Brian Little

Business adviser, Educator/Teacher, Global soul, Idea generator, Scientist, World traveler, Writer/Editor

Currently at Cambridge University with the rather hyperbolic title of Distinguished Scholar in the Department of Psychology and Fellow of the Well-Being Institute. I have taught at Oxford, Carleton, McGill and Harvard Universities. I do research on how personality shapes lives and on the roots of "well-doing" or human flourishing.

University teaching which, for me, involves throwing out sparks to highly combustible students and watching them catch fire with passion and purpose. Music in all its diverse and intoxicating forms. The beauty of clarity and of eschewing obfuscation. The wisdom of humour in a world of hurt.

Human flourishing can best be thought of as "well-doing" and it comprises the sustainable pursuit of core projects in our lives.

creativity and audacious project pursuit, personality, culture and well-doing

I am a biological introvert but I am told that I have had considerable success as a professor. This has required that I act out of character as a pseudo-extravert. Like many of you I do this out of professionalism and I do it out of love. It has made life challenging but deeply satisfying. I want to share some messages about how to act out of character without burning ourselves into a frizzled heap of good intentions.

On keyboard playing by ear pretty well anything in the key of C and composing music that delights our cats.