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Meaning and the good life

A surfer riding a wave under a cloudy sky, with another large wave shown behind.

Virtues and vices

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Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind

To grasp the power of this lauded quality, think of it less as a mountain than as a flexible, even playful way of seeing

by Michael Uebel

Ancient mosaic of a reclining skeleton with Greek text, holding a drink, next to an amphora and bread on a dark background.

Death and dying

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Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how

For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started

by Joanna Ebenstein

Photo of a brown earthworm on rough grey asphalt in sunlight.

Bioethics

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Why, in a universe of pain, I’m saving stranded earthworms

Any action can seem futile amid so much suffering. I’ve realised the important thing is to stop despairing and do something

by Claire E Schultz

Photo of sunlit green leaves and branches against a bright blue sky.

Wonder and the sublime

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The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

Impressionist painting of a family in a garden, with a child learning to walk, assisted by an adult, as another adult crouches down with outstretched arms.

Values and beliefs

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A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters

We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply

by Valerie Tiberius

Play

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The achievement society is burning us out, we need more play

This is about more than a self-help switch – it will take structural changes to reject capitalism’s productivity obsession

by Alec Stubbs

Photo of a man working at a desk with multiple monitors, backed by a large mountain mural, in an office setting.

Work and vocation

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Why do so many people think they are in a bullshit job?

Researchers continue to debate whether some jobs are inherently useless – but all agree it’s harmful to see your job this way

by Shayla Love

Photo of two people on a ledge under an umbrella during dusk overlooking a cityscape and the sea.

Meaning and the good life

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You can be a materialist and find meaning in the universe

My hard-nosed materialism led me to an existential crisis, but then I realised the difference between science and scientism

by Jessica Tracy

Black-and-white photo of hands sculpting a small clay figure with a rough-textured face in an art studio setting.

The self

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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

Painting of a man in a bowler hat, seated with a drink and cigarette, gesturing expressively while at a table.

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

A group of people in white attire and backpacks walk along a wooden path through green fields under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Rituals and celebrations

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More radical and practical than Stoicism – discover Shugendō

As they train for their own deaths, Japan’s mountain priests develop a form of acceptance that goes beyond the Stoics

by Tim Bunting

Photo of three men smiling and holding a large inflatable globe in a room with various boxes and jars.

Creativity

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A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived

Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims

by Joseph M Keegin