How to make a difficult decision
It’s tempting but unwise to delay important choices. Grasp the nettle by using both systematic checklists and gut instinct
by Joseph Bikart
Decision-making
How to think clearly
By learning to question and clarify your thoughts, you’ll improve your self-knowledge and become a better communicator
by Tom Chatfield
The mathematical case against blaming people for their misfortune
Complexity science reveals the hard limits of our predictive abilities, and makes a mathematical case for compassion
by David Kinney
How to know if you want to be a parent
Set aside everyone else’s preconceptions. Then try doing these counterintuitive exercises to understand your own desires
by Ann Davidman
Why small annoyances can harm us more than big disruptions
A largely forgotten psychological concept helps explain the insidiousness of minor problems – and what to do about it
by Shayla Love
How to think like a Bayesian
In a world of few absolutes, it pays to be able to think clearly about probabilities. These five ideas will get you started
by Michael G Titelbaum
How to use ‘possibility thinking’
Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible
by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu
The fence is uncomfortable, but it affords the best view
Ambivalence is often misconstrued as flakiness. In fact, recognising both sides of an argument fosters empathy and insight
by Iris Schneider
How to think about free will
You can’t escape cause and effect, but there is a way of viewing human agency that is motivating, plausible and humane
by Julian Baggini
How to connect with your future self
Does the future ‘you’ seem like a stranger? Getting to know them better will help you to make healthier, wiser decisions
by Shayla Love
How to be an emotional leader
In times of change and pressure, a set of skills known as ‘psychological flexibility’ can help you and your team to thrive
by Selda Koydemir
Do you think more clearly when reading or when listening?
How we take in information has a remarkably significant effect on how intuitive or analytical we are in thinking about it
by Janet Geipel & Boaz Keysar
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
Emotions should be in the heart of complex political debates
Emotion is not opposed to reason but a crucial tool for assessing risk in a complex, uncertain world
by Sabine Roeser
It should be OK for parents to express regret about having children
Regret is common to all humans. So it’s no surprise that some parents regret having children: it shouldn’t be a taboo topic
by Jenna Abetz & Julia Moore
What we gain by recognising the role of chance in life
Appreciating the world is random can foster perseverance, gratitude for our own luck and empathy for the plight of others
by Mark R Rank