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History of emotions

Clay sculpture of a standing female figure with folded arms against a dark background, worn and aged with visible markings

History of emotions

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To ancient Assyrians, the liver was the seat of happiness

Cutting-edge computational techniques are shedding light on how the emotional experiences of past cultures compare to ours

by Juha Lahnakoski & Ellie Bennett

Man in jeans and trainers falls backwards as he avoids three charging bulls on a cobblestone street. Top-down perspective captures the chaos of the scene.

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

A painting depicts three children dressed in old-fashioned clothing walking through a field of wildflowers at dusk. Two older children, one wearing a large brimmed hat, lead a younger child by the hand. The background shows a line of trees against a cloudy sky with a hint of sunset.

History of psychology and psychiatry

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In psychoanalysis, nostalgia was a sickness. It needn’t be

Nostalgia was, in Freud’s day, an illness steeped in the past. Today, it can be a joyful emotion that reframes the future

by Agnes Arnold-Forster

The bone outline of a skull is seen in relief where excavated on a cave floor

Rituals and celebrations

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Digging for answers in a cave filled with Neanderthal skeletons

When a team of researchers returned to an Iraqi cave believed to be a Neanderthal burial site, here’s what they found

by Shayla Love

Wooden sign of a cow with a “SEAFOOD” sign below, set against a background of a red barn, gravel and a tree.

Learning and education

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Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion

by Juliette Vazard

Painting of a young woman in a pale pink dress at a table by a window, reading a book, with potted plants in the background and a bowl on the table.

History of emotions

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The fear that trashy media will rot your brain goes way back

Keeping up with the Faerie Queene: from early modern romances to reality TV, does bingeing ‘lowbrow’ culture rot the brain?

by James Waddell

People enjoying a day at the beach. A man carries a child on his shoulders holding a ball, while a woman with outstretched arms is in the foreground.

History of emotions

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The journeys taken by emotion words shape our inner lives

Changes to the meanings of euphoria, enthusiasm and ecstasy over time chart the ever-shifting territory of the emotions

by Tim Lomas

A historical portrait of a severe woman in Victorian attire, seated with a bonnet on the table beside her, in an ornate fold frame.

Anxiety

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After many false starts, this might be the true age of anxiety

If anxiety is more common than ever, it’s also more treatable. But excessive nervousness wasn’t always taken so seriously

by Jason Schnittker

A portrait painting of a woman with a solemn expression and dark hair against a dark, textured background.

Emotions

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Are you sure you know what emotions are?

It’s tricky to define what an emotion is: is surprise one, or something else? Here are a few simple rules to get started

by Andrew Ortony

Historic map filled with fantastical sea creatures, ships, and compass roses, depicting the ocean’s geographical and mythical elements.

History of ideas

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How 12th-century Genoese merchants invented the idea of risk

From the docks of 12th-century Genoa to the gambling tables of today, risk is a story that we tell ourselves about the future

by Karla Mallette

Ancient Chinese painting of a funeral scene with mourners in white robes around a deceased person on a raised platform.

Rituals and celebrations

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Rituals create community by translating our love into action

For the Confucian Xunzi, love and gratitude are not just feelings in response to events but possibilities for social action

by Curie Virág

A baby in a yellow outfit in a white cardboard box, covered with a blanket on a patterned carpet.

Parenting and families

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Finns start life safe and sound with a baby box from the government

In Finland, mothers can choose a cash benefit or a baby box – 95 per cent choose the baby box, a richly emotional object

by Tanja Vahtikari