Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 6pm - 7:30pm

‘Sustainable Hedonism. A Thriving Life That Does Not Cost the Earth’,

London House Small Common Room

This interactive seminar is for anyone who seeks to actively contribute to the solution of current ecological and social problems.  Based on her recent book, Sustainable Hedonism. a Thriving Life That Does Not Cost the Earth, Orsolya asks how can joy be sustainable and free from hangovers, obesity, addictions and guilt? How could values that might seem distant, such as ecological balance and solidarity, override what is immediate, personal, and enjoyable? Why would anyone opt for minimalism in the world of maximisers? Ecologically responsible behaviour is often perceived as a loss of happiness and life quality, evoking resistance or even anger. As the idea of loss is unlikely to motivate people to make adjustments a more viable path is to refine and fine-tune our relationship to joy and success. We need to find a life strategy that is both joyful and does no harm to oneself or to others – in other words ‘sustainable hedonism’.

Orsolya Lelkes is an independent scholar and psychological counsellor, former Deputy Director at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna and former Head of Economic Research at Hungarian Ministry of Finance