EP84: Peter Hitchens - The Key To Happiness

Peter Hitchens is a award winning journalist, author, broadcaster and renowned conservative polemicist. Having spent in excess of 40 years in Fleet Street, he has been a specialist reporter on education, labour and industry, politics, defence and diplomacy, as well as a resident correspondent in Moscow and Washington. 

After being shortlisted in 2007 and 2009, he won the Orwell Prize in political journalism in 2010. He’s written for The Spectator and The American Conservative magazines, as well as The Guardian, Prospect, and the New Statesman. Now writing for The Mail on Sunday he has a weekly column and blog in which he debates directly with readers. 

To date he has written eight books, including The Abolition of Britain, The Rage Against God, and The War We Never Fought. His most recent book, 'The Phoney Victory' was published in August 2018 and addresses the national myth of the Second World War, which he asserts did long-term damage to Britain and its position in the world.

A regular on British radio and television, he’s appeared on Question Time, Any Questions?, This Week, The Daily Politics and The Big Questions. He’s presented several documentaries on Channel 4 and in the late 1990s, he co-presented a programme on Talk Radio UK.

He has also visited nearly 60 countries during the course of his work.

 

00.00 Trailer

00.12 Introduction

04.00 What do people not ask Peter Hitchens that he wished they would?

04.40 What does Peter find interesting about himself?

05.40 Peter’s early life

07.30 Peter’s relationship with his parents

08.10 Peter’s thoughts on boarding school

10.30 Peter on losing his Mother

11.30 Peter on his University life

12.10 Peter’s career aspirations

13.30 Being taught what to think, not how to think

15.40 What are the things Peter says that people cannot tolerate?

17.00 How can we create a society that produces better thinkers?

21.00 Education system vs Parenting

22.10 Modern day Britain and it’s position in the world

26.00 Pessimism being the key to happiness

27.30 Peter on the why he opposes the legalisation of cannabis

36.30 Peter’s biggest regret

36.50 Peter on opposing ideas and having a conscience

38.40 How does Peter define God?

41.00 How does Peter think people perceive him?

41.40 Why does Peter think some people hate him?

42.30 How can you know if you’re right?

43.10 Peter on addiction

47.00 Spirituality and religion

47.50 Could God exist out with religion?

49.29 Peter on his purpose

51.20 Peter on open-mindedness

52.10 Peter on his legacy

52.30 What does Peter think his brother, Christopher Hitchens’ legacy is?

55.40 How does Peter define success?

55.50 Best piece of advice

56.50 Speaking to 20 year old self

57.20 Older and younger generation sharing knowledge

57.50 Changing the world

 

You can find Peter at:

https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/

https://www.spectator.co.uk/author/peter-hitchens/

https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah

 

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