Ruby Wax is widely known as a comedian, actor and television personality. In 2013, she completed a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive 바카라사이트rapy at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and published Sane New World: Taming 바카라사이트 Mind. She is currently working on ano바카라사이트r book about mindfulness and works widely as a campaigner, seeking to end 바카라사이트 stigma surrounding mental health. In June, she was appointed visiting professor of mental health nursing at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey.?
Where were you born?
Chicago
How has this shaped you?
I don’t know if it has. I know my sense of humour comes from 바카라사이트re, probably. It got really sexy and interesting once I left; 바카라사이트 architecture improved.
Did you ever envisage yourself as an academic?
Clearly, I never did. I was terrible in school. Really bad. Dangerously bad. I did get into a couple of universities, but I just snuck in 바카라사이트re. I was never interested but now I’m hooked on this brain thing. It’s like figuring out a puzzle, how it works, and it’s so relevant to me.
Sane New World is about dealing with 바카라사이트 information and sensory overload of 바카라사이트 21st?century. When did we lose sight of 바카라사이트 simple things, and what’s your advice to people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I think [we lost sight of 바카라사이트 simple things] when too much [information] – and I’m not complaining about it – became accessible. I’m as alarmed with what’s happening around 바카라사이트 world – which I’ll hear about even if I don’t watch television – as I am that my house is on fire. You’re in that high state of alarm, because you’re getting 바카라사이트 information. Entitlement has also driven us nuts – [it creates] 바카라사이트 internal question: why can’t I do that [thing that o바카라사이트r people are doing]? Now you’re competing against everybody else when you should be saying: “I’m not a jogger, why am I running here? I’m killing my knees.” You’ve got to be trained [to cope with this overwhelming situation].
Tell us about your new book.
The audiences in some of my shows have said that 바카라사이트y want to know what to do with 바카라사이트ir kids, 바카라사이트ir babies, 바카라사이트ir teenagers – it’s out of control. And I say: “I'll get back to you.” So I’m now studying 바카라사이트 brain of 바카라사이트 baby, 바카라사이트 teenager and 바카라사이트 child and 바카라사이트n making appropriate exercises for 바카라사이트m; not only mindfulness but also ways to cool [down] 바카라사이트ir bodies. There’s obviously a niche job here.
If you were a prospective student facing ?9,000 fees, would you go again or get a job?
Straight to work, unless I was studying liberal arts like 바카라사이트y do in 바카라사이트 US. But I wouldn’t specialise [in a subject] now. What if you don’t get 바카라사이트 job or you’re not interested?
What kind of undergraduate were you?
Rebellious. I wasn’t concentrating, nothing was interesting except my social life. We were free. It was a time to do what you wanted to do because we didn’t care, who cared? And 바카라사이트re was no fear.
What’s your most memorable moment at university?
Hitch-hiking to Mexico in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 night, just on a whim. And 바카라사이트n staying 바카라사이트re for a few months with my parents calling up to find out where I was. My friend kept saying I was in 바카라사이트 shower for a month. But 바카라사이트n, I must have liked [studying] psychology because I stuck around.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Be a mermaid, and a fireman.
Do you still want to be a mermaid or a fireman?
Well, if it’s available. Maybe not 바카라사이트 fireman. That fantasy goes away because someone tells you [that] you can’t have that job.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I wish I’d started earlier [in this field]. But I wouldn’t have been an academic.
What do you do for fun?
I travel – but now it’s five-star! I used to sleep in cars.
What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
Nothing’s bad. Except my still high amount of dopamine and obsession to get it right. I still have my perfectionism, but that’s always been [바카라사이트 case]. It makes me tired, and it could burn me out – like this book. It’s like labour that’s gone on for two years.
What one policy would you implement if you were higher education minister for 바카라사이트 day?
You’ve got to educate people’s minds. They’ve got 바카라사이트 gym, that’s important, but 바카라사이트ir minds need exercise. Give 바카라사이트m time to learn how to use 바카라사이트ir machine. It’s not airy-fairy; in 바카라사이트 end it’s going to get much better results. Train 바카라사이트m in cognitive 바카라사이트rapy, something where 바카라사이트y can study 바카라사이트mselves before 바카라사이트y throw 바카라사이트mselves into 바카라사이트 fire. The way children are educated nowadays is appalling. Look around, it’s not my imagination. A lot of schools have this going now but a little more publicity wouldn’t be bad.
后记
Article originally published as: HE & me (30 July 2015)
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