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Photo of an office building’s facade with illuminated windows revealing people working inside at desks and meeting spaces.

Personality

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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

A man with his hands on his hips is talking with a woman who is getting into a yellow taxi on a city street.

Personality disorders

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What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists

What the new science of narcissism tells us about its nuances, and how to avoid its darts while gaining from its strengths

by W Keith Campbell & Carolyn Crist

Black-and-white photo of a woman with a bob haircut holding a pen, sitting at a desk with a typewriter and a telephone.

Personality

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Assertiveness is a virtue that anyone can develop with practice

You can’t stop people making demands on your time and energy, but you can develop assertiveness skills to protect yourself

by Rebecca Roache

Three people sitting on a colourful tiled bench; two are laughing, and one older person holds a cane and looks pensive, with greenery in the background.

Personality

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There’s a reason some of us find it easier to change than others

There is a personality trait we carry throughout life that explains why some of us find it easier to change than others

by Amanda J Wright

Two children sitting on a wooden fence in a rural area under a blue sky with scattered clouds, with fields in the background.

Personality

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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

Chain-link fence with a “Private Property, No Trespassing” sign and distant industrial structures in the background.

Personality

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Your sense of right and wrong is interwoven with your personality

Personality traits such as agreeableness and openness to experience can help explain differences in moral judgment

by Luke D Smillie & Milan Andrejević

A plane docked at Bologna Airport at sunset with the terminal and control tower in the background.

Communication and language

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Speaking a different language can change how you act and feel

For many multilinguals, switching between tongues can lead to shifts in personality, revealing the malleability of the self

by Antonella Gismundi

People sit on tiered grass steps, some chatting or relaxing. Two cyclists ride on a path below the steps.

Mental health

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If you stay mentally well your entire life, you’re not normal

Surveys suggest only a minority of people live lives entirely free from mental disorder. What can we learn from them?

by Jonathan D Schaefer

Two women dressed in pink and white rabbit outifts drink a beer outside a subway station entrance. One of them looks glum

Personality

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To improve your life, consider changing your personality

New research supports the idea that intentionally developing certain traits is not only possible, but comes with benefits

by Christian Jarrett

A couple in vintage attire driving a convertible, with the woman lighting the man’s cigarette. They appear to be enjoying a breezy day.

Compassion and empathy

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Helping others might feel good, but is it really good for you?

There’s a popular idea that being altruistic is unequivocally good for all involved – the reality is more complicated

by T Ryan Byerly

A woman sits by a window, her eyes cast down and her hair obscuring her face, with light illuminating the background.

Difficult emotions

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A new approach to therapy promises to tackle neuroticism head-on

Therapy often focuses on symptoms of specific disorders. Targeting a high-risk personality trait could be more efficient

by Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Black and white photo of three men in a shop, two in bowler hats clowning with an electric fan while a clerk watches amusedly.

Violence and aggression

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Ever taken pleasure in another’s pain? That’s ‘everyday sadism’

It’s not just killers who are sadistic. To counteract the suffering caused by everyday sadism, recognise how common it is

by Lucy Foulkes