Emotional Intelligence, Daily. Start now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/subscription/ Why are some of us so impossibly picky? This film explores the surprising psychological origin of the "soulmate" obsession. Discover why romantic idealism isn't born from a surplus of love, but from a history of emotional starvation. Learn how the lonely child’s survival mechanism—the dream of a perfect companion—becomes the adult’s prison, Unlock all the content of The School of Life with a subscription to our podcast, articles, videos, and exercises, specially tailored to your needs. Get weekly insights for better relationships, deeper self-knowledge, and inner calm straight to your inbox. Sign up for more ideas, plus 10% off your first shop order: https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ You can read more on this and other subjects in our articles, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/idealism-and-deprivation/ “It’s natural to imagine that those who expect most from love, those who dream most intensely of one day alighting on (as it were) a prince or a princess who will answer all their needs, must also be those who have already enjoyed the most promising experiences of relationships. Idealism must - we suppose - be the fruit of a pre-existing surplus of soul-satisfying moments. But human nature is stranger. The greatest idealists are not, as we might think, those who have had the most blessed passage through life; it’s precisely those who have been most starved of affection, who have often been most lonely, who go on to expect most of other people.” OUR COLLECTIONS https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcEwc0qydf2jSszQFSht81E https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpckOvZZ_AZjD7WM2p9-6NBv https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpeUL1vz9Su7OmeghBDgmj7X https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpeypJMHfNbJ4RAFkRtmAN3P https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcpxBm1RoGRx4mVKNRIrKkG https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpcp7jXVszdNruKUtHZ2zuZb https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpfv2COuuJaKzy6E2n8nSMdi https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28Xmpc1qCJ6RYYh4rKNOOlKtFIK SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theschooloflife?lang=en CREDITS Written and Narration: Alain De Botton Animation: Diego Lodeiros