Illustration of a couple holding hands walking past a giant cheque that unravels to reveal a scenic view of a bridge over a river and the Eiffel tower.
LOVE

My swindler sweetheart

I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far

by Patricia Olsen

A person in a green shirt and jeans sitting, focused on their hands which are clasped together, the right hand picking at the left hand’s thumbnail.
OCD

What to do if your picking or pulling get out of hand

Understanding the psychology behind excessive skin-picking and hair-pulling can help you resist the urges and begin to heal

by Suzanne Mouton-Odum

An elderly woman in a blue jacket holding a book, smiling warmly at the camera indoors.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

Converted by Sister Ruth

At a Texas convent, what could a sublimely uncouth sister in her mid-80s teach me about helping people?

by Ronald W Dworkin

Ideas

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A red bin overflowing with paper coffee cups next to a wall with powerpoints in an office setting.
FOOD AND DRINK

Why we should treat caffeine like the brain-altering drug it is

by Jonathan Simone

Four women outside wearing summer outfits with skyscrapers and a construction crane in the background; one woman is shown smoking.
FRIENDSHIP

Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?

by Yiran Hua

Photo of cars covered in protective plastic inside a showroom with reflections of bare trees in the glass facade.
MONEY AND ECONOMICS

Asteroid economics: why we’re shopping our way through Armageddon

by M I Krueger

Vintage photo of two women in Victorian attire, one in a patterned dress looks at the other who wears a fur-trimmed coat.
HUMAN NATURE

You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful

by Annett Schirmer

Guides

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Tomato plants with red and green tomatoes in a garden setting against a blurred background of a building and grass.
NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

How to start growing your own food

A vegetable garden is more than a source of sustenance – it’s a psychological sanctuary. Here’s how to create your own

by Gary Pilarchik

A woman and dog standing in a cobblestone street, by an outdoor travel advertisement showing a plane wing and sunset.
EMOTION REGULATION

How to resist everyday temptations

Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them

by Peggilee Wupperman

Life stories

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Two children’s dresses lying flat, one blue the other white with floral patterns and colourful smocking.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

The daughter I never had

I loved my three sons but still yearned for a girl. Why did this fill me with such shame?

by Emma Wilkins

Editor’s picks

A person stands under a spotlight next to a long flowing fabric on a dark stage; photo.
KNOWLEDGE AND REASON

How to think about truth

In a world of disagreement, what should you believe? These ideas will help you take a philosophically informed perspective

by Jeremy Wyatt & Joseph Ulatowski

Photo of a bearded man holding a US flag at an outdoor gathering, with blurred people and flags in the background.
VALUES AND BELIEFS

Popper was right about the link between certainty and extremism

In terms of irrational confidence, many people at opposite ends of the political spectrum seem to have something in common

by Thomas Costello & Shauna Bowes

Latest videos

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Collage of animal photos with progressively simplified line drawings of a flamingo, giraffe and cat.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

From cave art to subatomic sketches – how drawing has accelerated human progress

Video by MIT Quest for Intelligence

Two clay faces with minimal features lying on a dark surface in a close-up photograph.
THE SELF

A woman must break apart to make herself whole in this surreal, stunning animation

Surreal painting of a celestial figure surrounded by angels and clouds, with vivid colours and dynamic movement.
THINKERS AND THEORIES

Embrace conflict, reject authority – William Blake’s radical vision of a meaningful life

Oil painting diptych of a man rowing a boat and a woman in blue with a green background.
LOVE

Two lives drift apart and come together in a love story told one brush stroke at a time

Photo of a businessman in a suit explaining with a Jenga tower, another man stands behind him, both in an office setting.
Psyche Exclusive
FILM

Our world’s complex issues can’t be solved by lone heroes. Our stories should reflect that

Sketchbook pages with colourful abstract faces, featuring torn paper flaps over parts of the drawings, mixed media artwork.
MIND AND BRAIN

Steven has a rare insight into faces – because he cannot recognise them

Digital artwork of a grey hand squeezing a yellow stress ball with a smiley face on a black background.
VALUES AND BELIEFS

Cults needn’t fit stereotypes to be dangerous. Here’s how to identify a controlling social group

Notes to self

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An elderly man seated on a city street as skateboarders perform tricks around him.
HAPPINESS

Where are you on the ‘happiness curve’?

by Richard Fisher

A person lying in bed under a duvet, arms covering face; bedside table with books, a lamp, a mug and reading glasses.
SLEEP PROBLEMS

Sleep is important, but not that important

by Alice Gregory

Popular

Four women outside wearing summer outfits with skyscrapers and a construction crane in the background; one woman is shown smoking.
FRIENDSHIP

Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?

Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option

by Yiran Hua

A woman and dog standing in a cobblestone street, by an outdoor travel advertisement showing a plane wing and sunset.
EMOTION REGULATION

How to resist everyday temptations

Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them

by Peggilee Wupperman

Vintage photo of two women in Victorian attire, one in a patterned dress looks at the other who wears a fur-trimmed coat.
HUMAN NATURE

You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful

New research reveals that physical attractiveness is more about personal compatibility than meeting universal standards

by Annett Schirmer

A red bin overflowing with paper coffee cups next to a wall with powerpoints in an office setting.
FOOD AND DRINK

Why we should treat caffeine like the brain-altering drug it is

Like billions of people, I use caffeine. But there is a glaring double standard in the drugs we stigmatise or celebrate

by Jonathan Simone

A person lying in bed under a duvet, arms covering face; bedside table with books, a lamp, a mug and reading glasses.
SLEEP PROBLEMS

Sleep is important, but not that important

It’s good that we’re taking sleep more seriously than we used to, but the messaging about its importance has gone too far

by Alice Gregory

Photo of cars covered in protective plastic inside a showroom with reflections of bare trees in the glass facade.
MONEY AND ECONOMICS

Asteroid economics: why we’re shopping our way through Armageddon

We must escape the psychological trap where grave warnings about existential threats trigger ever more destructive behaviour

by M I Krueger

A dog with a leash standing on a carved wooden bench in front of a field and bare trees under a cloudy sky.
ANIMALS

Dog day blues

We were a new stepfamily, and only the puppy was missing. With Elsa, we lobbed a grenade into the mix

by Lily Dunn

Illustration of a woman floating in space surrounded by large hands and small stars on a dark background.
ALTERED STATES

The psychic who healed me

It was just like her – my bold, dead mother – to show up in my life again. Or was grief playing tricks on me?

by Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein

Explore: Music

People dancing at an outdoor festival, colourful tents in background, clear blue sky overhead.
MUSIC

The beats that make us want to move

by Matt Huston

Photo of a person speaking into a microphone holding an electric string instrument with a choir in the background.
THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE

The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance

Video by All Arts

Photo of a person in vibrant traditional attire with an orange headwrap singing on stage, another in shadow to the side.
MUSIC

How to get hooked on opera

by Alexandra Wilson

Puppets with monkey faces in office attire, performing a synchronised dance in a cubicle-filled office setting, with computers and office supplies visible.
HAPPINESS

Humanoid animals sing through their existential angst in this madcap short

Directed by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in pink and the other in red, surrounded by plants and a tree.
MUSIC

Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?

by Jennifer Saltzstein

A group of people in traditional attire with gold embroidery, holding flowers and smiling while singing.
MUSIC

Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul

Directed by Samuel Bradley

Medieval painting of three musicians playing instruments, seated under arches with colourful robes and curly hair.
MUSIC

Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

by Elizabeth Eva Leach

A person playing a double bass in a workshop filled with tools, workbenches, and various musical instruments.
MUSIC

Repairing instruments for children is its own art in this Oscar-nominated short

Directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers