The self
The self
idea
What my mother’s sticky notes show about the nature of the self
Dementia accelerates a process we all experience, as our memories become increasingly externalised into the world around us
by Crispin Sartwell
Psychosis and schizophrenia
idea
Rubber hand illusions shed new light on our bodily sense of self
Testing the illusions on those who have entered altered states offers clues about the experience of being in control
by Shayla Love
The self
idea
Boost your self-understanding with a navigational approach
Physical and mental navigation involve overlapping brain processes, casting new light on the notion of an ‘inner journey’
by Mykyta Kabrel
Beauty and aesthetics
idea
Why art seems more beautiful when you can see yourself in it
Research suggests that people find artworks more aesthetically pleasing when they’re personally relevant to them in some way
by Matt Huston
The self
idea
When Nietzsche said ‘become who you are’, this is what he meant
Behind the philosopher’s cryptic phrase is an invocation to sculpt your ideal self out of the hard stone of your psyche
by Ryan A Bush
Emotions
idea
Why is there such a thing as ‘true love’ but not ‘true grump’?
What makes an emotion feel true? And how is that connected to your true self? New insights on old philosophical puzzles
by Shayla Love
Body dysmorphic disorder
idea
Body neutrality gives me the freedom not to love my body
How body neutrality, not body positivity, allowed me to acknowledge the fraught relationship between myself and my body
by Payal Dhar
Imagination
idea
Aphantasia can be a gift to philosophers and critics like me
Aphantasia veils the past and the future from the mind’s eye. That can be a gift to philosophers like Derek Parfit and me
by Mette Leonard Høeg
Memoir
idea
Learn the art of journaling and archive your life
Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time
by Sarah Boon
Friendship
idea
For Beauvoir, it’s friendship that lets us become truly ourselves
For Simone de Beauvoir, friendship, even more than love, was the means to overcome the tragedy of our radical separation
by Skye C Cleary
Compassion and empathy
idea
Why self-understanding could be important for empathising well
Those who lack a clear self-concept might get consumed by another’s experience, becoming distressed rather than helpful
by Sonia Krol
The self
idea
The philosophy of selfhood became real when my mother got dementia
My mother’s dementia shook her sense of self, and mine. We can understand ourselves only through embodied connection to others
by Noga Arikha