There is a curious modern belief that intelligence alone will save us.
More information. More speed. More productivity. More optimisation. More answers delivered in fewer seconds by increasingly clever machines.
And yet, the people who cope best with life are rarely just the smartest people in the room. They are usually the people who can stay human under pressure. The people who can connect. Adapt. Reflect. Laugh.
Which is one of the reasons I was so fascinated to sit down with Sir Anthony Seldon on the Humourology Podcast.
Anthony has spent his life studying leadership, education and human behaviour. He has written several biographies of British Prime Ministers, led some of Britain’s best-known schools and universities, pioneered wellbeing in education, and co-founded Action for Happiness.
What quickly became clear is that he is far more interested in people than prestige.
The Historian Who Studies Human Nature
What struck me most during our conversation was how psychologically aware he is. Beneath the historian and educationalist is someone deeply interested in confidence, anxiety, resilience and meaning. The things we all wrestle with when the applause dies down and the inbox is still full.
Anthony spoke openly about self-doubt and anxiety, which I always think is a sign of real confidence rather than weakness. People who acknowledge vulnerability tend to be more trusted and more relatable.
That matters because we are living in an age where certainty is often performed rather than genuinely felt.
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation centred around his brilliant book, The Fourth Education Revolution in which he explores whether artificial intelligence will liberate humanity or infantilise it.
That is a very Humourology question.
Because beneath the technology debate sits a deeper issue: if machines increasingly outperform us in memory, analysis and information retrieval, what qualities remain uniquely human?
Anthony’s answer, in essence, is humanity itself. Relationships. Creativity. Reflection. Judgement. Emotional intelligence.
And yes, I would add humour to that list.
Why Humour Helps Us Endure Reality
Humour is one of the great expressions of psychological flexibility. It allows us to hold contradiction without panic. It lowers threat levels in conversation. It helps us cope with uncertainty. It creates connection where pure logic often fails.
Anthony made the point that education systems still reward a fairly narrow band of intelligence. Pass the exam. Learn the facts. Tick the box. Yet many of the qualities that make life meaningful and leadership effective are far harder to measure.
You can test memory in an exam hall.
It is much harder to measure kindness, resilience, perspective or the ability to make another human being feel safe in a room.
This links strongly to the work of psychologist Martin Seligman, whose ideas around positive psychology have influenced Anthony’s thinking. Seligman shifted psychology away from merely fixing what is wrong with people towards understanding what helps people thrive.
Anthony believes resilience can be taught. I agree.
From a Humourology perspective, humour may be one of the simplest resilience tools we possess. Shared laughter changes emotional state remarkably quickly. It reduces tension, broadens thinking and reminds us that difficult moments can still contain perspective.
Humour does not ignore reality.
It helps us endure it.
Happiness Is Not the Same as Success
We also discussed Action for Happiness, and the idea that happiness is not simply pleasure or achievement, but connection, contribution and meaning.
That feels increasingly relevant in a world where many people are outwardly successful yet inwardly exhausted.
Three takeaways for business and life
- Develop the human skills machines cannot replicate
Knowledge matters, but humanity matters more. Communication, empathy, humour and judgement may become the most valuable capabilities of all. - Build resilience before you desperately need it
Resilience is built through habits, relationships and perspective long before crisis arrives. Humour plays a surprisingly important role in that process. - Do not confuse achievement with wellbeing
Success without connection, meaning or joy eventually becomes emotionally expensive.
What I enjoyed most about Sir Anthony Seldon was that, despite his achievements, he remains deeply curious about people. About how we flourish. About what truly matters. About how we raise wiser and more resilient future generations.
As machines become more intelligent, perhaps the real challenge is whether humans can become more human.
You can hear the full conversation with Sir Anthony Seldon on the Humourology Podcast.
See you next Tuesday.
Warmest,
Paul x
