Thinkers and theories
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Why I’ll never forget the day I met Daniel Kahneman for lunch
He was an octogenarian Nobel-winning psychologist, I was a nervous 20-something film producer. Here’s what struck me most
by Namir Khaliq
Brain injury and dementia
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Dementia is not a death. For some, it marks a new beginning
Advocates are reframing the syndrome as a different way of being – one in which potential for growth and connection endures
by Isabel Sutton
Human rights and justice
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Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe
New research shows it is a nightmare for all of us, but especially for people with health issues and marginalised groups
by Guido Corradi
Transcendent experience
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To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help
Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives
by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang
Music
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Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives
Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations
by Elizabeth Eva Leach
Communication and language
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Why that hard conversation will probably go better than you think
If you’ve delayed raising a touchy issue, fearing it will backfire, new research could give you the confidence you need
by Matt Huston
History of emotions
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Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?
A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin
by David P Barash
Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
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Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self
Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others
by Ruth Williams
Money and economics
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How your attitudes to money could be affecting your relationship
Do you see money as a way to gain freedom or status? If your partner takes a different view, there could be consequences
by Johanna Peetz
Gender
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In more prosperous societies, are men and women more similar?
How much the sexes differ psychologically depends on how fair and wealthy a country is. But not in the way you’d think
by Kåre Hedebrant & Agneta Herlitz
Technology and media
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What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal
‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too
by Angela Chen
Decision-making
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How a ‘dominance’ mindset encourages leaders to put others at risk
To find ways to deter this recklessness, we’ve studied the mindset of financiers and others who take ‘moral hazard’ decisions
by Hemant Kakkar & Garrett L Brady