Why some of the smartest people can be so very stupid
Struggling to understand is perfectly honourable. Being wilfully stupid is something else and we should strive to fix it
by Sacha Golob
Thinking and intelligence
How to foster ‘shoshin’
It’s easy for the mind to become closed to new ideas. Cultivating a beginner’s mind helps us rediscover the joy of learning
by Christian Jarrett
The fungal mind: on the evidence for mushroom intelligence
The evidence for fungal intelligence is in: they can operate as individuals, make decisions, learn, and have short-term memory
by Nicholas P Money
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
Lost perspective? Try this linguistic trick to reset your view
By using ‘distanced self-talk’, you can leverage the structure of language to take a step back and see the bigger picture
by Ariana Orvell
Talking out loud to yourself is a technology for thinking
Talking out loud to oneself is a technology for thinking that allows us to clarify and sharpen our approach to a problem
by Nana Ariel
How to think like a detective
The best detectives seem to have almost supernatural insight, but their cognitive toolkit is one that anybody can use
by Ivar Fahsing
Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise
People go to extreme lengths to avoid time with their own thoughts. We’ve found some ways to make it more pleasurable
by Rémy Furrer
How to think for yourself
Schopenhauer and Proust can help you find inspiration from your favourite writers while also retaining an independent mind
by David Bather Woods
The philosophical roots of CBT help explain its limitations
Not all psychological problems are thinking problems. Trying to solve them purely cognitively, with CBT, won’t help us mature
by Bradley Murray
How to know who’s trustworthy
Knotty problems call for sound advice. Use philosophy to find the intellectually dependable amid the frauds and egotists
by T Ryan Byerly
In praise of habits – so much more than mindless reflexes
Rather than mindless mechanisms for routines, habits are a species of belief that display a great deal of intelligence
by Ian Robertson & Katsunori Miyahara
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
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 conspiracy theories bypass people’s rationality
Prior research has focused on the negative reasons people are drawn to conspiracies, but there’s another side to the story
by Jan-Willem van Prooijen
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