Place

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Animals Caregiving Communication and language Community Conflict and conflict resolution Cooperation and collaboration Food and drink Forgiveness Friendship Home Love Money and economics Parenting and families Place Pleasures and pastimes Sports and games Technology and media Travel Work and vocation

LatestPopular

A man in sunglasses and a hat walks on a street with apartment buildings and a young man in the background.

Depression

idea

Why life is faster but depression is lower in bigger cities

Large cities might seem detrimental to mental health but a comparison of depression rates suggests bigger is better

by Andrew Stier

Painting of two men in traditional Persian attire in a garden, one in a green robe gifting flowers to the other in a striped robe.

Virtues and vices

idea

Persianate ‘adab’ involves far more than elegant manners

Across 13th- to 19th-century Persianate culture, ‘adab’ meant more than manners – it was proper social and aesthetic form

by Mana Kia

A person walking on a pier towards a lighthouse, holding a book behind their back, with the sea on the right under a grey sky.

Pleasures and pastimes

guide

How to wander

Whether in a city or the wilderness, near or far, there’s joy to be had in a journey where the destination doesn’t matter

by Jordan Fisher Smith

A night scene with a warmly lit cabin in the woods. An elderly person is inside, visible through large glass windows.

Architecture

film

From modernist architect, to a life off-grid, a creative life well-lived

Directed by Ryan Malloy

Photo of a street with a person entering a doorway to the left and a bookshop named Armchair Books displaying books in its windows.

Place

idea

‘Place authenticity’ is an important, overlooked part of life

From indie bookshops to artisan cafes, spending time in unique, characterful places can enrich your own sense of self

by Ashley Krause

A young woman in a contemporary apartment is reflected but partially obscured in the plate glass windows

Place

idea

The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?

At home in Delhi, I am a more social, interactive person. A quiet balcony in Frankfurt gave me space to be by myself

by Anandi Mishra

An ornate underground station with decorative arches, hanging lamps, and a yellow train arriving. Passengers are waiting and walking through the area.

Architecture

guide

How to appreciate buildings

It’s easy to become blasé about the built world. Tune in more deeply and architectural adventures await around each corner

by Colin Ellard

A seal sitting on green grass near the ocean with an upside-down group of people and buildings in the background.

Place

film

Journey to the Bering Sea in search of a deep ‘not knowing’

Directed by Sky Hopinka

Sticky reminder notes are seen on a mirror and on various other items on top of a chest of drawers

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

Children playing in an autumnal park with large trees covered in red and orange leaves, and the ground blanketed in fallen leaves.

Nature and the environment

idea

Look past the woods – each tree is an individual to be cherished

Try to look past the woods and see the trees: there’s nothing as elemental as the human relationship with an individual tree

by Sarah Boon

Elderly man in a weathered hat and coat, with a grey beard, lighting a cigarette, set against a blurred outdoor background.

Emotions

film

Scenes unfold like Romantic paintings in a touching meditation on grief

Directed by Hayk Matevosyan