How do I become happy? How do I find my true self? How do I get the best out of myself? Our culture is steeped in the idea that we are responsible for our own failures and successes, and that happiness can be made. But is that really so? And if so, how can we best set ourselves on that path? Come and listen to theologian Annemarieke van der Woude and psychologist Harold Bekkering who use the old biblical story Jonah and the Whale to think about these questions.

Jonah and the whale

Jonah was instructed by God to go and warn the people of Nineveh about their bad behavior. But Jonah wasn't in the mood, so he took a boat the other way—which was then wrecked in a storm. When Jonah, with a little help from a whale, is back on land a few days later, he still goes to Nineveh. A beautiful story, good for countless children's books and beautiful pictures. But can we also learn something from it?

Self-determination

Why do we do the things we do? What motivates us? According to the psychological theory of self-determination, we need autonomy, competence and relatedness to increase our intrinsic motivation. But is everything really a matter of your own will? The story of Jonah suggests that most of the things we do may ultimately be for other reasons.

Can we shape our own lives? How do others play a role in this? And who is going to do the social tasks that no one wants to do? Harold Bekkering and Annemarieke van der Woude explore these and related questions under the guidance of program maker Liesbeth Jansen. Come and join the discussion!