Values and beliefs
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7b8ff7b0-4618-4f17-a544-bd8c1233e10b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Freedom and choice
idea
In a pandemic we learn again what Sartre meant by being free
What the Nazi occupation was for Sartre, the COVID-19 pandemic is for us: an opportunity to relearn what it means to be free
by Julian Baggini
![Person kneeling on barren land under a cloudy sky, facing away with arms crossed. Sparse vegetation visible in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/5be8a5c1-0430-48a6-a1fc-bce2847c4bf7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
idea
Religion gives life meaning. Can anything else take its place?
Religious faith promotes a sense of meaning in life – and it might take more than ‘social glue’ to duplicate the effect
by Michael M Prinzing
![Abstract art with intersecting black lines and coloured circles in blue, yellow, green, and black on a white background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e25ae693-df64-4cb8-8da1-9d5b5f045f69/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Change and self-development
guide
How to change your self-limiting beliefs
Let Descartes, Kant and other philosophers help you view the world through a more positive filter and you’ll bloom
by Rebecca Roache
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7f34b318-4695-4865-83c9-076cccfbb76c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
film
When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch
Directed by Lance Edmands
![A man with a confused expression and a large “Q” sign around his neck, surrounded by people in Trump-themed clothing.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/afd01b26-e94c-4259-b5fd-631cb17dffc8/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinking and intelligence
idea
How conspiracy theories bypass people’s rationality
Prior research has focused on the negative reasons people are drawn to conspiracies, but there’s another side to the story
by Jan-Willem van Prooijen
![Silhouette of a person riding a horse up a rocky hill during sunset, with rolling hills in the distance.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/698652e0-d379-443b-b1c3-5baad3619b7e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
idea
Why religion without belief can still make perfect sense
Meet the practising agnostic and the religious fictionalist: people for whom religion can work well without sure belief
by Philip Goff
![Woman in a white dress and straw hat pulling a grey pram on a sandy beach.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/98c7abf2-c13d-4ce8-b0b5-e44e7616389a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Parenting and families
guide
How to know if you want to be a parent
Set aside everyone else’s preconceptions. Then try doing these counterintuitive exercises to understand your own desires
by Ann Davidman
![Black and white photo of three children standing outdoors under a cloudy sky. The boy on the left wears a flat cap and checked shirt with trousers, while the two girls on the right wear patterned headscarves and dresses, smiling and looking into the distance.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3fd47621-b4f7-4dde-bcc5-3c058d6afae5/the-hutterites-psyche-landscape-1v2.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Values and beliefs
film
For Hutterites, ‘love thy neighbour’ is both gospel and practical necessity
Directed by Colin Low
![Chain-link fence with a “Private Property, No Trespassing” sign and distant industrial structures in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/96d641c7-c31f-4a9d-93df-7899e689771c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Personality
idea
Your sense of right and wrong is interwoven with your personality
Personality traits such as agreeableness and openness to experience can help explain differences in moral judgment
by Luke D Smillie & Milan Andrejević
![A woman in period dress smiles while holding a small object depicting a nude seated figure.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/da3b831d-5452-486d-a68a-f308ff2cb15b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Laughter and comedy
idea
Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?
Women have been witty and bawdy throughout history. It’s only recently that men haven’t been able to see their funny side
by Joy Wiltenburg
![A clear glass, half-filled with water, placed on a wooden surface. The background is a plain, soft beige. The image has a warm, sepia tone.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/0b77e1c9-8d6c-44f0-bb50-00345a19f5d8/sq-final-gettyimages-963774520.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Meaning and the good life
guide
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