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Self-knowledge and personal growth

Thinking and intelligence

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Why some of the smartest people can be so very stupid

Struggling to understand is perfectly honourable. Being wilfully stupid is something else and we should strive to fix it

by Sacha Golob

Silhouetted soldiers walking along a ridge with their reflections in the water below during the First World War.

History and philosophy of mental health

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One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions

Ahead of her time, yet largely ignored by psychiatry, Claire Weekes taught millions of readers how to overcome anxiety

by Judith Hoare

Black and white photo of a man and woman in swimwear relaxing on a sandy beach with rocky cliffs in the background.

Love

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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

A older man lying on a bench against a white wall near a wooden door. Sun shines on his face.

Money and economics

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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

A traditional Chinese painting of a seated woman under a canopy, resting her arm on a chair near a table with a blue bowl.

Creativity

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To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’

Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy

by Julianne Chung

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 painting of a man with long hair wearing a black outfit and hat, holding a lit cigarette, and sitting in a café with a glass of green liquid.

Thinkers and theories

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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

Close-up of a large mushroom growing on the forest floor surrounded by fallen leaves and trees.

Nature and the environment

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The fungal mind: on the evidence for mushroom intelligence

The evidence for fungal intelligence is in: they can operate as individuals, make decisions, learn, and have short-term memory

by Nicholas P Money

Ancient Roman fresco depicting a naked woman straddling a reclined naked man, having sex. The backdrop is a worn plaster wall with faded colours.

Sex and sexuality

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What rude jibes about Caesar tell us about sex in ancient Rome

‘Every woman’s man and every man’s woman’ was a slur Julius Caesar’s political opponents levied. What did it mean?

by Aven McMaster

Bronze bust of a bearded man with curly hair, likely an ancient artefact, on a black background.

Emotion regulation

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The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul

Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described

by István Darabán

Photo of a stack of six sugar cookies on a marble surface with two cookies lying flat beside them against a dark background.

Emotion regulation

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The best way to exercise self-control is not to exercise it at all

Accept it: your self-control is weak. You’re more likely to reach long-term goals if you find ways to avoid temptation

by Laverl Z Williamson

Close-up of a stone sculpture of a man’s face with detailed features, set against a plain background. The expression appears solemn.

Civic life

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Don’t be stoic: Roman Stoicism’s origins show its perniciousness

Stoicism might help you as an individual. But we need a philosophy that doesn’t dull us to the injustices of the world

by Henry Gruber