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
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
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
Ideas
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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
How to thrive as a highly sensitive person
In this noisy world, being highly sensitive is a challenge. But learn to manage overwhelm and you can reap the upsides too
by Jadzia Jagiellowicz
Life stories
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Editor’s picks
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
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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A woman must break apart to make herself whole in this surreal, stunning animation
Directed by Chu-Chieh Lee
Embrace conflict, reject authority – William Blake’s radical vision of a meaningful life
Two lives drift apart and come together in a love story told one brush stroke at a time
Our world’s complex issues can’t be solved by lone heroes. Our stories should reflect that
Steven has a rare insight into faces – because he cannot recognise them
Cults needn’t fit stereotypes to be dangerous. Here’s how to identify a controlling social group
Why the mental health awareness movement needs more precision and fewer vibes
Notes to self
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Popular
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance
Video by All Arts
Humanoid animals sing through their existential angst in this madcap short
Directed by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr
Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul
Directed by Samuel Bradley
Repairing instruments for children is its own art in this Oscar-nominated short
Directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers