X CLOSE
TherapeiaEudaimoniaPoiesis
AboutContact
Search
Menu
Psyche
DonateNewsletter
SIGN IN
Ideas

Place

Disorders and difficultiesTherapies and practical advicePerspectives and controversies
Self-knowledge and personal growthRelationships, work and leisureValues and ethical living
Creativity and the artsSpirituality and transcendence
AnimalsCaregivingCommunication and languageCommunityConflict and conflict resolutionCooperation and collaborationFood and drinkForgivenessFriendshipHomeLoveMoney and economicsParenting and familiesPlacePleasures and pastimesSports and gamesTechnology and mediaTravelWork and vocation
LatestPopular
Photo of a street with a person entering a doorway to the left and a bookshop named Armchair Books displaying books in its windows.

Place

idea

‘Place authenticity’ is an important, overlooked part of life

From indie bookshops to artisan cafes, spending time in unique, characterful places can enrich your own sense of self

by Ashley Krause

A young woman in a contemporary apartment is reflected but partially obscured in the plate glass windows

Place

idea

The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?

At home in Delhi, I am a more social, interactive person. A quiet balcony in Frankfurt gave me space to be by myself

by Anandi Mishra

Sticky reminder notes are seen on a mirror and on various other items on top of a chest of drawers

The self

idea

What my mother’s sticky notes show about the nature of the self

Dementia accelerates a process we all experience, as our memories become increasingly externalised into the world around us

by Crispin Sartwell

Photo of a burnt forest landscape under cloudy skies with a person and child in colourful clothing in the foreground.

Sacred places

idea

Our children will need to find the beauty in our burnt planet

How will our children find beauty in a world rapidly breaking into what observers call a spectacle of unremitting loss?

by Stephen J Pyne

Photo of a city street with a man in a hat in the foreground and another man walking among cars in the background.

Depression

idea

Why life is faster but depression is lower in bigger cities

Large cities might seem detrimental to mental health but a comparison of depression rates suggests bigger is better

by Andrew Stier

Photo of an open wooden box with various trinkets including stones, jewellery and shells on a rustic wooden surface.

Place

idea

In hatboxes, pouches and bags lie the items that define us

Whether it be in a hatbox, wooden chest or leather bag, what makes some stuff personal, rather than just private property?

by Andreas Gehrlach

Photo of a park in autumn with large trees and children playing among fallen leaves wearing colourful clothes.

Nature and the environment

idea

Look past the woods – each tree is an individual to be cherished

Try to look past the woods and see the trees: there’s nothing as elemental as the human relationship with an individual tree

by Sarah Boon

Photo of large jagged icebergs in dark ocean waters under a cloudy sky.

Travel

idea

Why virtual travel is no substitute for being in a place

Around the world in 80 virtual-reality simulations? Why armchair travel will never be a substitute for the weary trudge

by Emily Thomas

Photo of a woodland scene with lush green trees and a field of blooming bluebells and white wildflowers.

Nature and the environment

idea

Nature is good for you. That doesn’t mean we should prescribe it

It’s easy to believe in a general way in the positive effect of nature. But to actually feel it, put away the to-do list

by Jeremy Mynott

Miniature painting of two men in traditional Persian attire, standing in a garden surrounded by trees with floral accents.

Virtues and vices

idea

Persianate ‘adab’ involves far more than elegant manners

Across 13th- to 19th-century Persianate culture, ‘adab’ meant more than manners – it was proper social and aesthetic form

by Mana Kia