Goals and motivation
idea
Facing a tedious to-do list? This trick could make it easier
The ‘easy addendum effect’: how careful timing of your easier tasks could help you feel better at the end of the day
by Shayla Love
Meaning and the good life
idea
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
Communication and language
guide
How to say no
It’s a little word, but if you’re a chronic people pleaser it can be so tricky to say it. These tips and tricks will help
by Shayla Love
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
Thinking and intelligence
idea
When the human tendency to detect patterns goes too far
‘Apophenia’ is reflected in pleasant and troubling experiences alike – from seeing faces in clouds to conspiracy beliefs
by Shayla Love
Popular this month
Disability
idea
Blindness transformed my social world, and I changed with it
One of the biggest challenges in becoming blind late in life has been overcoming sighted people’s negative assumptions
by Jeffry Ricker
Ethics
film
A vegetarian with a beef farm faces a life-altering moral impasse
Directed by Alex Lockwood
Compassion and empathy
idea
Improve your relationships with the science of perspective-taking
Social psychology research is breaking down the process of perspective-taking and revealing ways to help us get along better
by Hunter Gehlbach
Sleep problems
guide
How to calm your nightmares
Whether bad dreams stir you awake occasionally or routinely, these pre- and post-nightmare strategies can help alleviate them
by Katy Jakle
Emotion regulation
idea
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
Communication and language
idea
Will studying a new language interfere with any others you speak?
Multilinguals say it feels as though learning another language interferes with old ones. New research put this to the test
by Shayla Love
Dance
film
A darkly playful dance of shadows, surreal visions and transformation
Directed by Douglas Bernardt
Ageing
idea
Efforts to expand the lifespan ignore what it’s like to get old
As modern medicine extends the human lifespan, quality of life is not keeping up, raising thorny ethical dilemmas
by Robert S Gable
Worry and rumination
guide
How to defuse catastrophic thoughts
Do you often fear the worst is going to happen? Use these therapeutic techniques to think more rationally and calmly
by Lucia Tecuta
Learning and education
idea
This is how to nurture curiosity in children (and yourself)
The curiosity that comes naturally to babies and young children can soon wilt – but there are ways to help it grow
by Shayla Love
Memoir
idea
What I learned about coping and resilience from asteroid Bennu
After hitting an emotional low, I found myself identifying with an asteroid that looks deceptively solid on the outside
by Elizabeth Landau
Childhood and adolescence
film
Charting seven decades of heartbreak and rebellion for queer teens at prom
Directed by Andrew Moir