“The Maudsley Debate: "Is Happiness Over-rated?" - Rachel Perkins”

Listen to Rachel Perkins, trustee of Stand to Reason and vice-chair of Rethink, take part in the Maudsley debate with the provocative title is “Happiness Over-rated?” link

Rachel speaks against the motion together with the economist and author Mr Paul Ormerod. Lord Richard Layard, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics. Dr Carmine Pariante, Reader & Consultant Psychiatrist, Institute of Psychiatry speak for the motion in an intellectually stimulating, lively and appropriately somewhat light-hearted debate. Chaired by Professor Robin Murray.

Rachel argues that it is the range of our emotions and desires that drive and inspire us. Humans need voracious curiosity to explore the limits of our knowledge, endurance to sustain the tough endeavours of creativity and anger to fuel our quest for justice. If we reduce this vast richness to a desire for happiness alone we will replace the tensions that generate scientific invention, artistic creation and social change by a bland uniformity. We could even stop valuing happiness, without the misery and despair that put it in sharp relief. And those of us with a mood disorder, if we have the opportunity to contribute our talents, invariably say we do not wish to be without our ‘disorder’ – it’s part of what makes us who we are.

Rachel is a service user and Clinical Director of the Adult Mental Health Services at St George’s Mental Health Trust, formerly a member of the Disability Rights Commission’s Mental Health Action Group and National Social Inclusion Implementation Team.