Psyche | on the human condition

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Two women in printed dresses stand at a concrete railing, overlooking a beach and cliffs with the sea stretching into the horizon.

GUIDE How to look after your emotional health by Denise Winn

Daniel Kahneman standing on a balcony, arms crossed, with New York City skyline and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

IDEA Why I’ll never forget the day I met Daniel Kahneman for lunch by Namir Khaliq

Silhouette of person standing before an orange light, creating a glowing halo effect on a neutral background.

FILM Helen Pashgian: visible invisible Directed by Anika Kan Grevstad

Two women painting together at a table. The one in the foreground is older, wears glasses and is focused on her brushstroke.

Brain injury and dementia

idea

Dementia is not a death. For some, it marks a new beginning

Advocates are reframing the syndrome as a different way of being – one in which potential for growth and connection endures

by Isabel Sutton

People dining at long tables adorned with blue tablecloths in a narrow, lantern-lit street lined with old buildings and blue-and-white flags.

Community

idea

Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness

While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool

by Antone Martinho-Truswell

A person hugs two young children near a brick wall in a garden, with plants and greenery around them.

Caregiving

guide

How to get the most out of caregiving

Giving care is hard, but it’s one of the most meaningful things you can do. Here’s how to change up your perspective

by Elissa Strauss

A bathroom scene featuring a metal toilet roll dispenser with a partially unrolled toilet paper, mounted on a tiled wall.

Human rights and justice

idea

Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe

New research shows it is a nightmare for all of us, but especially for people with health issues and marginalised groups

by Guido Corradi

Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.

Transcendent experience

idea

To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

Popular this month

guide

How to get the most out of caregiving

by Elissa Strauss

idea

Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self

by Ruth Williams

A child in a red shirt sits at a desk with a black and white cat. Sunlight and shadows create an intricate pattern through the window.

idea

Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe

by Guido Corradi

idea

A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters

by Valerie Tiberius

Impressionist painting of a family in a garden, with a child learning to walk, assisted by an adult, as another adult crouches down with outstretched arms.

idea

Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?

by David P Barash

Man in jeans and trainers falls backwards as he avoids three charging bulls on a cobblestone street. Top-down perspective captures the chaos of the scene.

Film

film

From drab to fab – a playful dissection of the Hollywood makeover

Directed by Sue Ding

Values and beliefs

idea

A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters

We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply

by Valerie Tiberius

Music

idea

Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations

by Elizabeth Eva Leach

Illustration of a blue-colored woman balancing on one leg surrounded by plants, flowers, a crab, berries, mushrooms, and a turtle.

Dance

film

Every culture dances. So why did humans evolve to get down?

Directed by Rosanna Wan and Andrew Khosravani

Two people sit on a wooden park bench, one with an arm around the other, with fallen leaves scattered on the ground in front of them.

Communication and language

idea

Why that hard conversation will probably go better than you think

If you’ve delayed raising a touchy issue, fearing it will backfire, new research could give you the confidence you need

by Matt Huston

History of emotions

idea

Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?

A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin

by David P Barash

Illustration of a person in a bathtub, their head covered by vibrant, multicoloured flowers, against a pink-tiled background.

Bipolar disorder

film

What’s it like to feel betrayed by your brain? A memoir of bipolar disorder

Directed by Melanie Cura Daball

People at a rally holding flags and banners with various languages, advocating for voting rights and unity, standing behind a barrier on a city street.

Community

idea

Does embracing local customs help immigrants feel at home?

Moving from Belgrade to Toronto, learning the social ‘rules’ fostered my sense of belonging. But there’s an important caveat

by Ljiljana Radenović

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

idea

Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self

Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others

by Ruth Williams

A person cooks mushrooms in a pan on a stove with pasta in a colander and various ingredients spread on the kitchen counter.

Eating disorders

idea

Learning to cook taught me that self-care isn’t selfish

In healing my relationship with food and cooking, I saw how caring for myself was the first step toward caring for others

by Céline Leboeuf

A painting of an older man with a beard smiling at a young woman with braided hair in a red dress, their heads close together.

Money and economics

idea

How your attitudes to money could be affecting your relationship

Do you see money as a way to gain freedom or status? If your partner takes a different view, there could be consequences

by Johanna Peetz

A large flock of birds fills the sky at dusk over a car park, where people with binoculars observe them from beside their vehicles.

Place

film

A makeshift community of people and migratory birds converge on a strip mall

Directed by Henry Davis

Two people sit at a table with coffee cups, near a window overlooking a rainy scene with parked cars and trees in the background.

Worry and rumination

idea

Rehashing your problems with friends can turn into a bad habit

Although ‘co-rumination’ bolsters relationships in some ways, it also distracts from other, better coping methods

by Shayla Love