Community

Ancient Chinese painting of a procession with figures holding banners and an umbrella on a brown scroll background.

Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal

The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone

by Alexus McLeod

Photo of a man walking and a child on a hoverboard near a pink house and a ‘Dead End’ sign on a suburban street.

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

To be more tech-savvy, borrow these strategies from the Amish

With their focus on values and intentionality, the Amish offer a lesson in thinking critically about digital technology

by Alex Mayyasi

Medieval manuscript illustration of three figures talking: a man, a knight with a shield and a shovel-bearer, set in an ornate border.

FRIENDSHIP

How the nature of friendship has changed through the centuries

The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies

by Bénedicte Sère

Photo of a woman in an orange shawl touching a decorative wall with colourful, intricate patterns and Islamic calligraphy.

MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful

In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress

by Bhrigupati Singh

Photograph of a person lying on a floral sofa wearing jeans socks and an ankle monitor with a red cushion nearby.

STIGMA AND TABOO

The families of people who commit sex crimes need care and support

While they deal with a kind of grief, the relatives of those who harm others sexually are subject to blame and judgment

by Azadeh Nematy

A cityscape at night with two silhouetted figures in the foreground and a full moon above a mountain in the background.

MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE

We can live well, even though we don’t have a higher purpose

The novelist and poet Ursula K Le Guin shows we can reject nihilism and naive optimism by practising our collective freedom

by Alexis Shotwell

Black and white photo of a man in a top hat with a watering can seated, woman standing in period attire, vintage interior.

PLAY

What TikTok videos have in common with Victorian parlour games

TikTok and Insta videos are the Victorian parlour games of today, allowing us to share in the emotional benefits of play

by Kim Beil & Ryan Tacata

Photo of people counting ballots at an election table, wearing yellow rosettes, with focus on a woman and a man in the foreground.

VALUES AND BELIEFS

To be a responsible citizen today, it is not enough to be reasonable

To survive society’s problems, today reasonableness isn’t enough; we need citizens to recognise beliefs have consequences

by Francisco Mejia Uribe

A man sitting on a chair in a lush garden with blooming flowers, a cobbled path, and a red garden shed in the background.

PLEASURES AND PASTIMES

A club for ‘dull men’ may just inspire you to see the unremarkable anew

Directed by Andy Oxley

A woman with her hair up looking out of a train window, resting her chin on her hand. The outside view is white and indistinct.

TRAVEL

‘It pulls you in’: the staff seduced by the rhythms of the Trans-Siberian railway

Directed by Anastasia Kirillova

Photo of a waiting room with focus on a black hat. A woman reads papers and another looks at her phone in the background.

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

How to chat with almost anyone

It can be awkward at first, but people are more open to conversation than you think – and it could lead to deeper connection

by Michael Yeomans

Photo of two people in a gritty urban street with peeling painted walls, graffiti and shoes hanging on a wire.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West

It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic

by Matt Huston

Photo of people clapping outside terraced houses decorated with flags and bunting, including Welsh flags and rainbow flags.

HISTORY OF EMOTIONS

True gratitude is a communal emotion, not a wellness practice

Positive psychology touts the personal benefits of gratitude. It’s actually a challenging emotion that binds communities

by Michal Zechariah

Photo of a crowded street dinner with blue flags, people sitting at long tables amid warm lights in a historic setting.

COMMUNITY

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

Photo of people waiting on a train platform standing on marked spots as a train speeds past in the background.

COMMUNITY

The behavioural immune system protects us, but at what cost?

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unplanned social experiment on skin hunger and touch aversion. How will our politics suffer?

by Manos Tsakiris

MUSIC

Faith, struggle and song intertwine in this classic film on Appalachian music

Directed by John Cohen