Thinkers and theories
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Stories and literature
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Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back
Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative
by Karen Simecek
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Rituals and celebrations
idea
For Plato, rationalists and mystics can walk the same path
Why did such a keen proponent of reason turn to the Eleusinian Mysteries to explain his ideas about knowledge?
by Sam Woodward
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Consciousness
guide
How to think about consciousness
What is it like to be you? Dive into the philosophical puzzle of consciousness and see yourself and the world in new ways
by Amy Kind
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Freedom and choice
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Why Charlie Chaplin was an ‘angel of peace’ for Walter Benjamin
Though a tramp and a misfit, Chaplin’s world fit him like a glove. His life of contingency appealed to the émigré Benjamin
by Eli Friedlander
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Thinkers and theories
idea
Why I’ll never forget the day I met Daniel Kahneman for lunch
He was an octogenarian Nobel-winning psychologist, I was a nervous 20-something film producer. Here’s what struck me most
by Namir Khaliq
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Meaning and the good life
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How to appreciate what you have
To better face an imperfect world, try a deeper reflection on the things, people and legacies that make your life possible
by Avram Alpert
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Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
idea
Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self
Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others
by Ruth Williams
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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
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The nature of reality
guide
How to think about time
This philosopher’s introduction to the nature of time could radically alter how you see your past and imagine your future
by Graeme A Forbes