Virtues and vices
Thinking and intelligence
idea
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
Personality disorders
idea
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
The self
idea
When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong
Authenticity has changed from an inward gaze to a social display. Can we reconcile the performance with the real thing?
by Joseph E Davis
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
Virtues and vices
idea
The virtue of honesty requires more than just telling the truth
Honesty has fallen out of fashion, yet it is essential to self-improvement. How can we cultivate this neglected virtue?
by Christian B Miller
Virtues and vices
idea
Are people with dark personality traits more likely to succeed?
Turn towards the light: contrary to popular belief, nice guys have more success and happiness in the long run
by Craig Neumann & Scott Barry Kaufman
Stories and literature
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Selfish, grumpy and unkind? That’s my kind of woman
Misanthropic female novelists and their characters make me hopeful for a future in which we shrug off feminine perfection
by Ellena Savage
Virtues and vices
idea
Persianate ‘adab’ involves far more than elegant manners
Across 13th- to 19th-century Persianate culture, ‘adab’ meant more than manners – it was proper social and aesthetic form
by Mana Kia
Virtues and vices
idea
As the Ancient Greeks knew, frankness is an essential virtue
Who can speak truth to the leaders? The story of parrhesía, from classical Greece to Christian martyrs and beyond
by Hartmut Leppin
Virtues and vices
idea
‘Moral molecules’ – a new theory of what goodness is made of
Seven basic moral elements could be the building blocks of morality, recombining as needed to form new moral molecules
by Oliver Scott Curry, Mark Alfano, Mark Brandt & Christine Pelican
Ethics
idea
Sikh ethics sees self-centredness as the source of human evil
Sikhism places unity over individualism, offering a different perspective on the big questions of Western moral philosophy
by Keshav Singh
Virtues and vices
idea
Be honest: little white lies are more harmful than you think
Even well-intentioned white lies can foster disconnection and distrust – openness and honesty really are the best policy
by Elena Svetieva & Leanne ten Brinke