Happiness

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

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

Person sitting on an outdoor bench with a large map obscuring their face. They wear colourful, patterned trousers and hold a striped bag. Sunlight and shadows cover the ground. Three people walk past a white building with multiple windows in the background.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

A love for thinking brings benefits way beyond school and work

Having a passion for mental effort – a trait that’s distinct from being intelligent – has some wide-ranging upsides

by Josephine Zerna

Person in an elephant costume standing inside a building near a mini cab office with signs advertising licensed minicabs.

Meaning and the good life

guide

How to be a happy nihilist

Exhausted by the modern pressure to squeeze meaning out of every moment? Here’s a radical way to reset your priorities

by Wendy Syfret

A photo of an artist in a cap and paint-splattered trousers sitting next to a large painting of a man holding his face in his hands.

Painting and sculpture

film

A rural Namibian artist reflects on authenticity in work and in life

Directed by Niklas von Klitzing and Leo Stolz

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

idea

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

Friendship

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Is it better to have friends who are like you or different from you?

Studies of longterm friends offer surprising insights as to whether friends who are more or less alike tend to endure

by Christian Jarrett

Blurry close-up photo of two kids smiling and laughing closely together with another child partially visible behind them.

Laughter and comedy

guide

How to laugh more

You don’t have to wait to be amused, there are ways to train yourself to enjoy the ‘cheap medicine’ of laughter every day

by Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky

Puppets with monkey faces in office attire, performing a synchronised dance in a cubicle-filled office setting, with computers and office supplies visible.

Happiness

film

Humanoid animals sing through their existential angst in this madcap short

Directed by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr

A smiling family hold hands and play on a sunny beach with their retriever dog

Happiness

idea

As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen how chasing happiness leads to misery

My clinical work has shown me that happiness is a ghost that’s not worth pursuing – there are far wiser goals in life

by Rafa Euba

Personality

idea

To improve your life, consider changing your personality

New research supports the idea that intentionally developing certain traits is not only possible, but comes with benefits

by Christian Jarrett

Two puppets in silver spacesuits lie against a starry backdrop, surrounded by makeup items. One puppet has short black hair, the other has bright green hair.

Friendship

film

Fatu treks into the glamorous unknown during his first outing in makeup

Directed by Iiti Yli-Harja