Enlightenment in the age of materialism: Carol Craig at TEDxGlasgow

Rising materialism is eroding both individual and collective well-being, says Carol Craig, founder of Glasgow charity the Centre for Confidence and Well-being. This is the thread that weaves together many of the big issues of our age --the bonus culture, loss of standards in public life, rising inequality, overuse of resources and rising mental health problems. But it need not be like this if we wake up and stop buying into these dominant values and assumptions.

More About Carol...

Carol Craig is Chief Executive of the Centre for Confidence and Well-being -- a small charitable organisation which she set up in Glasgow in 2005 and which in 2012 is launching several initiatives on materialism. The website features 'Enlightenment in the Age of Materialism', which contains free information and resources.

Carol is author of three books: The Scots' Crisis of Confidence, Creating Confidence: A Handbook for Professionals Working with Young People, and The Tears that Made the Clyde: Well-being in Glasgow.

Carol has a Ph. D in politics from the University of Edinburgh and worked in the BBC for thirteen years before setting up her own training and development consultancy.

In the first phase of the Centre's existence the focus was positive psychology and Carol was seen internationally as one of the leading exponents of this new approach. However, in the past few years the Centre has broadened its focus by highlighting other factors which affect well-being (such as contact with the natural world, exercise and inequality). The Centre, under Carol's leadership is now focusing on materialism.

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