Alain De Botton

speaker

1,037 appearances 5 recordings 5 series first heard Jan 2024 last heard 1 Jul

Alain De Botton’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 4 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 1.

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Making Sense with Sam Harris · #483 — The Knots We Tie Ourselves Into · 1 Jul 2026 podcast

right at the center of ritual and psychological development.

And we too often fail to do that.

I mean, you know, I'm thinking about why people are boring.

All human beings have very complex lives, but we all know some people who, when you come into their vicinity...

you yourself feel that you have an awful lot to say to them and around them, and there's a lot of feeling.

And other people, we feel, you know, they are saying, what have you been up to lately?

And the mind goes completely blank, largely because I tend to think that this is a function of how much they've explored of themselves.

a so-called interesting person is generally somebody who's been very interested in themselves, not in a narrow egocentric way, but they've opened a lot of doors.

And I think one unconsciously senses that when you come into contact with them and then you have a lot to say.

I would immediately put you in that category, Sam.

And which is why people enjoy talking to you.

And, and I think that one of the things that psychedelics allow people to do is more easily explore bits of their minds, which when they are outside of the substance continues and gives them a kind of space, which they allow to other people to, you know, explore their own minds.

And so one ends up, you know, having a more interesting time and a more, if you use a hackneyed word, compassionate time.

where there's a lot more on the table to discuss and to feel.

Mm-hmm.

Such a fascinating question.

I mean, I'd begin with the story of every human in a family.

You emerge into the world with a mother and a father.

And, you know, it's hard to remember, but essential to remember how mighty every mother and father or every caregiver looks to an infant.

You know, this large person can throw a ball across the garden, can master language, can write, can sing, can pick you up and spin you around the room.

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