The pursuit of meaning; not happiness
In order to make sense of the challenges around us, are we better off reframing our search for pleasure or happiness, to one of meaning?
Human InsightPurpose
The pursuit of meaning; not happiness
The pursuit of happiness Emeka Nnaka was 21 when he became paralysed. He was playing football for…
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Creativity
Lockdown singing: the science of why music helps us connect in isolation
“Don’t hold back, sing with all of your heart,” said our colleague Simon Baron-Cohen on a Zoom…
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Purpose
Do we actually grow from adversity?
In our culture, there’s this idea that enduring a tragedy can be good for your personal growth. You’ll…
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Lockdown singing: the science of why music helps us connect in isolation
Music lies at the very essence of our humanity because it enables the level of social bonding that distinguishes us from other species.
Do we actually grow from adversity?
In our culture, there’s this idea that enduring a tragedy can be good for your personal growth. You’ll have a newfound appreciation for life. You’ll be…
Trust when we are all remote – how to build psychological safety
The psychology behind safety In 2012, Google launched a project called ‘Project Aristotle’, in which they set out to find out what makes a perfect…
Navigating adversity with Purpose: Episode five of ‘The Leaders Series’
Can climate change be solved by business? Climate change has not always been accepted by business nor seen as a problem that is its responsibility…
How we can overcome prejudice and bias?
Unconscious Bias We are hardwired to put things in categories. In his book Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil, cognitive scientist Paul Bloom…
“Labels are for bottles”: Can brand advertising have a positive social impact?
Woke-washing Last year, Listerine launched a special mouthwash for Pride. The original ‘Cool Mint’ bottle was revamped with rainbow stripes, bejeweled with six fantastically hollow…
Purpose is personal: Episode four of ‘The Leaders Series’
What does it mean to live with and lead with purpose? As scrutiny on how businesses behave increases, and leaders have to navigate their own…
After the dust has settled: The Value of Slowness with Rob Orchard
Slow Journalism On 3rd October 2011, the verdict of Amanda Knox’s trial was published on the Daily Mail Online: ‘Guilty: Amanda Knox looked stunned as…
Tackling charged topics with humanity
Humans are riddled with unconscious biases and preconceived notions of what is right and wrong. It is why facts don’t change our mind. In…
Solving supply chain transparency: Episode three of ‘The Leaders Series’
Can you solve a problem you can’t see? As scrutiny on supply chains increases and the ethics of trade are being questioned, the tools…
Investment is personal: Episode two of ‘The Leaders Series’
What does it really mean to live by your values when money is at stake? What makes it difficult to accept the individual nature…
Why faux-purpose will not last: Episode one of the ‘Leaders Series’
How do you maintain both authenticity and contemporary relevance? How do you communicate a corporate philosophy to employees across the world? We sat down…
Why do we need the arts in times of crisis?
Reframing reality The word is different now. Vastly, unimaginably different to how it was just a few weeks ago. But at the same time, things…
The Beautiful Truth presents ‘Leaders Series’ – the trailer
Meaningful leadership has never been so important. As we adjust to a new reality, business leaders across the globe will inevitably face difficult...
Alone together: the psychology of touch in a socially distanced world
Can any amount of virtual book groups or yoga sessions or WhatsApp group chats fill the space of a handshake, a hug, a holding of the hand?
Curiosity: the super-power we might have overlooked.
Curiosity allows us to find challenging situations, bad experiences, unforeseen events all as an opportunity to find something out, to learn something simply for the sake of it, to witness something, partake or observe.
COVID-19: The Psychology of Panic and the Philosophy of Care
To feel sane in times of crisis, we must reconnect with each other, experiencing ourselves as belonging to something bigger, recognising that in our actions, we are responsible for others beyond ourselves.
Spontaneous introspection
Over the past few weeks and into the next few months it feels as though many people are going to go on this journey. Spontaneous, or at least triggered, introspection.
The power of stories: from houswives to firefighters
Changing the stories that are publicly available to us changes the way we tell stories to ourselves.
3 ways to tell if corporations are genuine about fighting climate change
“It takes leadership and a certain kind of courage to admit that change is needed,” wrote Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune at CNBC. “Now we must keep the pressure on.”
Feelings: what’s the point of rational thought if emotions always take over?
Even the most emotional person uses rational thought when deciding, and even the most rational person is affected by emotions when making decisions.
The stories we tell ourselves
The Narrative Fallacy Every day, we tell ourselves stories. As we go about our day, we piece together gaps in our knowledge – narrativising a…
Three financial firms could change the direction of the climate crisis
A silent revolution is happening in investing. It is a paradigm shift that will have a profound impact on corporations, countries and...
The Value of One: What Can We Learn from Case Studies?
A study of one person — also called an N of 1 trial — can uncover subtle, important results that would be lost in a large-scale study...
Science is sometimes wrong. That’s okay.
As much as we’d like to believe that published research and scientific facts are infallible, they aren’t. But the credibility of the scientific enterprise has never rested on the veracity of individual experiments; rather, it is about the collective advancement of knowledge and understanding.
How behavioural science could help us reach zero emissions
Behavioural scientists study how minor tweaks can tip the balance towards behavioural change.
By dwelling on the downsides of bioplastics, we’re hobbling efforts to make them part of the solution
Our industry understands better than most that disruption of the status quo is no small feat. It can’t be done without soberly acknowledging the scale and difficulty of the task. But it certainly can’t be done by focusing on those difficulties to the exclusion of everything else.
Climate crisis: we are not individuals fighting a faceless system – we are the system that needs to change
So although the impact of a lone individual to tackle climate change is negligible, fortunately, you are not just a lone individual – you are part of something much greater. We are deeply connected to one another at both a physical and psychological level, and when that truth is genuinely acknowledged, we act differently, becoming more compassionate and caring for each other and the environment.
Science is deeply imaginative: why is this treated as a secret?
By exploring other avenues into science than the formally educative – its history and philosophy, its deep ideas simply put, and a rediscovery of the joy brought by acute observations of nature – more people might discover that the notion that ‘science is not for me’, too often acquired early in life, is simply a cruel deception.
In the zone: the psychology of optimum performance
Csikszentmihalyi describes this elevated state as “flow” - a merging of action and awareness, in which the individual is completely engrossed...
How to really hold business to account on their carbon footprint: include their supply chains
Donald Trump may not believe climate change is happening, but most business leaders do and it is no surprise to see it top of the agenda at the World…
Leaders on Purpose: how to walk the talk and transition into a purpose-led business
Leaders on Purpose published a report last year, drawing together insights gathered...
How B Lab is changing the role of businesses in society
In 2006, three friends left their careers in business and private equity to create B Lab, a non-profit organisation dedicated to...
Escaping the self: the transcendental experience of awe
Awe is the feeling of having goosebumps. We experience it when we confront things that expand our usual frames of reference...
Singing sea levels: finding creative solutions to communicate the climate crisis
The climate crisis is a human catastrophe, human lives are being taken before our eyes, and it is those on the margins who are suffering most...
Is there a limit to human compassion?
Compassion Fatigue There are 320,000 homeless people in the UK. How can we get people to care? The harsh reality is that we can’t, not…
From coffee to cosmetics, companies are looking for ways to protect the plants their products are made from
As crop varieties disappear, boosting biodiversity becomes smart business. “The food system that we’ve built over the last century is a dead end for…
Why we should keep playing as adults
To play is to “engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” A quick search of the word “playing”…
Humanity and nature are not separate – we must see them as one to fix the climate crisis
From transport and housing to food production and fashion, our civilisation is driving climate and ecological breakdown. It’s no coincidence that almost every single sector of industry is contributing to the planet’s downfall,…
How can we actually create happy societies?
Imagine two different societies. In the first, people tend to be stressed, tense, irritable, distracted and self-absorbed. In the second, people tend to be at…
How Can We Help People Authentically Connect?
How can we authentically connect with ideas, businesses, brands and most importantly: each other? Speaking at the 2019 Social Media in Pharma event, Adam, co-founder…
Purpose in Governance
by Elliot Wilson What is purpose? Research shows that people with a hard-wired sense of purpose do better in life. Jaak Panksepp, the esteemed Estonian…
How can we fight against language pollution?
How can we wade through the buzzwords of environmental crisis and distinguish the companies and corporations committed to real change? ‘When fabulousness meets sustainability’ In…
Science needs myths to thrive
I can still remember the horror of discovering that everything I had worked on was wrong. I was a PhD candidate just starting my second…
For a sustainable future, we need to reconnect with what we’re eating – and each other
Eating alone, once considered an oddity, has become commonplace for many across the Western world.
How creativity helped solve logistical challenges
What-3-Words creatively designed a new system to navigate the world. Thinking outside the box, Sheldrick has done so much more than help friends meet up...
Exploding the myth of the scientific vs artistic mind
It’s a stereotype, but many of us have made the assumption that scientists are a bit rigid and less artistic than others. Artists, on…
How a sense of purpose can link creativity to happiness
How are creativity and happiness linked? Does happiness make us more creative or does creativity make us happy? Most of the research so far seems to indicate that a positive mood enhances creativity.
Venture Capital: towards a fair venture?
Shift in VC investment: players who prioritise purpose are next big earners.
Communicating climate change: Focus on the framing, not just the facts
Humans are currently in a war against global warming. Or is it a race against global warming? Or maybe it’s just a problem we have to deal with?
How companies can action the Business Roundtable Statement
Following the Business Roundtable Statement, here are three ways that businesses can start creating more people-focused companies.
Navi Radjou on realising our potential
Navi Radjou discusses how creative problem-solving can address some of today's biggest global issues.
Potential Project founder Rasmus Hougaard on developing people-centric leaders
Rasmus Hougaard, founder and managing director of Potential Project, discusses the desire to do good in business and the place for compassionate leadership.
Data literacy for human understanding
Anna Rosling is the co-author of Factfulness and co-founder of the Gapminder Foundation, a digital hub dedicated to addressing misconceptions about global development by taking…
Want to be happier? Try getting to know yourself
The unexamined life is not worth living, said the Greek philosopher Socrates. He was reflecting on the expression “Know Thyself” – an aphorism inscribed on the temple…
Five ways to become a really effective altruist
For an effective altruist, the core question is: “Of all the possible ways to make a difference, how can I make the greatest difference?”
Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds
New discoveries about the human mind show the limitations of reason, writes Elizabeth Kolbert staff writer at The New Yorker.
Pure altruism: why we help strangers
Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University on why empathy is the reason why we help one another.
Private Equity: Purpose beyond Pound Sterling
With private equity assets now common in investor portfolios, investors have upped their non-financial performance demands
Towards a fairer capitalism
Business can and ought to have higher ideals that go beyond shareholder value. If we are going to answer some of the most complex…
The Africa Centre: defining culture
When The Africa Centre opened its doors in London in 1964 it was a “home away from home” for the African diaspora, a cultural centre…
How companies manipulate our desire for freedom
Simon McCarthy-Jones delves into the the nooks and crannies of free will and corporate messaging.
How creativity can help us cultivate moral imagination
Elizabeth Reid Boyd on the connection between empathy, creativity and better ways of being.
Values and purpose: the secret to M&A success
The C-suite must engage with the deeper values and purpose of the business, ensuring they are understood by all stakeholders.
Welcome to the bioeconomy
Circularity requires less resource extraction and is designed to have a longer shelf-life to minimise the impact of waste.
Is it rational to trust your gut feelings?
Neuroscientist Valerie van Mulukom on the role our gut instinct plays when making decisions.
Seeing differently for ingenuity
Creative thinking is one of the qualities attributed to entrepreneurs and inventors.
Exploring the Purpose of Life
What is your purpose? Research shows that humanity’s purpose rests in the spectacular drive of our minds to extract meaning from the world around us.
Calling time on single-use plastics
The drastic change needed to clean up our waterways cannot depend alone on consumers to change their relationship to plastic.
Fashion Industry: Is Transparency Enough?
The themes of transparency and supply chain disruption are taking central stage at this year's Fashion Revolution Week. Are high street brands doing enough?
Extinction Rebellion: Activism for Change
Extinction Rebellion in the UK and around the world is forcing mainstream news to start giving the politics of climate change the attention it deserves.
How Pharma Can Navigate Change with Purpose
Healthcare and Pharma are facing more disruption than ever. How can the industry leverage purpose as a behavioral compass to navigate through change?
A Mind of its Own: How Reliable is Your Memory?
When recalling the past, we rarely doubt the first memories which jump to mind. But are they reliable? Experts explain how they change more than we realise.
A Conversation with Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein reveals her thoughts on the current political landscape, and discusses how the emerging concept of brand purpose impacts the corporate space.
Microfinance and Female Empowerment
Can microfinance empower women and increase equality? Cath Everett examines the impact of money apps and microfinance organisations on women in rural Kenya.
Simon Sinek and The Infinite Game
Simon Sinek encourages an infinite mindset - in both business and how we perceive ourselves. We look at the five key elements of the infinite game.
Christa Gyori on Purpose
Christa Gyori, CEO and co-founder of "Leaders on Purpose," discusses the immense business potential that lies in the United Nations’ SDGs.
Building For Tomorrow
Cities are growing faster than ever. Mass migration poses a major challenge, and the demands on the construction and architectural industries are immense.
Is Altruism Hardwired into the Brain?
Is altruism “hard wired” into the human brain? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have used science to try and find out.
Turning the Tide on Plastics
Awareness of how much plastic is polluting our ecosystem is growing, and highlighting climate disasters through narrative is now more important than ever.
Donna Edgell on Human Values at Work
Donna Edgell, Internal Communications & Engagement Manager at Travis Perkins, discusses the benefits of communicating corporate strategy to employees.
Gemma Brady on The Power of Storytelling
Documentary film director Gemma Brady talks about the power of storytelling and the profound impact stories have when we relate them to our own experiences.
Greening up the Beautiful Game
Helen Taylor, former CEO of Forest Green Rovers, is inspired by the desire to prove that the sports industry can start “doing things differently.”
Your ‘Eureka’ moment explained
Scientists claim to have discovered a key part of the process by which people come to an ‘aha’ or ‘eureka’ moment when trying to work something out.
Collaborative technology: working with humans
For some, The Fourth Revolution conjures up a dystopic vision of the world of work where robots take over the world of work, resulting in…
Timothy Henry on defining Purpose
Timothy Henry, founding member of the Conscious Capitalism movement, discusses a different, more holistic way of doing business.
Two Ways of Improving Decision Making
Jess Whittlestone, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence shares her view on high stakes decision making. People sometimes talk about…
Blockchain and the new social contract
Don Tapscott, Executive Chairman of The Blockchain Research Institute, forsaw the profound affect information technology would have on business and society.
Be More Pirate: sea change starts with you
Be More Pirate: Or How to Take on the World and Win is a rallying cry for anyone who wants to embrace their rebellious…
A Creative Fashion Revolution
Orsola de Castro talks about creativity as a force for change, in an industry that has enormous social and environmental impact on the world’s resources.
Monzo for the unbanked
Opening a bank account is a difficult thing to do. Challenger Monzo has launched a new initiative to improve access to financial services for everyone.
When best intentions and big business collide
There’s nothing moral about promoting big business. Before making a purchase, should consumers consider what the company stands for?
Adam Penny on Creativity in Filmmaking
Adam Penny, Executive Creative Director of Connected Pictures, gets to the heart of what creative strategies make a showstopper brand level film.
Rory Sutherland on thinking fast and slow
In this School of Life sermon, Sutherland discusses the main tenets of the binary cognitive processing system of behavioural economics.
Trust Gone Mad
More and more purpose-driven companies coming to the fore purporting a better world for everyone. However, when some brands deliver on their brand promise, they…
Tagging Germany Creatively
When you think of senior citizens, entering their autumnal years and giving up work, what comes to mind? Intrepid travellers, who are finally going on…
William McDonough on Cradle to Cradle
William McDonough, architect, author and pioneer of the circular economy, talks to us about design principles for the creating in today’s world.
A View to Innovate with Purpose
Innovation driven by purpose is bringing the world of digital books to the visually impaired and those managing sight loss.
Communicating Purpose
We caught up with Kathryn Kneller, an Internal Communications consultant whose career spans 15 years at blue chip companies in sectors ranging from tech, financial…
Building Tribal Trust with Authenticity
Effective communication starts with an authentic narrative that is created by building trust.
Afghan Cycles
We take cycling for granted as just another mode of transport regardless of gender. However, not everyone the world over has that privilege.
Authenticity and Into The Uncharted
For this brand film, Molton Brown wanted to capturing authenticity. Into The Uncharted works because the perfumer focused on an inspiring narrative.
Creativity and the fourth revolution
Creativity is one of the top three skills needed for the future of work, the ability to think creatively will drive success in the fourth revolution.
The male image and Lynx
The rule book on what makes up the male image is changing, so too should unhelpful stereotypes that prevent men from moving away from a toxic masculinity.
Meaning at work: the art of give and take
Purpose-driven companies outperform the rest of the market by a huge 42%. Smart businesses know that higher purpose and motivation are linked.
Simon Sinek and The Golden Circle
Inspired organisations start with Simon Sinek's golden circle. They define their purpose so that they can unlock great leadership.
In pursuit of The Beautiful Truth
Rediscovering our purpose and defining The Beautiful Truth has brought meaning back to our business, and to our own stories as people.
Beyond maximising shareholder value
Shareholder value has been the corporate mantra for decades, but the tide is changing and purpose-driven businesses are outperforming the competition.
Conscious Capitalism in the Age of Amazon
How does being owned by Amazon square with the Conscious Capitalism movement originally founded by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods?
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