Kieran Setiya — We flee from affliction the way an animal flees from death.

We flee from affliction the way an animal flees from death. There’s a sense in which it’s perfectly natural that our response to difficulty in life is aversive. We’re only going to be able to live well with the difficulties of life if we face up to them, because they’re difficult.

About the Author

Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL has significant experience in founding, leading and exiting businesses to trade, private-equity and listed groups. He is currently a Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Government's Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). He also serves as a Non-Executive Director for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Institute of Directors, and Enspec Power. He is Co-Founder of leading venture lab Endgame and sits as Entrepreneur in Residence at The University of Manchester's Innovation Factory. Vikas was awarded an MBE for Services to Business and the Economy in the Queen's 2018 New Year's Honours List. In 2021, he became a Deputy Lieutenant of the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy. He holds an Honorary Professorship of Business at The Alliance Business School, University of Manchester, an Honorary Professorial Fellowship at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Salford in 2022.