Eudaimonia
On the perennial puzzle of how to live well in our complex world
The self
idea
What my mother’s sticky notes show about the nature of the self
Dementia accelerates a process we all experience, as our memories become increasingly externalised into the world around us
by Crispin Sartwell
History of ideas
idea
I smell, therefore I am. On the philosophy of the olfactory
To truly grip us, philosophy must engage with the practical and animalistic. It’s time to stop turning its nose up at smell
by Simon Hajdini
Addiction
guide
How to control your gambling
What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in
by Luke Clark
Sex and sexuality
film
Sarah recalls how sex, religion and shame have intertwined in her mind
Directed by Lori Malépart-Traversy
Spirituality and religion
idea
UFO belief is a modern outlet for ancient spiritual yearnings
Even when it’s not explicitly religious, belief in alien visitors resembles our oldest ways of making sense of the world
by Francesco Dimitri
Altered states
idea
The small pleasures in life can produce moments of rapture
Rapture is a delight that turns us both towards the object of attention and towards oneself, resulting in a sense of freedom
by Christopher Hamilton
Difficult emotions
guide
How to enjoy your problems
Accepting your problems is one thing. To enjoy them? Well, that’s pretty much enlightenment. Here’s how to get there
by Chelsea Harvey Garner
Place
film
The clutter of a used bookshop forms an evocative metaphor for memory
Directed by Diego Quinderé de Carvalho
Emotion regulation
idea
The psychology of impatience could make waiting more tolerable
New studies on the experience of impatience suggest there’s more to it than simply how long you’ve been left hanging
by Matt Huston
Thinkers and theories
idea
How the feminist philosopher Helene Stöcker canonised Nietzsche
Despite Nietzsche’s reputation for misogyny, his work inspired a leading women’s rights activist of the early 20th century
by Lydia Moland
Nature and the environment
guide
How to rewild yourself
You didn’t evolve to live in this techno-industrialised world. Find health and happiness by embracing your wild nature
by Jessica Carew Kraft
Love
film
A grandmother grapples with the fallout of her husband’s double life
Directed by Gabriella Aguirre