Beyond happiness
A practical and experiential dive into the role of meaning in a good life
Sept 12th 18:30-20:30 CET - Online
Our 21st century society is largely focused on the pursuit of individual happiness, pleasure, and material success. We live in what American psychiatrist Anna Lambke calls ‘a dopamine nation.’ But what if people only ‘distract themselves with pleasure’ if they can’t find ‘a deep sense of meaning’—as Holocaust survivor and existential psychotherapist Viktor Frankl claims?
This experiential and practical workshop takes Frankl seriously and explores the idea that a good life should not just be happy, it should also be meaningful. Drawing on insights from philosophy, (positive) psychology, spiritualty, and existential psychotherapy, Derek van Zoonen and Pascal Nonnen take you on a little existential adventure. We explore the difference between happiness and meaning, what gives rise to meaning, and how to create more meaning in your world. And, ultimately, why a focus on meaning matters in light of the social and ecological challenges we are facing. Our guiding thought is the thought that meaning arises when we transcend our limited self-concern and connect ourselves to something larger than ourselves.
The Facilitators
Dr. Derek van Zoonen - Philosopher, (Philosophical) Counselor
Derek’s main passion is to help people live more examined lives. With over ten years experience as a teacher, researcher, counselor, and facilitator, he currently seeks to integrate philosophical and psychological findings about human happiness and the good life at a large, interdisciplinary, Oslo-based research project. He is also a certified breathwork instructor and, more recently, he has embarked on a training in Hakomi—a mindfulness-based, somatic psychotherapy form. He loves to engage people in conversation and help them think more carefully about the values that shape their lives. When he is not philosophizing or practicing Hakomi, you can find him in the mountains, in preferably cold water, or listening to Ion Ludwig and Ludwig von Beethoven.
Pascal Nonnen - Change Facilitator, Co-Active Coach, Musician
Pascal’s vision is to build a retreat place for people to learn who they truly are and what they can offer to the world. For 5 years, his work has been to support individuals, teams and organisations to drive systemic change on today’s wicked challenges - e.g. digitalization, climate change, or fighting inequality. He does this through 1:1 coachings and workshop facilitation, with a focus on leadership development for change makers across the globe. Currently, Pascal is researching at the intersection between leadership, the good life, and systemic change making (PhD’ing). Pascal loves to delve into different cultures through food and music. He can spend hours searching for the song that best captures his moods, and gains immense pleasure from culinary experiences.
Any Questions? Shoot us a message.