Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations?
A fresh investigation of vast numbers of young people from around the world has thrown up some surprising results
by Jakob Pietschnig & Sandra Oberleiter
Virtues and vices
Why do we hesitate to talk about our own good deeds?
Disclosing acts of kindness could encourage even more altruism – if we can find a way around the awkwardness
by Jerry Richardson
The last blackout
Getting sober meant facing myself without the fog, and finding new ways to be gentle inside
by Michael Thomas Kincella
How to cultivate collective intellectual humility
Being smart is knowing what you don’t know. From work meetings to book clubs, use these tips to boost your group’s thinking
by Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso & Mark Alfano
Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind
To grasp the power of this lauded quality, think of it less as a mountain than as a flexible, even playful way of seeing
by Michael Uebel
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
To have deeper conversations, try being more of an asshole
Conversation is a game with rules about politeness and norms. To move beyond small talk, you need to risk breaking them
by Idil Çakmur
Social comparison is driving us to despair. It doesn’t have to
In the social media age, it seems impossible not to measure ourselves against others – but we can dodge the worst pitfalls
by Wojciech Kaftański
A girl upends her grandparents’ ‘love story’ in this hilarious animation
Directed by Maryam Mohajer
Wisdom is a virtue, but how do we judge if someone has it?
Our team explored who is considered wise in cultures with contrasting philosophical traditions. The results surprised us
by Maksim Rudnev & Igor Grossmann
Greedy people might be frowned upon, but are they the winners?
Some individuals have a persistent tendency to want ever more stuff and status. Psychologists are examining the lives they lead
by Karlijn Hoyer
Everything I know about flirting, I learned from the Cold War
The rewards of flirtation go beyond sex or romance. But, as in other exchanges, you have to know where the red line is
by Youngbin Yoon
The medieval notion that shows why even experts should be humble
Nicholas of Cusa and others saw the importance of ‘learned ignorance’ or recognising there is always something more to learn
by Christopher M Bellitto
The psychology of impatience could make waiting more tolerable
New studies on the experience of impatience suggest there’s more to it than simply how long you’ve been left hanging
by Matt Huston
Beyond dogwhistles – racists have a new rhetorical trick
How are so many politicians today able to get away with overtly racist utterances? By using rhetorical ‘figleaves’
by Jennifer Saul
Why so many plagiarists are in denial about what they did wrong
So often people claim ‘I didn’t mean to’, yet they fail to realise that plagiarism is more like speeding than theft
by Philip Reed