Values and beliefs
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
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
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
Spirituality and religion
film
When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch
Directed by Lance Edmands
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
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
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
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
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
Thinking and intelligence
guide
How to think about weird things
From discs in the sky to faces in toast, learn to weigh evidence sceptically without becoming a closed-minded naysayer
by Stephen Law