Romanticism vs. Classicism
Alain de Botton · 2016
"Modern misery is largely caused by the dominance of Romanticism, which tells us to follow our passions blindly, rather than Classicism, which values reason and low expectations."
The School of Life divides human worldviews into two camps. Romanticism believes in following your heart, finding your 'soulmate,' and trusting your gut. Classicism believes in following reason, accepting human flaws, and building institutions.
For the last 200 years, Romanticism has dominated Western culture. It tells us that love should be entirely based on a magical, spontaneous feeling. If the feeling fades, the relationship must be over. It tells us work must be our ultimate 'passion,' and if it's boring, we are failing.
How does a 'Classicist' view a long-term relationship differently than a 'Romantic'?
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The explanation above is written with AI assistance. These are the originals — go to them to check it.
- Romanticism vs ClassicismThe School of Life
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