Joy
![Black-and-white photo of a cobblestone street scene. A man with a shopping bag walks past another in religious attire.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ce264130-de1b-4f64-923c-bfecafd6b195/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Difficult emotions
idea
The ‘melancholic joy’ of living in our brutal, beautiful world
Beyond simple contentment or despair, there’s a ‘melancholic joy’ in looking, clear-eyed, at our brutal, beautiful world
by Brian Treanor
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/35c48e0d-8901-4249-aa0d-e7d15ef1b578/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Beauty and aesthetics
idea
You can be aesthetically sensitive and know nothing about art
Aesthetic sensitivity is not about being correct in your judgments of beauty, but rather how much you’re affected by it
by Guido Corradi
![A group of people in vibrant green and floral costumes, laughing and celebrating with flowers and horns, next to a stone wall and window.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/335838fe-6120-4a59-8718-c57fd366b1a5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Joy
guide
How to start having more fun
Fun isn’t frivolous – it’s vital for your wellbeing. Here’s a step-by-step plan to bring more pleasure into your busy life
by Mike Rucker
![A man sitting on a chair in a lush garden with blooming flowers, a cobbled path, and a red garden shed in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/362c7dc9-c370-4dd3-8f98-dd0d4f7135df/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pleasures and pastimes
film
A club for ‘dull men’ may just inspire you to see the unremarkable anew
Directed by Andy Oxley
![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.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/309c2a84-8539-45d2-acac-b6857dbc4bf7/rt-panos_00351720.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![People enjoying a day at the beach. A man carries a child on his shoulders holding a ball, while a woman with outstretched arms is in the foreground.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/dba56a0e-d9ff-4345-a0ba-d24a0e3489b6/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
History of emotions
idea
The journeys taken by emotion words shape our inner lives
Changes to the meanings of euphoria, enthusiasm and ecstasy over time chart the ever-shifting territory of the emotions
by Tim Lomas
![Person with closed eyes enjoying music through headphones, dressed warmly in a black coat, with one arm raised in a dancing motion.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ed651cd9-cee0-4f48-9a1f-6ba95251587d/sq-final-gettyimages-1460020443.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cb43778b-4149-4a7d-9614-acc96d388d9a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Wonder and the sublime
guide
How to experience more wow
Awe might seem an unobtainable luxury to many but, with the right approach, you can enjoy it daily – no mountain required
by Summer Allen