Popular
Psyche’s most popular Ideas, Guides and Films
![A child in a red shirt sits at a desk with a black and white cat. Sunlight and shadows create an intricate pattern through the window.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a9b12cb5-1fd7-456c-a243-16555035d66f/rt-gettyimages-1455081876.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
idea
Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self
Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others
by Ruth Williams
![A bathroom scene featuring a metal toilet roll dispenser with a partially unrolled toilet paper, mounted on a tiled wall.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c8671832-e03f-4bd8-bdf1-852ae5655c20/rt-nn11514297.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Human rights and justice
idea
Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe
New research shows it is a nightmare for all of us, but especially for people with health issues and marginalised groups
by Guido Corradi
![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.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/60d287d7-081f-43bd-8466-bcdefc98fc1f/rt-vincent_van_gogh_-_first_steps_after_millet.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Values and beliefs
idea
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
![Man in jeans and trainers falls backwards as he avoids three charging bulls on a cobblestone street. Top-down perspective captures the chaos of the scene.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/309c2a84-8539-45d2-acac-b6857dbc4bf7/rt-panos_00351720.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
History of emotions
idea
Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?
A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin
by David P Barash
![A painting of an older man with a beard smiling at a young woman with braided hair in a red dress, their heads close together.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/fd45cb13-28a9-49f8-b79d-292070e3c819/rt-lucas_cranach_the_elder_the_ill-matched_couple_c_1530_25107898984.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Money and economics
idea
How your attitudes to money could be affecting your relationship
Do you see money as a way to gain freedom or status? If your partner takes a different view, there could be consequences
by Johanna Peetz
![Two people sit on a wooden park bench, one with an arm around the other, with fallen leaves scattered on the ground in front of them.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9a401830-e7b0-4e2d-8643-5bdc79825959/rt-rtxb2erf.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Communication and language
idea
Why that hard conversation will probably go better than you think
If you’ve delayed raising a touchy issue, fearing it will backfire, new research could give you the confidence you need
by Matt Huston
![Two people sit at a table with coffee cups, near a window overlooking a rainy scene with parked cars and trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c2f2dfea-5afd-43b4-98ed-abc26aaf3280/rt-gettyimages-1415182904.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Worry and rumination
idea
Rehashing your problems with friends can turn into a bad habit
Although ‘co-rumination’ bolsters relationships in some ways, it also distracts from other, better coping methods
by Shayla Love
![Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cf6bc6b8-ff4d-432b-9493-6129f0f62116/rt-final-par377966.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help
Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives
by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang
![A person cooks mushrooms in a pan on a stove with pasta in a colander and various ingredients spread on the kitchen counter.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7060bca0-3ba1-4e46-a03a-6adc2386d8e3/rt-gettyimages-1345342998.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Eating disorders
idea
Learning to cook taught me that self-care isn’t selfish
In healing my relationship with food and cooking, I saw how caring for myself was the first step toward caring for others
by Céline Leboeuf
![Medieval illustration of three musicians: one with a violin, another in a blue robe, and the last with a flute, framed by colourful borders.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/511f082f-8f1c-4d63-9af2-c050444fed10/rt-cpg848842.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Music
idea
Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives
Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations
by Elizabeth Eva Leach
![People dining at long tables adorned with blue tablecloths in a narrow, lantern-lit street lined with old buildings and blue-and-white flags.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c66d7bed-5e64-4603-b4ce-93c9e6f7c193/rt-rtx119pd.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Community
idea
Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness
While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool
by Antone Martinho-Truswell
![People at a rally holding flags and banners with various languages, advocating for voting rights and unity, standing behind a barrier on a city street.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c56f5ca0-e638-40ff-91d8-c12adf15d5be/rt-nyc56683.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Community
idea
Does embracing local customs help immigrants feel at home?
Moving from Belgrade to Toronto, learning the social ‘rules’ fostered my sense of belonging. But there’s an important caveat
by Ljiljana Radenović