Mental health across cultures
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Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful
In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress
by Bhrigupati Singh
Sports and games
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Sport shows how to use performance benchmarks in a positive way
IQ scores and other contextless benchmarks are suffocating and misleading. We should look to sport for a healthier approach
by Leif Weatherby
Stigma and taboo
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The families of people who commit sex crimes need care and support
While they deal with a kind of grief, the relatives of those who harm others sexually are subject to blame and judgment
by Azadeh Nematy
Animals
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Same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals evolved to keep the peace
Although these new findings can’t tell us much about human sexuality, they could help to solve an evolutionary paradox
by Shayla Love
Poetry
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Why spoken word poetry is so much more than a poetry reading
As poetry returns to its roots as a performance art, it’s providing many with a powerful source of healing and community
by Erica Fletcher
Communication and language
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Listening in on horror: why many women love true crime podcasts
True crime podcasts turn violence against women into a form of entertainment. Why do so many female listeners enjoy them?
by Amelia Anthony
Work and vocation
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Why do so many people think they are in a bullshit job?
Researchers continue to debate whether some jobs are inherently useless – but all agree it’s harmful to see your job this way
by Shayla Love
Neurodiversity
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Adapting to the neurotypical world is not the same as conforming
As an autistic person, this is how I draw the line between adapting in a way that’s good for me and simple conformity
by Jack Ori
Communication and language
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These are the mental processes required to tell a convincing lie
The cognitive work involved in lying is relevant to lie detection and could help explain why some people are better liars
by Molly MacMillan
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
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