Thought-provoking articles about human nature from diverse thinkers
Depression
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What’s going on in depression to make negative beliefs so sticky?
Understanding why negative views persist in the face of contradictory evidence could help inform depression treatment
by Tobias Kube
Goals and motivation
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Facing a tedious to-do list? This trick could make it easier
The ‘easy addendum effect’: how careful timing of your easier tasks could help you feel better at the end of the day
by Shayla Love
Meaning and the good life
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You can be a materialist and find meaning in the universe
My hard-nosed materialism led me to an existential crisis, but then I realised the difference between science and scientism
by Jessica Tracy
The self
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When Nietzsche said ‘become who you are’, this is what he meant
Behind the philosopher’s cryptic phrase is an invocation to sculpt your ideal self out of the hard stone of your psyche
by Ryan A Bush
Thinking and intelligence
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When the human tendency to detect patterns goes too far
‘Apophenia’ is reflected in pleasant and troubling experiences alike – from seeing faces in clouds to conspiracy beliefs
by Shayla Love
Disability
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Blindness transformed my social world, and I changed with it
One of the biggest challenges in becoming blind late in life has been overcoming sighted people’s negative assumptions
by Jeffry Ricker
Compassion and empathy
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Improve your relationships with the science of perspective-taking
Social psychology research is breaking down the process of perspective-taking and revealing ways to help us get along better
by Hunter Gehlbach
Emotion regulation
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The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul
Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described
by István Darabán
Communication and language
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Will studying a new language interfere with any others you speak?
Multilinguals say it feels as though learning another language interferes with old ones. New research put this to the test
by Shayla Love
Ageing
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Efforts to expand the lifespan ignore what it’s like to get old
As modern medicine extends the human lifespan, quality of life is not keeping up, raising thorny ethical dilemmas
by Robert S Gable
Learning and education
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This is how to nurture curiosity in children (and yourself)
The curiosity that comes naturally to babies and young children can soon wilt – but there are ways to help it grow
by Shayla Love
Memoir
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What I learned about coping and resilience from asteroid Bennu
After hitting an emotional low, I found myself identifying with an asteroid that looks deceptively solid on the outside
by Elizabeth Landau