Those Ferrari drivers need lots of love

"The next time you see someone driving a Ferrari, don't think this is someone who is greedy; think this is someone who is incredibly vulnerable and in need of love." So says Alain de Botton, my favourite philosopher. After hearing that, I felt much happier about the huge bonuses those bankers get. The poor things! All they need is love.

Hobbes and Hegel were great thinkers, but Alain de Botton is the philosopher to read if you want to understand the problems of the 21st century. Why are so many people so unhappy today? Job snobbery and status anxiety, says de Botton. His latest book, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, focuses on success and failure. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night filled with panic about where your life is going? You're not alone, de Botton says. Yes, meritocracy is a good idea, but the belief that "anyone can do it" means that our lack of success must be entirely our own fault. This is wrong. It would be much better if we left room for "misfortune" in our lives and were less afraid of failure.

But instead of listening to me, you can listen to Alain de Botton saying these things at the recent TED conference in Oxford.