Meaning and the good life
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
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
Habits and routines
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Sprinkle a little ancient philosophy into your daily routines
Long before the psychology research was in, ancient philosophers knew the importance of spiritual exercise for wellbeing
by Joel Owen
Thinkers and theories
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For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’
For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences
by Kaitlyn Creasy
Spirituality and religion
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Religion gives life meaning. Can anything else take its place?
Religious faith promotes a sense of meaning in life – and it might take more than ‘social glue’ to duplicate the effect
by Michael M Prinzing
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
Meaning and the good life
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What’s a life worth living? For the ancients, it depends
What the ancient philosophers thought was a life worth living will likely surprise you. But don’t be too quick to judge
by David Machek
Meaning and the good life
idea
What surfing says about the importance of serendipity in life
What surfers call the elated state of ‘stoke’ is really a celebration of life and the meaningful serendipities it brings
by Aaron James
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
Knowledge and reason
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Dare to speak your mind and together we flourish
Reason emerges through dialogue with others. To truly flourish, stop self-censoring and risk your status to speak your mind
by Hrishikesh Joshi
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
Trauma and PTSD
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Trauma unmakes the world of the self. Can stories repair it?
Trauma needn’t be medicalised or replaced with reckless optimism. It can be a catalyst for better stories about ourselves
by Anna Gotlib