Relationships, work and leisure
Love
idea
Love shouldn’t be blind or mad. Instead, fall rationally in love
Blind, all-consuming love goes against your interests and impedes your flourishing. Submit your love to rational scrutiny
by Berit Brogaard
Money and economics
idea
Why efficiency is dangerous and slowing down makes life better
The urge to do everything faster and better is risky. Far wiser to do what’s good enough for the range of possible futures
by Barry Schwartz
Personality
idea
Introverts are excluded unfairly in an extraverts’ world
One in three people are introverts, physically present, but culturally absent. We shouldn’t have to change to be heard
by Noa Herz
Love
idea
Why it can be sublime to love someone who doesn’t love you back
Unrequited love might be bitter and painful, but it is also the ultimate expression of your humanity. Don’t fight it
by Alexandra Gustafson
Thinkers and theories
idea
Learning to be a loser: a philosopher’s case for doing nothing
For Emil Cioran, a life devoid of action, practical ambitions and busyness is a life in which room has been made for meaning
by Costica Bradatan
Thinking and intelligence
idea
Talking out loud to yourself is a technology for thinking
Talking out loud to oneself is a technology for thinking that allows us to clarify and sharpen our approach to a problem
by Nana Ariel
Emotion regulation
idea
Asking one simple question can entirely change how you feel
Positive and negative emotions respond differently to ‘affect labelling’ – the act of giving a name to your feelings
by Christian Waugh
Creativity
idea
A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
History and philosophy of mental health
idea
Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal
The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone
by Alexus McLeod
Gender
idea
The reality of prostitution is not complex. It is simple
Prostitution is not sex and it’s not work. Its reality is far from complex – in fact, it’s simple. Trust me, I’ve done it
by Rachel Moran
Technology and media
idea
Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness
Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen
by Jaipreet Virdi
Thinking and intelligence
idea
Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise
People go to extreme lengths to avoid time with their own thoughts. We’ve found some ways to make it more pleasurable
by Rémy Furrer