First World Predicaments episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 12, 2026 · 13 MIN

First World Predicaments

from The School of Life · host tscol

Many issues are nowadays dismissed as mere 'first world problems'. But the problems of the first world are deeply important and need to get addressed - as the whole planet will eventually have them. If you like our films, take a look at our shop (we ship worldwide): https://goo.gl/l7gIAg Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/p_uZC Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/rq78S FURTHER READING “We’ve grown used to belittling things that don’t happen to be important to us right now with the powerful term, ‘first world problem’. This kind of tough-minded response is understandable but a bit counterproductive. Just because an issue isn’t connected to life or death, doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause genuine pain or isn’t worth thinking about. A problem can be important without being life-threatening. Moreover, we should be excited by trying to solve the most advanced problems out there…” You can read more on this here: https://goo.gl/nTiS0Q MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE More films on CAPITALISM in our playlist below: http://bit.ly/TSOLcapitalism Do you speak a different language to English? Did you know you can submit Subtitles on all of our videos on YouTube? For instructions how to do this click here: https://goo.gl/ujIk7B SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Peter Caires and Mad Adam Films http://www.madadamfilms.co.uk This film was animated by the genius Peter Caires. To see more about him, navigate to: http://www.twitter.com/peterlikesthis http://www.petercaires.com #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many issues are nowadays dismissed as mere 'first world problems'. But the problems of the first world are deeply important and need to get addressed - as the whole planet will eventually have them. If you like our films, take a look at our shop (we ship worldwide): https://goo.gl/l7gIAg Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: https://t.ly/p_uZC Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: https://t.ly/rq78S FURTHER READING “We’ve grown used to belittling things that don’t happen to be important to us right now with the powerful term, ‘first world problem’. This kind of tough-minded response is understandable but a bit counterproductive. Just because an issue isn’t connected to life or death, doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause genuine pain or isn’t worth thinking about. A problem can be important without being life-threatening. Moreover, we should be excited by trying to solve the most advanced problems out there…” You can read more on this here: https://goo.gl/nTiS0Q MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE More films on CAPITALISM in our playlist below: http://bit.ly/TSOLcapitalism Do you speak a different language to English? Did you know you can submit Subtitles on all of our videos on YouTube? For instructions how to do this click here: https://goo.gl/ujIk7B SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Peter Caires and Mad Adam Films http://www.madadamfilms.co.uk This film was animated by the genius Peter Caires. To see more about him, navigate to: http://www.twitter.com/peterlikesthis http://www.petercaires.com #TheSchoolOfLife ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOW PLAYING

First World Predicaments

0:00 13:38

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The School of Life?

This episode is 13 minutes long.

When was this The School of Life episode published?

This episode was published on June 12, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Many issues are nowadays dismissed as mere 'first world problems'. But the problems of the first world are deeply important and need to get addressed - as the whole planet will eventually have them. If you like our films, take a look at our shop...

Can I download this The School of Life episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!