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The key ingredients to contented love—quintessential advice on relationships from The School of Life, with an approachable tone
It can sometimes seem a mystery why some couples stay together and thrive – while many more split up or drag on scratchily. While we might think happy love is left to chance, there are some identifiable secrets that underpin good relationships that we can learn and put into practice.
The first title of a new series, The Secrets of Successful Relationships draws upon the expertise of The School of Life therapists to teach us the key ingredients of contented love. Chapters such as “Learning to Love Oneself”, “Knowing What to Overlook”, “Good Listening” and “The Importance of Bad Dates” prompt us to think about how we can achieve success in love. In a tone that’s warm, encouraging and funny, we learn: how to communicate effectively, how to manage differences, what to do when sexual problems arise, how to air grievances, the best way to share a home and – when things grow truly problematic – how to judge whether or not we should stay or leave.
This handbook shows us how to take the necessary, careful, intelligent steps towards the contented love we deserve.
We do this via our books, our app, our films, our therapeutic services and our corporate offering.
The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of The School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton.
1. The Five Anchors of Love
2. Preparations for Love
3. Learning to Love Oneself
4. Knowing What to Overlook
5. Knowing When to Be Demanding
6. Confidence in One’s Weirdness
7. A Test for Rightness
8. Knowing Our Pasts
9. The Temptation to Repeat
10. Mastering Projection
11. Love and Psychotherapy
12. Attachment Theory
13. Adult, Child and Parent
14. Beyond Mind-reading
15. Resentment
16. Good Listening
17. Diplomacy
18. Sexual Expectations
19. Beyond Standard Relationships
20. Endings Don’t Have to Be Tragedies
21. The Fear of Being Alone
22. The Importance of Bad Dates