Understand

The inner workings of the mind: emotions, memory, decision-making and more

Vintage photo of two women in Victorian attire, one in a patterned dress looks at the other who wears a fur-trimmed coat.

You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful

New research reveals that physical attractiveness is more about personal compatibility than meeting universal standards

by Annett Schirmer

A woman and dog standing in a cobblestone street, by an outdoor travel advertisement showing a plane wing and sunset.

How to resist everyday temptations

Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them

by Peggilee Wupperman

A man looking through the scope of a rifle in a crowded exhibition with mounted deer heads in the background.

My husband, the gun nut

Three years into a blissful relationship, my partner picked up a hobby that sent me spiralling

by Lindsey Harrington

Black and white photo of a group of people dancing outdoors, with a man in a striped shirt in the foreground.

How to thrive as a highly sensitive person

In this noisy world, being highly sensitive is a challenge. But learn to manage overwhelm and you can reap the upsides too

by Jadzia Jagiellowicz

Illustration of a night scene with musicians performing, a person on a chair, a bird flying and mountains in the background.

Synchronicity

Long ago, I gave a boy a greenfinch. That moment followed me in ways I’m still puzzling over

by Katia Ariel

Guides

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Photo of a street with vintage cars, motel signs and a person leaning on a truck holding a broom under a blue sky.

How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow

Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time

by Martin Wiener

A rural road intersection with a stop sign, traffic light and highway signs under a blue sky with clouds.

To resist dogma and accept uncertainty, think like a pragmatist

Founded in 19th-century America, the philosophy of pragmatism promises imaginative ways of coping with our circumstances

by Michael Bacon

Popular

A young boy smiling, resting his chin on his hands, looking at a marshmallow on a table.

What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology

Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can

by Tyler W Watts

Photo of a street with vintage cars, motel signs and a person leaning on a truck holding a broom under a blue sky.

How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow

Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time

by Martin Wiener

Black and white photo of an elderly man with glasses and a moustache wearing a suit, sitting in a patterned chair.

‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84

Video by Face to Face

Black and white photo of a group of people dancing outdoors, with a man in a striped shirt in the foreground.

How to thrive as a highly sensitive person

In this noisy world, being highly sensitive is a challenge. But learn to manage overwhelm and you can reap the upsides too

by Jadzia Jagiellowicz

Painting of a dimly lit café with blurred figures inside, creating a warm atmospheric scene; some figures are seated at tables, others standing and moving around the space.

Uncertainty is stressful, but here’s why we need to feel it

As much as people struggle with not knowing, we live in an uncertain world – and there are advantages to embracing that

by Jessica Alquist

A woman and dog standing in a cobblestone street, by an outdoor travel advertisement showing a plane wing and sunset.

How to resist everyday temptations

Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them

by Peggilee Wupperman

A person using a Minibank ATM next to a Celine advert with an electric scooter parked nearby.

Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us

Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic

by Jeremy L Foust

People on a boat deck taking a selfie against a city skyline with clear blue sky, towels and sun hats visible.

Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality

The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful

by Derek van Zoonen

Popular

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A young boy smiling, resting his chin on his hands, looking at a marshmallow on a table.

What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology

Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can

by Tyler W Watts

Photo of a street with vintage cars, motel signs and a person leaning on a truck holding a broom under a blue sky.

How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow

Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time

by Martin Wiener

Black and white photo of an elderly man with glasses and a moustache wearing a suit, sitting in a patterned chair.

‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84

Video by Face to Face

Black and white photo of a group of people dancing outdoors, with a man in a striped shirt in the foreground.

How to thrive as a highly sensitive person

In this noisy world, being highly sensitive is a challenge. But learn to manage overwhelm and you can reap the upsides too

by Jadzia Jagiellowicz

Notes to self

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Videos

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Sketchbook pages with colourful abstract faces, featuring torn paper flaps over parts of the drawings, mixed media artwork.

Steven has a rare insight into faces – because he cannot recognise them

Directed by Steven Fraser

Close-up photo of a hand carving a pencil with a small knife, focusing on the pencil’s tip and wood shavings.

There’s joy in doing a job right. Just ask this artisanal pencil-sharpener

Abstract illustration of a head with an open mind in blue and gold tones with blurred background.

The (surprisingly new) science of aphantasia – the inability to ‘see’ mental imagery

Photo of a hiker with a backpack and two dogs on a mountain peak at sunset, above the cloudline and overlooking a valley.
Psyche Exclusive

A former office worker charts his own path, herding sheep high into the Pyrenees

Illustration of two stylised people running on a boardwalk near the sea with telegraph poles and wires in the background.

How increasing short-term pleasure can help you achieve your long-term goals

Black and white photo of an elderly man with glasses and a moustache wearing a suit, sitting in a patterned chair.

‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84

A young boy smiling, resting his chin on his hands, looking at a marshmallow on a table.

What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology

Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can

by Tyler W Watts

Photo of uniformed men standing outside portable toilets, one gestures invitingly.

Does progress seem slower when you constantly check on it?

Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation

by André Vaz

Photo of a person walking on an empty city street at sunrise, casting a long shadow amidst tall buildings.

Jaywalking man

Even before I got hit, I’d come to find unexpected bliss in waiting at street corners

by Lawrence Everett Forbes

Photo of a person reading Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” with a red decorative cover while sitting near a window.

My year of slow-reading War and Peace

Reading a chapter a day of War and Peace shows how a manageable, regular habit can build into a much bigger accomplishment

by Freya Howarth

A group of office workers turned to face a colleague, clapping and smiling, in a modern meeting room setting.

Are you saying ‘thank you’ too effusively?

Research suggests that people who express their gratitude more effusively are judged as lower status and less influential

by Christian Jarrett

A person using a Minibank ATM next to a Celine advert with an electric scooter parked nearby.

Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us

Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic

by Jeremy L Foust

People on a boat deck taking a selfie against a city skyline with clear blue sky, towels and sun hats visible.

Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality

The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful

by Derek van Zoonen

A group of people outdoors looking serious, with one woman wiping her eyes in the centre. Trees and buildings in background.

The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry

We think of tears as an overflow of emotion, but an evolutionary lens shows they’re a rational form of social signalling

by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman

A person gazing out a train window at a yellow field and cloudy sky, with a table and a closed laptop in view.

How much you ‘body-wander’ could affect your mental health

Some people tune into bodily sensations while daydreaming, others don’t – with implications for anxiety, depression and ADHD

by Leah Banellis

Marble sculpture of a dynamic struggle between two naked figures on a dark background, showcasing intricate details and movement.
GENDER

Plato’s challenge to the meaning of manliness still resonates

Even in ancient Greece, Plato questioned whether gender norms around masculinity were good for men’s individual freedom

by Yancy Hughes Dominick

Illustration of a simple cartoon figure with a bob haircut wearing a green crop top and red skirt on a light background.

Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs

A film by Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta

Photo of a young gorilla with a pensive expression set against a blurred green forest background.
MEMOIR

Through Zuri’s eyes

She was a young gorilla, sitting alone in the Calgary Zoo. Once our eyes locked, I was in for a life-long connection

by Keriann McGoogan

Close-up photo of an elderly man with a beard wearing a black cap, lying in a hospital bed, looking content.

After four decades in prison, Big D contemplates the brave new world that awaits him

Directed by Laura Tejero Núñez

Painting of a dimly lit café with blurred figures inside, creating a warm atmospheric scene; some figures are seated at tables, others standing and moving around the space.

Uncertainty is stressful, but here’s why we need to feel it

As much as people struggle with not knowing, we live in an uncertain world – and there are advantages to embracing that

by Jessica Alquist

A person drinking next to a large poster depicting steaming coffee cups on a green background.
JOY

A way to enjoy more positive mental images

Psychologists have tested a way to seed ‘involuntary positive mental images’ in the brain. You can try it for yourself

by Christian Jarrett

Photo of a woman floating on their back in water with sunlight on their face and blurred foliage in the background.

Emotions aren’t reactions – they’re predictions we can learn to reshape

Video by The Well