Conway Hall Ethical Society, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
UK
“To live is to feel oneself lost” writes Jose Ortega y Gasset “he who accepts it has already begun to find himself, to be on firm ground. Instinctively, as do the shipwrecked, he will look round for something to which to cling”. In attempting to steer a course through life, we often find ourselves off course or even shipwrecked. What do we cling to in these difficult straits, and what North Star can take us back on course?’
Trained as a health psychologist and CBT therapist, in mid-life, Vincent Deary chose to leave London and travel north. In the hope of setting down ‘such wisdom as I had to get me through the second half of my life’ he began to write what was to become the first book in a trilogy entitled How to Live. In this Sunday Sermon, Deary will share his own journey of understanding about what it means to be human. By examining the power of habit and the difficulty of change, he will explore deep rooted and often stubborn aspects of our nature and illuminate ways to make our acts truly our own.
This secular Sunday sermon from The School of Life should inspire us to make changes in our lives. Expect a warm and inspiring morning with one of the UK’s best thinkers.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Vincent Deary is a health psychologist and cognitive behavioural psychotherapist whose main focus is the science and practice of changing lives for the better. He currently holds three National Institute of Health Research grants and divides his time between his clinical practice and an academic position at the University of Northumbria. A former holder of the prestigious Medical Research Council fellowship, Vincent worked for 23 years as a psychologist in London before moving home to Scotland and then Newcastle, and has published widely in the academic and popular press.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF LIFE
The School of Life is devoted to developing emotional intelligence through the help of culture. We offer a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well. This event is part of the Secular Sermons series at The School of Life. We ask maverick cultural figures to give us their take on the virtues to cling to or the vices to be wary of in our complex world. Expect persuasive polemics, pop-song hymns and artist-made buns and biscuits.