Program
Wilhelm Schmid, born in 1953 in Bavarian Swabia, lives as an independent philosopher in Berlin. He studied philosophy and history in Berlin, Paris, and Tübingen, earned his doctorate and habilitation in the field of the art of living, and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Erfurt until reaching retirement age. He was a visiting lecturer in Riga and Tbilisi and worked as a philosophical counselor near Zurich. In 2012 he received the Meckatzer Philosophy Prize, followed by the Egnér Prize in 2013. His books have been translated into many languages.Many people seek a positive, happy life—and there is nothing wrong with that. Yet life itself often intervenes, with negative, unhappy, and failing moments. Why is it so difficult to acknowledge this? The philosopher Wilhelm Schmid helps us understand the art of living: learning to enjoy life while also enduring what is unenjoyable. Happiness is most likely to grow as a happiness of fullness when we accept both sides—the joyful as well as the difficult experiences