Virtues and vices

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

Bioethics Civic life Cultural diversity Ethics Fairness and equality Human rights and justice Meaning and the good life Nature and the environment Neurodiversity Progress and the future Race and ethnicity Values and beliefs Virtues and vices Wisdom

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Thinking and intelligence

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Why some of the smartest people can be so very stupid

Struggling to understand is perfectly honourable. Being wilfully stupid is something else and we should strive to fix it

by Sacha Golob

A man with his hands on his hips is talking with a woman who is getting into a yellow taxi on a city street.

Personality disorders

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What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists

What the new science of narcissism tells us about its nuances, and how to avoid its darts while gaining from its strengths

by W Keith Campbell & Carolyn Crist

Abstract collage artwork featuring a statue head, a horse, leaves and ancient figures on a colourful background.

Virtues and vices

guide

How to be excellent

Plato and Aristotle can help you resist conventional worldly success, direct your energy and find your own highest calling

by Benjamin Studebaker

Abstract painting of people in a park; a man in a suit walks, a woman in a green dress stands, and another person sits on a bench reading.

Virtues and vices

film

A simple morality tale finds rich depth in the hands of a master animator

A film by Georges Schwizgebel

A barber with a colourful tattoo using a clipper and comb to cut a customer’s hair in a barbershop.

The self

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When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong

Authenticity has changed from an inward gaze to a social display. Can we reconcile the performance with the real thing?

by Joseph E Davis

A countryside landscape with a homemade box sign reading “EGGS £1.00” in the foreground, surrounded by fields and trees.

Virtues and vices

idea

The virtue of honesty requires more than just telling the truth

Honesty has fallen out of fashion, yet it is essential to self-improvement. How can we cultivate this neglected virtue?

by Christian B Miller

Young woman dances near a young man on a skateboard by a vintage car beside the ocean on a clear day.

Virtues and vices

guide

How to think about pleasure

Weirdly hard to define, much less to feel OK about it, pleasure is a tricky creature. Can philosophy help us lighten up?

by Sam Dresser

Black-and-white photo of a woman with a bob haircut holding a pen, sitting at a desk with a typewriter and a telephone.

Personality

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Assertiveness is a virtue that anyone can develop with practice

You can’t stop people making demands on your time and energy, but you can develop assertiveness skills to protect yourself

by Rebecca Roache

Black-and-white photo of a serious-looking man flanked by a priest and two police officers in the background.

Virtues and vices

idea

Are people with dark personality traits more likely to succeed?

Turn towards the light: contrary to popular belief, nice guys have more success and happiness in the long run

by Craig Neumann & Scott Barry Kaufman

Stone statue of a man holding his face in one hand against a dark blue background, expressing despair.

Shame and guilt

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How to save yourself another pointless guilt trip

Just because you feel guilty doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong. Relax the rules you live by and set yourself free

by Aziz Gazipura