Emotions

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

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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.

History of emotions

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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

A woman with long blonde hair and a striped blue and yellow jumper takes a selfie, smiling broadly. Behind her, a living room is visible with a large potted plant, a grey couch, and wall shelves with small plants and decor items. A clock is fixed on the wall in the background.

Emotions

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What makes ‘toxic positivity’ different from a healthy attitude

Influencers and self-help gurus are preaching a form of positive psychology that risks doing more harm than good

by Lucas Dixon

Stone Moai statue from Easter Island against a black background, depicting a human-like figure with exaggerated facial features.

Gender

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How to be a man

Old ideas of manliness make us miserable. Being labelled ‘toxic’ doesn’t help. A reimagined masculinity is the way forward

by Andrew Reiner

A painting of a woman with wide, dark eyes and expressionless face, holding a lit match. She wears a red dress with white polka dots.

Poetry

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The unseen lives of others take centre stage in this surreal poetry adaptation

Directed by Michelle Kranot and Uri Kranot

Black and white photo of a young woman in a striped top, looking to the side with a surprised expression, covering her mouth with her hand adorned with a ring. Other people are visible in the background in low light.

Emotions

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How ‘feelings about thinking’ help us navigate our world

The pleasant feeling of knowing, the frustration of forgetting, and other ‘metacognitive feelings’ serve as unsung guides

by Pablo Fernandez Velasco & Slawa Loev

A monochrome photograph from above of a man looking out to sea. His hands are in his pockets and a dog waits some metres away

Thinking and intelligence

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Philosophical reflection often begins with a disruptive mood

For many of our greatest philosophers, it was their moods, from wonder to estrangement to anxiety, that first inspired them

by Steven Segal

Two people sitting on a bench next to a marina with several boats in the background, partially covered by tree branches.

Parenting and families

film

Young, gay and Arab, Omar navigates the seasons of his life in Montreal

Directed by Aziz Zoromba

An angry mob of people jeer at a woman carrying a young baby up a cobbled street. Her head is shaved

Shame and guilt

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Personal and political shaming is running hot, yet it doesn’t work

When passions run high so does the urge to shame wrongdoers. But if the goal is to change, shamers should think twice

by David Keen

A woman in a high-visibility jacket talks to two men on a street with cars and stacks of pallets in the background.

Emotions

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Some emotions seem to be more ‘elastic’ than others

New research findings suggest that guilt behaves like an on-off switch whereas anger is more elastic and dial-controlled

by Matt Huston

A man recently released from prison standing on a rock by a tranquil lake, surrounded by dense green trees and under a partly cloudy sky.

Freedom and choice

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After decades in prison, Jack navigates the strange, beautiful outside world

Directed by Pete Quandt