WISDOM

How to find your InnSæi

In uncertain times, an Icelandic concept can help you reconnect with your intuition and follow your inner compass

by Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir

Photo of three people smiling indoors, seated with arms around each other, with decorative items in the background.

Thicker than blood

When polio left me unable to walk, my parents put me in a disability centre. There, I met Mommy

Sauda Bashir, as told to Kiprop Kimutai

Close-up video of a bicycle gear cassette with chain in movement, showing detailed metal texture and mechanical design.

No, willpower isn’t a muscle – here’s a better way to think of it

The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise

by Alberto De Luca

Black and white photo of a person with long hair reflected in glass talking on a mobile phone in an urban setting.
LOVE
2

Why being ghosted is inevitable and being a ghoster is too

by Dominic Pettman

A city street with reflections on a window showing cars, people and a grocery sign with a Coca-Cola advertisement.

Heidegger knew that we are always outside, weathering the storms

by Katherine Withy

Guides

View all
Photo of baseball team celebrating on-field victory under bright lights, players wearing blue jerseys with World Series patch.

How to build team spirit

The glue, or spirit, that binds certain teams is not mystical – you can cultivate it by changing how you work together

by Leigh Thompson

A yellow removal van viewed from a window, partially open with furniture and boxes inside on a residential street.

How to cope with disruptive change

You can’t stop life from throwing changes your way, big and small. But you can get a lot better at dealing with them

by David A Clark

Life stories

View all
A woman in an art studio examining a small object surrounded by paintings, plants and art supplies.

The mudlark

After a lifetime of collecting artefacts from strangers’ lives, I’m finally ready to face my own past

by Marie-Louise Plum

Editor’s picks

Photo of silhouetted rooftops at sunset with lit windows and an orange sky.

How to sleep well again

Insomnia is awful, but highly treatable. Look beyond pills and potions, and use these effective methods to get your life back

by Chris James

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.

You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

Latest videos

View all
Photo of a person with long hair and glasses driving a car gesturing to someone outside through an open window.

A no-nonsense New York driving instructor’s rules of the road

Pointillist painting of a vibrant tree with colourful foliage and textured background in a natural setting.

Perception is a process of inference, not an account of ‘reality’

Photo of a woman with long hair, eyes closed in a field of wildflowers and greenery, creating a serene and natural setting.

How meditation can boost your brain’s capacity to adapt

Drawing of a child leaning on a table beside a fishbowl with a red fish inside. The background is plain and neutral.

An animator’s bittersweet ode to her ‘third culture’ childhood

Notes to self

View all
Woman in historical dress washing her hands with water poured by a child from a jug, with onlookers in an ornate interior setting.
OCD

Forever compelled

by Matt Huston

Popular

Photo of a person leaning back with hands on head at a desk, laptop open, with feet up on the desk, green background.

How to think differently about procrastination

Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress

by Rebecca Roache

Black and white photo of a person reflected in a window with motion blur and trees visible outside.

What your mind’s blank moments reveal about consciousness

Scientists are uncovering the nature of an elusive mental experience that challenges what it means to be conscious

by Thomas Andrillon

A yellow removal van viewed from a window, partially open with furniture and boxes inside on a residential street.

How to cope with disruptive change

You can’t stop life from throwing changes your way, big and small. But you can get a lot better at dealing with them

by David A Clark

Pointillist painting of a vibrant tree with colourful foliage and textured background in a natural setting.

Perception is a process of inference, not an account of ‘reality’

Video by Aeon

A city street with reflections on a window showing cars, people and a grocery sign with a Coca-Cola advertisement.

Heidegger knew that we are always outside, weathering the storms

We aren’t safe inside separate minds. Being-in-the-world means we’re entangled and vulnerable – and that’s how we flourish

by Katherine Withy

Black and white photo of a person with long hair reflected in glass talking on a mobile phone in an urban setting.
LOVE
2

Why being ghosted is inevitable and being a ghoster is too

Being ghosted can feel shocking. But we need to get used to it because there’s no other way to cope with our world

by Dominic Pettman

Close-up video of a bicycle gear cassette with chain in movement, showing detailed metal texture and mechanical design.

No, willpower isn’t a muscle – here’s a better way to think of it

The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise

by Alberto De Luca

Black and white photo of medical staff handling a patient’s leg wearing gloves, an intravenous line is visible.

Dignity isn’t bestowed, it must be continually practised

Reckoning with the complex history of dignity reveals its fragility and what Hannah Arendt recognised as its conditionality

by Christa Teston

Explore: Wisdom

WISDOM

How to find your InnSæi

by Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir

Photo of an elderly man speaking at a podium with a microphone onstage, wearing a dark suit and glasses.

James Earl Jones reads Kurt Vonnegut on why art is central to a meaningful life

Video by Letters Live

A dirt path lined with baobab trees by water, an ox-drawn cart carrying people.
WISDOM

African proverbs provide the blueprint for a meaningful life

by Richard Appiah

Image of an urban housing area at dusk with a distant view of apartment buildings and a blurred figure in the foreground.
POETRY

Ideas and metal spark in beautiful unison for a welder-turned-poet

Directed by Callum Rice

Illustration of diverse people in warm tones, depicting a crowded scene with varied clothing and hairstyles.

Wisdom is a virtue, but how do we judge if someone has it?

by Maksim Rudnev & Igor Grossmann

Photo of two people embracing one another, with a hand gently placed on the back of a person wearing a blue jacket.

Going with your gut feels good, but it’s not always wise

by Carina Remmers