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Decision-making

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Photo of yellow taxis on Brooklyn Bridge with New York City skyline in the background on a cloudy day.

Decision-making

idea

The mathematical case against blaming people for their misfortune

Complexity science reveals the hard limits of our predictive abilities, and makes a mathematical case for compassion

by David Kinney

Photo of a rainy motorway with heavy traffic and a sign warning of a stranded vehicle, speed limit 40 mph.

Decision-making

idea

Why small annoyances can harm us more than big disruptions

A largely forgotten psychological concept helps explain the insidiousness of minor problems – and what to do about it

by Shayla Love

Photo of two children sitting on a wooden fence in a rural field under a clear blue sky.

Personality

idea

The fence is uncomfortable, but it affords the best view

Ambivalence is often misconstrued as flakiness. In fact, recognising both sides of an argument fosters empathy and insight

by Iris Schneider

Abstract illustration of a man in profile, reclining with a pipe in his hand, set against a red and black background.

Decision-making

idea

Do you think more clearly when reading or when listening?

How we take in information has a remarkably significant effect on how intuitive or analytical we are in thinking about it

by Janet Geipel & Boaz Keysar

A damaged photo of people laughing at a table, with a large red circle on a banner in the background.

Decision-making

idea

Emotions should be in the heart of complex political debates

Emotion is not opposed to reason but a crucial tool for assessing risk in a complex, uncertain world

by Sabine Roeser

Photo of a person pushing a pram on a grassy hill with mountains and a village in the background.

Parenting and families

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It should be OK for parents to express regret about having children

Regret is common to all humans. So it’s no surprise that some parents regret having children: it shouldn’t be a taboo topic

by Jenna Abetz & Julia Moore

Painting of a crowded casino table with people playing cards and roulette. Green table and overhead light dominate the scene.

Knowledge and reason

idea

What we gain by recognising the role of chance in life

Appreciating the world is random can foster perseverance, gratitude for our own luck and empathy for the plight of others

by Mark R Rank

Photo of people standing near a large crack in a concrete floor, emphasising the depth and rugged edges of the split.

Mind and brain

idea

Allow error into your life and experience the joy of surprise

Neuroscience theories see the human brain as an error-minimising machine. But that overlooks the joy of the unexpected

by Leyla Loued-Khenissi

Photo of a man in an old car filled with carrots in the backseat parked next to a red truck.

Values and beliefs

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Do you have a duty to tell people they’re wrong about carrots?

How to decide whether you should correct someone’s false beliefs about carrots, vaccines and South American dictators

by Giulia Terzian & M Inés Corbalán

Photo of a fried dough stall at a fair with vendors inside, a child with a stroller, and a customer at the counter.

Thinkers and theories

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The id and the nudge: where Freud meets behavioural economics

Both Sigmund Freud and behavioural economists describe a dual-process mind. But the differences in their ideas are revealing

by Briana S Last

Photo of a cafe interior with a person working on a laptop by a window, open door and street view with bicycle outside.

Goals and motivation

idea

How temptation works, and why it nearly stopped me writing this

Temptation can be sneaky – a rationalising voice that subtly undermines your resolve. But there are ways to outsmart it

by John Schwenkler

Photo of climbers trekking on a snow-covered mountain ridge shrouded in mist and clouds.

Decision-making

idea

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