There is no shortage of self-help books on the market. Some claim that we can achieve any goal we set ourselves, including complete happiness, and show us how to do so; others seek to alleviate the suffering we experience when we fall short. Yet genuine help does not lie in doing what others tell us, but in learning to think critically for ourselves, in light of our own circumstances and from our own perspective, and in making the decisions best suited to the context in which we find ourselves.

For the art of thinking ultimately comes down to understanding the circumstances that surround us and knowing how to interpret the context in which we act. Once we have mastered these two skills, we stand a far better chance of making a success of whatever life project we choose to pursue.

The legacy of the great philosophers can be an invaluable guide in this endeavour. Critical thinking is a mental discipline that can be practised at any age and refined over time, as we learn to shed the prejudices and bad habits acquired throughout our lives. These habits are, in essence, the excess weight that holds us back, preventing us from moving freely and meeting the challenges of everyday life with confidence.

In this way, both our children and our pupils, as well as we ourselves, can acquire the key ingredient for a happy life: mental hygiene.

For philosophy is nothing less than the love of knowledge, backed by more than 2,000 years of experience addressing some of life’s most fundamental questions, including what it means to live well.