FLOW SESSIONS: Alain De Botton and Jason Silva

Alain de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1969 and now lives in London. He's writer of essayistic books that have been described as a philosophy of everyday life. He's written on love, travel, architecture and literature. His books have been bestsellers in 30 countries. Alain also started and helps to run a school in London called the School of Life. Dedicated to a new vision of education. Alain's latest book published in September 2019 is a collection of essays written for the School of Life titled "The School of Life: An Emotional Education". Now, I've been a fan of Alan de Botton since 1997. He is brilliant, eloquent, sensitive, and captivating. He blows my mind and it is such a thrill to bring this conversation to you guys. It is a true mind jam for the ages. And so without further ado, I present my conversation with Alain de Botton. Welcome to Flow Sessions.
For inquiries: [e-mail]

[@true2me392]

One does not interrupt Alain de Botton. I was so excited to listen to two of my favorites but Jason couldn’t be quiet long enough for Alain to get a word in edgewise. I hope Jason matures and grows into a more proficient interviewer. Jason’s constant interruptions make what could have been epic dialogue very painful to endure. However, I’m still grateful to have witnessed these great minds collaborate.

[@jcjs33]

gotta let go of how you want them to converse and enjoy the exchange and play...Botton whispered 'youre' advanced around the 11 minute mark when Jason was hyperventilating ... i don't think Jason heard Botton say 'you're advanced'...Botton can see the 'interview' was going to be a 'therapy session' and he just went with the flow...i love Botton's smirk..it can win a debate when his logic can't...anyhoo...just relax...this reminds me of when i go to counselors because i'm fucked up or go to a friend when i want to dump and i hyper rehash and prehash all over the place after which i beat myself over the head for not just much easier give and take from both person's 'center'...but, i loved it...healing...Botton is super loving here because he is , keenly listening to what Jason is saying and to what Jason 'needs'...Botton's 'interpret the other favorably'...he's watching 'idiot Jason' ease into more together Jason...kinda...you 'don't interrupt' NEVER INTERRUPT ... it's the worst thing in the world and they are bad because they aren't entitled to interrupt etc... gotta let that go...or not but etc...

[@eduardomonroy12]

Yes, Jason was soooo annoying

[@brittanysherrell8069]

It's not an interview, it's a flow session.

[@eduardomonroy12]

@@brittanysherrell8069 still, Jason was so annoying

[@miaodekat4806]

Can’t stand Jason....

[@Teostreci]

Jason “there’s this quote” Silva

[@co4975]

Riri Airi / thanks for saying that

[@JohnLuarca]

Riri Airi He is.

[@intjsavagery219]

Indeed!!

[@ShineSun]

He's clearly a fan if Alain. People why can't you just appreciate how he appreciates Alain.

[@mdfereslandoulsi4399]

Alain de Botton after finally meeting Jason Silva and inspiring him for years I've created a monster

[@ancientfuture9690]

😂

[@pritib3262]

😄😄😄

[@houseofvalue]

HAHHHH

[@brittanysherrell8069]

The best monster I've ever seen

[@Alfakkin]

So true 😂

[@deepanshikacharia9398]

I cried hearing this. This is all so engaging. And Alain de botton speaks everything so beautifully it's almost insane.

[@MeditatewithAbhi]

So Beautiful

[@TommySchaeffer]

Deepanshi Kacharia! Yes! I love these humans. :-)

[@me4162]

Alain De Boton, one of the greatest philosophical poet of our times, the words he writes and speaks bring such a balance and freedom to my state of being, always a delight. Thank you for having him on Jason! "It's such an irony that we spend so much of our energy trying to impress others, when really what we need is a sense of communion with others which is not based on impressing them. To impress another person is also to shut them off, it's to close off our humanity from theirs. Our success oriented culture is fundamentally unlinked with our emotional aspirations to connect with other humans." - Alain De Botton

[@catharinealexander89]

1. My being almost bursting with excitement at realizing this video exists! 2. The intellectual stimulation. Feels like being fed when I hadn't even noticed I was starving. Surprisingly satisfying. 3. Thank you 🙏💛

[@briank5437]

"I was reading 'The Art of Travel', in the bath tub, in like 1997" Hahaha, The Art of Travel was published in 2002, and at that moment Alain knew that

[@samreplete1842]

Hahaha 😁😂 yeah!!

[@RamiroNegri]

He’s so annoying

[@HappyGnosiswithDhirajSharma]

how to time travel nd get away with that, 1997=2002 bathtub=

[@intjsavagery219]

It’s possible for Jason to get his memory wrong.

[@SunnyMidnite221]

@@intjsavagery219 Yes, and "The Denial of Death" was republished in 1997, so maybe that's the book he was reading and he just mixed up the dates.

[@carecree888]

“There is no path that reconciles all of our longings” woooowww. 🤯 So profound and beautifully clear.

[@gglezo]

yeaah and a bold statement, but coming from Alain it kind of makes me feel understood, he must have give it a big thought

[@joaopedrocaetano4507]

I did NOT expect to hear Jason talk about smoking a strong THC joint before walking into a cathedral playing Zimmer music and then Alain the Botton saying "This needs to happen" ! XD XD XD I am f&/$%ng dead!!!! Great conversation.

[@Drixidamus]

This turned into a very insightful therapy session.

[@britelia7298]

Drixidamus nailed it.

[@daliaroy8152]

Oh dear ! I wish Alain got to talk more ..

[@lubanziapril1485]

Two people who have influenced my life in ways they'll never know in one room. Brilliant conversation, thank you!

[@MeditatewithAbhi]

Same here

[@intjsavagery219]

Same here.

[@natalieraulo9773]

Thoroughly delightful !!. Thnakyou xx

[@tmstani23]

I love the idea of creating new secular transcendant spaces for ritual. I've been thinking about this as well because I had a hard break with religion and yet still feel like my life is soul-less and lacks transcendence. And I miss those mystical experiences in church and singing with a group of people. I can't get the same feelings from church anymore because I reject the ideology. If this is a serious mission to build these communities I definitely want to join and help out getting this off the ground!

[@AvaSilvery]

Two men having a conversation like that gives me hope for future encounters. Thank you.

[@maryannegervais1747]

Wonderful rapport here a genuine exchange of ideas and feelings.Alain enjoying this conversation as much as Jason. True friendship!

[@kavinanil7406]

Beauty can only survive with lonliness. Sadness can only be shunted away with solitude. Suffering is a stand off between sharing and grief.

[@jcjs33]

suffering is ego...of the personality attachments galore...self created conceptual identifications..Mooji's 'combining' is 'suffering'...if you are combining with other than OM City, eh

[@ChristyAndronicusspiritrebels]

thank you for believing in me and being of great service to humankind with the work you do everyday

[@Ruleofrose92]

If just Jasan talked abit less..I wanted to listen more from Alain..

[@taras5534]

Agreed.

[@whitsanders2469]

A good interviewer features his guest, not himself.

[@wildmano1965]

He's a bit of a "dig me".

[@kevensilva6343]

"you know what I wanna help on this, let's build some things that will replace churches, let's build some community centres that will actually bring communities together in a new way, let's make something that can replace a monastery and bring the highest ideals of love together in an institution, we need all of this!" 51:30 now.. who's out there thriving for the common good and goal in service of our communities in order to shape generations to come and how many of us is willing to leave this world in a better place than when and how we found it? well, I am are you? I'm all in = 1 Thumbs up

[@andyluong3248]

It's quite amazed for me to observe my emotional change towards the host during this interview. I've started immediately feeling hatred for his showing-off arrogant "quoted" characteristics, and got annoyed by him for nearly two third of the talk. However, at the end don't know why I changed to have the impression of complete sympathy with him, I guess in the thinking that he seems to talk not to Alain - his guest speaker, but to Alain - his life teacher. With that all his talkative "desire to show off" manners suddenly become understandable, just as it's easy to understand why he acts as if he knows all about Alain so deeply and fully that he doesn't have to listen to the real Alain in front of him. What an experience I've got here, of course, besides excellent Alain as usual. He's the best living philosopher imho!

[@MonstrosityMuse]

I love this comment and wish it were pinned

[@zmanx88]

It took me 18 minutes to realize this was the guy from school of life. His voice is so soothing.

[@leannefaulkner-charve6910]

He is the school of life ❤️

[@zen-ventzi-marinov]

Sometimes KZbin's algorithm does it right. Fast.

[@MrSdjwatson]

We need to build a New Society of Community versus individualism, Love versus lust and Spirituality versus consumerism

[@co4975]

Alain de Botton fresh eye on ideas and opinions are worth contemplating. Lots of generosity and great common sense, in tune with life. Contrasting with some environments. But maybe that’s why it’s so good to hear them. Almost therapy

[@TheSonOfPlato]

This was a beautiful talk. Like therapy for the soul 🖤

[@ricardoafonso7884]

Why would anyone thumbs down this video? Seriously ... I wish his conversation could go on for 100 hours

[@GoodBoyFx]

let me take a guess: the host starts of well but towards middle & i'm sensing host is not letting honorable guest-speak as much and he is if i sense it correctly projecting his own ideas into the conversation & gets a bit too excited (curb your enthusiasm, stay professional). When you invite guests in, it should be let guest-speaker speak 70% of the time you the host, ask interesting Q's. In middle the plot was lost perhaps & its kinda disrespectful to the guest-speaker to be aggressively tackled like this. It's my 6th sense speaking. I hope the host takes note of this critique positively & make mends for future guests.

[@SoyelYorch_]

Host is annoying af, certain kinds of personalities just don't enjoy that... On the other hand, i could listen to Alain for hours.

[@RobbieFrazer]

I love his passion for creating More transcendent experiences, more community, and collaboration. Hard yes.

[@Mueseek]

The ego is strong with Jason. He is entangled in the world of form. The obsession with time and it’s passing. The search for external things and experiences that will bring a sense of internal completeness and meaning. Attachment. An unwillingness to surrender. Karma.

[@MichL_71]

He's so humble. 💙

[@audiotutorialesespan]

Outstanding conversation. I’ve been involved in a project which as the same goals that De Botton mentioned for this new awe and aesthetic cathedrals in the post religious era, a VR center / café where people can encouter with amazing experiences, we see ourselves as awe dealers using the new media of virtual reality. VR has some this design that obligates you to full focus, total immersion and interactiveness which allow people to forget about their daily anxiety or routine and just jump into a dream-like scenario, like a kind of active mediation practice....so I totally agree with the urgency of create new inclusive spaces where people can just jump into that feeling, allow their minds to create new perspectives and models to run and design their own realities.

[@Uturunku1]

It’s so inspiring and hopeful to know there are people like this two guys, that devote their entire careers to show the way and help other humans to transcend...and they do it in such a passionate, yet peaceful and not at all confrontational manner. We humans haven’t figured out yet what it means to be human, but people like Alain De Botton, Jason Silva and fortunately many others, are leading a generation of new thinkers that give hope to this troubled society that doesn’t know what to do with technology, information or for that matter spirituality.

[@gglezo]

Absolutely loved it, every part of it. Count me in for building anything! I'd do it happily! Yes, we need those modern spiritual spaces! How to do it? I've found that only those who come through a sort of crisis can change from religion to modern spiritual (aesthetic) but also new generations are not very into religion but more into consumerism and such, how to bring more people to modern thinking? Talking from my country Mexico, but also thinking in other places as well, we have politics and work environments that look very much like coming from the industrial age. Let's change that. Let's build communities of modern thinking. I'm all in.

[@simonahalv]

I'd gladly join too! This has been on my mind for years, and I'd happily drop my current endeavours to help out with this provided i can sustain myself financially while doing so.

[@hb276]

Same here! I am fascinated with the concepts of loneliness and community building and would love to start or be involved with a project intended to bring people together!

[@baishalichetia9803]

Well, Jason is no original philosopher. He’s just an eloquent encyclopaedia of quotations. Nevertheless, like Alain de Botton said towards the end, he’s definitely an incredible positive force. His radiant optimism is naive and contagious at the same time. I wonder if he’s like that naturally or is it under the influence of psychedelics.

[@MegaSammura]

Hahaha I tought the same. He seems to thrive to hide his superficiality or maybe his shyness?

[@t.i.s.r.oofficial7142]

Maybe, just maybe, we have no idea what creations of such a man lie on his desk at home

[@MeditatewithAbhi]

He seems mostly in the flow. Whatever he is doing it's working for him

[@Herkimerdiamond]

He was like drugged speaking!!! All that awe is annoying!!! Unbearable!

[@jamaalpemberton8042]

​@@Herkimerdiamondthat says more about you than him...

[@IamMcDO]

What can i say, my two favorite humans in the universe. Indeed, every moment watching and hearing them is truly a noetic and poetic trance..

[@prematma3874]

Two beautiful soul sharing wisdom and love 🙏🏼

[@cipberchi]

I would call my self an artist (painting/drawing/tattooing) and these two gentelmen convinced me to join their effort to get people closer to "conciousness". Respect

[@IndigoFlaming]

Seems Jason drank too much coffee that day. The contrast between Alain's calm sharing of poetic insights and Jason's tsunami of quotes was inescapable. I hung in there for the times he allowed Alain to speak.

[@pacolli]

This made me so happy, I adore you both and have followed Alain's work for 20 years too (going 21!). I can't imagine going about life without having him in my consciousness. Please collab, do this again, part 2? How interesting would be to add Erik Davis to the chat. Great work, Jason!!

[@MeditatewithAbhi]

You guys are vibrating at such a powerful frequency ! Salute both of you brothers 💓💓🙏such a great discussion stuffing the left and the right brain ! The art vs science . Thankyou really and let's collaborate 😊🙏 !!

[@jonpadrejuan5357]

this is a dream come true for me. two of my greatest heroes exchanging ideas about things that matters most in my life. thanks jason and alain 😭

[@daymannovaes]

I felt exactly the same. I can't express how exactly that was.

[@jonpadrejuan5357]

@@daymannovaes precisely...

[@asmasyed3640]

I would love to be part of the community Alain De Botton describes so long as it emphasizes that self actualization through "transcending" experiences is NOT a privilege. No burning man (the majority of attendees are white and wealthy, have the luxury of time and resources to ponder art and philosophy)--- so I am curious to see what an epicurean community in modern day would look like... hopefully a community that is more accessible to the average person. Even as a philosophy major as an undergrad, I could not find the kind of network/community Alain describes to tap into that metaphysical noumenon---to go out of ourselves--to better understand ourselves. Would love to hear what anyone has to say

[@silviopina_111]

Asma Syed : well said. Jason @ 45:19 “Have you been to Burning Man?”, Alain @ 46:14 “We need...”

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

I am disheartened by just how far down on the homepage this was to be found, predominantly out of a fear that I could have altogether missed it! Relishing in this particular Shot of Awe.

[@bestdhom7649]

Big thanks to everyone made it happen, Thanks Alain.. Thanks Jason. much love to all of you ❤️❤️

[@gaiah650]

This is so incredibly beautiful, two highly articulate and optimistically engaged humans. ♥️

[@Hkash1]

One of the most powerful broadcasts I have ever heard.

[@albi7024]

"There is no path that reconciles all our longings."

[@st-christian14]

That hits me.

[@TheSonOfPlato]

This is good.

[@dana7577]

Flow sessions = Always GOLD

[@op1nd3nurm]

A wonderful conversation between two individuals who express themselves so clearly.

[@samerdan6654]

I think that they have different dynamics as human beings and there is nothing wrong with having that energy. Alain de botton is unlike most of the individuals of modern culture and so of course there will be a difference between himself and Jason Silva. Jason has brought a set of different ideas to a his audience and the fusion of that energy is beautiful. Also there is nothing wrong with quoting others, it is a sign of intelligence to learn from those that have thought about things deeper than he has. Overall very engaging, thanks for the video :)

[@carecree888]

I discovered Alain recently and have watched many of his talks and I share your love for his way of thinking/speaking but due to finding him I have also discovered your channel. YOU are an amazing speaker! What a joy to listen to you two exchange ideas. I’m having a sort of recovery of my own inner poet just by listening to this conversation. Happy to be a new subscriber!

[@fionahannon_art]

I haven’t even watched video yet but had to comment immediately!!, Two of my favourite people to listen to and find sooooo much wisdom inspiration and pure joy. This is gonna be so good, thank you KZbin xx

[@chrisodenwalder8154]

Great. Just great !!!

[@michaeljanes4484]

What a pleasure ❤

[@maanibee16]

AHHHHH two of my absolute favourites!! 😍🙌 This is going to be epic.

[@aynoooooo]

I’m loving this sooo much, seen two of my favorite philosophers exchanging ideas it’s exciting beyond believe, they just flow, communication is just there talking, listening, bringing new points of view wow wow I want more of this thanks @jasonsilva for inviting him and giving us this pleasure to all of us! And about the community I’m sooo in!! I always wanted to do/be part of something like that but didn’t even know how to articulated it but it is what we need let’s grow and change culture, let’s expand our limited believes 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@purblueple]

Thank you both for this!

[@LadyNatsMontero]

Resueno tanto que su conversación es música en mis oídos y mientras les escucho me río sola en el transporte público.

[@AntonioRuiz-zl3de]

I loved this guy, should go ahead and read some of his books. Thanks Jason

[@AdamShaiken]

My echoic memory told me that this guy is the voice of "The School of Life" YT channel...before I read it in the description !

[@Soundcloud765]

Thank you for this incredibly inspiring conversation.

[@Shadow0OfTheWolf]

What a joy to listen to your conversation!

[@dominicossarg8931]

Thank you gentlemen 🙏

[@amsterdan314]

colors blend. beautiful session. thanks for sharing.

[@Hanoonah888]

Every few minutes, I had to pause the video just to absorb the beauty of what they are saying. In a way, watching this video is one of the happy/sad experience they talked about in the beginning. Thank you both for this amazing episode.

[@floridaman_85_58]

50:18 "PEOPLE KNEW WHAT THE ART WAS FOR" now that my friends just changed my life

[@samayoafigueroa]

It is so beautiful to hear smart people talk. In the meanwhile, tv channels have their people talking mostly about professional sports, about this player being an "artist" and that other one being a "genius".

[@hirschowitz1]

This conversation is so helpful for an elderly person like me to cope with 2020 madness. Thank you both so much. And vote Bernie please...... Miss Jenny (music teacher).

[@evedotcom]

One of the first philosophy books I read as a very lost teenager was The Consolations of Philosophy which I found invaluable. I also remember Jason quoting Alain so many times over the years so I was very excited to see this pop up in my feed! Wonderful conversation as expected, and much to meditate on, especially as an artist. Thank you 🙏

[@Anna-yv7zm]

Need more of this!

[@intjsavagery219]

Love both men. They’ve changed my life astronomically. 💪🏿👍🏿🙌🏿

[@brittanysherrell8069]

2 of my favourite people 😍 I love this.

[@silviavanderheiden5164]

A delight listening to this. Thanks guys!

[@AntonioRuiz-zl3de]

Best episode so far!

[@codymorris7]

Great episode man! I was literally captivated from beginning to end. Thank you for everything you do.

[@Awakenbeing]

Its Always fascinating to hear Alain de botton.

[@h4618]

you guys are so mad I love them both so much. this could have been better but so could have anything and these two both do a lot to feed a lot of minds.

[@Alex.1Q84]

Thank you!

[@zuhaibamir9482]

Beautiful.

[@MIOLAZARUS]

Brilliant men!

[@johnumair]

Beautiful truth with its raw unease - My respects

[@rigbi889]

In the cinema, it’s a mirror that you look into YOUR OWN soul

[@MonstrosityMuse]

All of the judgements about the interviewer are unnecessary and deducting from the beauty of this conversation and the ones that could be taking place in the comments. The man is excited, passionate, and in the pressence of Alain. He’s human.

[@kalpanab8234]

He is the one I need.

[@simonasraizys564]

thank you !

[@AnnaMishel]

Silva is “over the top” expressive.

[@veronicaalessandrello1022]

I’m in 🙌🙌🙏❤️

[@Davotheledge]

Such a good point at 32:30. Love gives us eyes.

[@microtubulina7266]

"you just had this on your phone?" hahahsha he is so funny

[@operalove7221]

The 10th anniversary concert of Les Mis is the one that is transcendent. The purity and lack of ego in that entire project is sublime. By the time the 25th came about, the cycnicism of marketing was pervasive, and far too influential in casting choices, and resulted in characters who were outshone by the cast member playing the role and the whole thing was about staging a 'spectacular', rather than staying true to the roots of a beautifully made and told story. Love all the big ideas here though. Great conversation, and love the idea of a Burning Man Fest for everyone on a Thursday night. :-)

[@michaelepstein2570]

Inner Total Freedom is actually being Totally Free of fear, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, confusion, alienation, addictions, envy, greed, jealousy, pride, anger, hatred, violence, bias, and prejudice in daily life, once and for all, now forever.

[@michaelepstein2570]

They actually treat everyone, without exception, with the same intensity and quality of care and affection that they would give their dearest closest friend, lover, or child, without any sense of division, separation or distance in daily life, once and for all, now forever. Inner Total Freedom is Total Freedom from the I, the me, the self, the observer, the chooser, the experiencer, the interpreter, the so-called True or Higher Self, which is the invention of the past conditioning of the brain, which acts like an inner tyrant who tells you what to think, how to feel, and what to do. Inner Total Freedom is Perceiving without the perceiver...therefore, being Totally Lucid from moment to moment in daily life.

[@michaelepstein2570]

Inner Total Freedom does not take time. It is not of time. It is not the result of time or the things of time. It is not the result of any method, ritual, or diet. It is not the result of any chemical. It is not the result of any process. There is no path to it. It happens effortlessly and choicelessly...faster than the speed of light. Moreover, it is once and for all, now and forever.

[@michaelepstein2570]

Do Jacob's Ladder. Set yourself Totally Free of fear, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, confusion, alienation, addictions, envy, greed, jealousy, pride, anger, hatred, violence, bias, and prejudice, in daily life, once and for all, now forever. Then and only then is there Lucidity, which gives birth to Love. See my group on Facebook: "Total Enlightenment NOW!".

[@irishelk3]

Oh yes, this should be good. Another conversation i would love to hear would be Alain de Botton and Steve Hughes, the austrailian comedian, they're both very different, Steve Hughes being a comedian and heavy metal fan, but he's very philosophical, it would make for a great conversation; it would be great to see the great people of our time communicate a little more.

[@TheOriginalMrBadaBing]

Wow, there are some really judgmental comments here, and I suppose that is considered a judgment although I would rather call it observation. People are even judging how the interview was done. I am sad to hear they couldn't just listen and enjoy for the sake of enjoyment, because quite honestly, be present and soaking things in and "piercing our expectations" or "forget what you know" as Jason said in this interview helps us open up to hearing and reflecting on our own experience. It's all really just an experience, so I guess I shouldn't be sad for these people who didn't enjoy this conversation, it's just their experience. (mind blown)

[@elenakarafizi4315]

Oh my ❤️

[@marianasalles242]

Alain 🙏🏻✨💚🌎

[@paradigmarson9586]

Flowers are very important! Knights knew. Fiore di Battalgia = flowers of battle = medieval Italian fencing and grappling techniques book

[@EMDEEism]

I want in on that community! Where do I sign?

[@nikomoran8348]

Ok so ive been posting my comments for awhile speaking to exactly this thought process, ive even spoken to Dr. Chris bout doing those things.... now im just another blip on ur radars of no~thingness. Im bout to begin a journey set to the next 20years of my lifetime to travel across america and seek and find others to form our Tribe... Some ppl who seek the ecstatic experiance u speak to being rare to acquire... those states of flow are the story and curse to my life and being, transcended the numinous and discovered the Nom~in~Nom.

[@88tongued]

I think Jason might be somewhat in the hungry ghost realm for awe. Does he have videos saying so at all (besides what's implied by using phrases like "wonder junkie")?