire you to discover new ways to stop watching the clock.'

WORK AND THE ART OF LIVING

An essay on how to decide what career path to follow and how to find work that is truly life enhancing. Be led by the example of Albert Schweitzer, Marie Curie and even Zorba The Greek.

Download a free copy here.

'I can't believe how exactly you have described so many of the things I have been thinking.' - Genna Douglass, Who You Notice career search project, California

'I just read a small document entitled “Work and the Art of Living”, by Roman Krznaric. I suggest you head off to his website now and download it! He’s talking about what your purpose in life is; how the freedom we have now means it’s almost even more difficult now to know what to do in life. My favourite bit was him suggesting to write your own obituary this evening and see if what you are currently doing (career, job, hobbies, talents etc) matches up to what you expect to think about your life when you are old and decrepid!' - Andy Wright, Rightee blog

From the back cover:

‘Work,’ said Mark Twain, ‘is a necessary evil to be avoided.’ In this essay Roman Krznaric argues the opposite: that it is possible for work to become not only pleasurable but also life enhancing. Drawing on cultural history, psychology and memoir, Work and the Art of Living addresses the major existential questions of working life: Am I really doing a job that expands my horizons and that is big enough for my spirit? Am I working too hard and too much – and for the wrong reasons? Should I be striving for money, status, or perhaps some deeper sense of meaning and purpose in my work? How can I overcome my fears and develop the confidence to change?