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Place

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A man in sunglasses and a hat walks on a street with apartment buildings and a young man in the background.

Depression

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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

Painting of two men in traditional Persian attire in a garden, one in a green robe gifting flowers to the other in a striped robe.

Virtues and vices

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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

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

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‘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

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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

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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

Children playing in an autumnal park with large trees covered in red and orange leaves, and the ground blanketed in fallen leaves.

Nature and the environment

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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

A forest floor covered with blooming bluebells and white wildflowers, surrounded by tall trees with green foliage.

Nature and the environment

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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

A wooden box containing trinkets including a pink crystal and a heart-shaped stone on a wooden table.

Place

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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

Large tipping icebergs with intricate formations float on a dark, choppy sea under a cloudy sky.

Travel

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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

A woman and child stand on a barren, fire-ravaged landscape with scorched trees and hills in the background under a cloudy sky.

Sacred places

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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