How to Write Something Truly Beautiful — Alain de Botton

I interviewed Alain de Botton, a philosopher and writer who has turned personal pain into universal wisdom. He's written dozens of books and built The School of Life into a YouTube channel with nearly 10 million subscribers, but the thing that makes him unique is that he approaches writing as a form of emotional archaeology. We talked about why good writing requires suffering, why loneliness is essential to the creative process, and how writing is actually a form of revenge. He also shared his approach to writer's block and why he believes the pressure is on us creatives to deepen our self-exploration. If you want to understand how to write with emotional honesty and create work that genuinely connects with people, this conversation will show you a completely different way to think about the craft. Enjoy!

00:00:00 What Gives a Writer Joy
00:07:59 Why Great Books Start as Fragments
00:14:56 How to Live Like a Writer
00:21:59 Why Suffering Makes Better Artists
00:27:53 Why Writing Is About Revenge
00:36:30 Why Discipline Matters Less Than Attention
00:41:35 How Deep Observation Reveals Hidden Details
00:47:22 How to Write What You Actually Want
00:54:24 Why Writer's Block Is Just Shame
00:57:01 Why Modern News Hijacks Your Mind
01:06:27 Why We Find Certain Things Beautiful
01:14:44 Why Religion Beats Art at Persuasion
01:18:50 Why Wonder Works Better Than Reason
01:22:33 Why AI Pushes Writers to Be More Original

Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

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