Why it is impossible to achieve happiness via work
As a PhD you heavily invest in your career – maybe it is even the case that you invest more in your career than in other important aspects of your life, like your love relationships. But why should you do that? Does having a great job offer that much to your overall happiness? In his talk, Drs. Menno de Bree will argue that this is not the case. It is very difficult to achieve happiness anyway, and the myth that you can achieve it via work is a very dangerous one, possible leading to self-exploitation, depression and burn-out.
Menno is a philosopher who is specialized in the research topics of critical thinking, philosophy of medicine, and medical ethics. Amongst others, he has worked at Heineken as project assistant business ethics. Since 2003, he has been teaching mainly at the University Medical Center Groningen (medical ethics and philosophy). Also, he owns his own company Menno Denkt, an enterprise focused on writing columns for the Dutch Financieel Dagblad, and he gives philosophy courses at Alain de Botton’s School of Life in Amsterdam. Menno is especially interested in issues like happiness and the meaning of life. Attend his talk to learn more!
Menno’s LinkedIn
Menno’s TEDx Groningen lecture “Life for Beginners”