Animated character in green robes stands in a lush landscape with mountains and traditional buildings in the background.
MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA

When memories from fiction become part of who you are

Scenes from books, movies and games sometimes carry as much weight as events from people’s own lives. We’re finding out why

by Osman Görkem Çetin

Photo of a person meditating in sunlight on the floor of a room beside a bed.
MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS

I was sceptical about breathwork so I did my own research

Breathwork changed my life, but I heard the sceptics. Several studies later, I’m more convinced than ever in its benefits

by Guy W Fincham

Blurry monochrome photograph of two intertwined nude bodies in an ethereal style.
SEX AND SEXUALITY

How to handle a mismatch in sexual desire

A difference in sexual appetite is a common source of tension for couples. Don’t ignore it – turn toward it with curiosity

by Ann O’Brien

Ideas

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NEUROSCIENCE

There are three lenses through which to weigh any decision

by Clara Pretus & Jay Van Bavel

Portrait painting of a man with a moustache wearing a dark outfit with a white collar next to a red drapery background.
KNOWLEDGE AND REASON

These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place

by Massimo Pigliucci

Guides

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CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

How to respond to offensive comments in a thoughtful way

When someone insults you or people you care about, this advice can help you figure out whether to speak up and what to say

by Alicia del Prado

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

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

Life stories

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Painting of a man in colourful clothes sitting against a stone wall looking pensive with armour-clad figures in the shadows.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

The loving tongue

In Spanish, I wasn’t the clumsy son of the town amputee. Learning the language catalysed my reinvention

by Timothy Hampton

Editor’s picks

A young man turns his head with his hand to reveal a unique gold ear accessory.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness

Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen

by Jaipreet Virdi

Photo of three red and white capsules on a light blue background.
DEPRESSION

How to decide whether to take antidepressants

They’re controversial yet they help countless people. To see if pills are right for you, these are the questions to ask

by Stephen Lawrie

Latest videos

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COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Small talk is an art, not a triviality. Here’s how you can master it

Video by the Harvard Business Review

A man lying with a serene expression surrounded by white lilies against a dark background.
AGEING

At 84, Jun lives to shock. His next act? A living funeral no one asked for

Illustration of a room with a person lounging on a bed, a pink dresser, a table with cups and a plant.
AUTISM

A mysterious black orb trails Mo, growing ever harder to ignore

Photo of a man holding a microphone and equipment standing on a walkway with blurred people passing by in the foreground.
LONELINESS

Lonely in London, a filmmaker sets out to make a new friend

An elderly woman in black standing in a garden of pink roses with snow-capped mountains in the background.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

Mzia the elevator operator leaves her post for the first time in two decades

Notes to self

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Popular reads

Photo of a woman in a colourful striped dress smiling as photographers take pictures at a crowded event.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Why do beautiful people also seem smart and likeable?

Psychologists have known about the ‘halo effect’ for ages. New research suggests the power of language can help explain it

by Chris F Westbury & Daniel King

A person in a blue jacket standing thoughtfully on a train platform next to the tracks.
CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

How to respond to offensive comments in a thoughtful way

When someone insults you or people you care about, this advice can help you figure out whether to speak up and what to say

by Alicia del Prado

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

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

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

Portrait painting of a man with a moustache wearing a dark outfit with a white collar next to a red drapery background.
KNOWLEDGE AND REASON

These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place

In our age of certainty and dogma, we would all do well to learn from the philosophy of the ancient Greco-Roman sceptics

by Massimo Pigliucci

Photo of a calm lake at dusk with a hippo partially submerged, only its eyes and ears visible above the water’s surface.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Metaphors open up our minds – but can also shut them down

The best analogies in poetry and science really crackle, but when do they expand our thinking and when do they constrain it?

by Claire O’Callaghan

Photo of a person meditating in sunlight on the floor of a room beside a bed.
MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS

I was sceptical about breathwork so I did my own research

Breathwork changed my life, but I heard the sceptics. Several studies later, I’m more convinced than ever in its benefits

by Guy W Fincham

Painting of a forest at night with a small house and dimly lit sky visible through the trees.
MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE

Is modern asceticism about conformity or quiet revolution?

From detoxes to slow food, today’s asceticism is often about fitting in. But we can rediscover its transformative power

by Iryna Mykhailova

Explore: Laughter and comedy

Two people in a worn-out room with an old TV, a mirror reflecting more people, and various items on countertops and shelves.
ARTISTS AND ART HISTORY

One Kandinsky, one viewer and one guard, in a Moscow power station

Directed by Nastia Korkia

A Jewish man wearing glasses and a platchige biber hat, speaking into a microphone at a comedy club, with a brick wall and a blurred sign in the background.
LAUGHTER AND COMEDY

An Orthodox Jew struggles to balance his two callings – religion and comedy

Directed by Jonathan Miller

A woman in period dress smiles while holding a small object depicting a nude seated figure.
LAUGHTER AND COMEDY

Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?

by Joy Wiltenburg

Ukraine postage stamps with a soldier gesturing at a warship, text reads “Русский военный корабль … ВСЮ!”. Dated 14.04.2022.
LAUGHTER AND COMEDY

A sense of humour – even a dark one – is a moral virtue

by Mark Alfano & Mandi Astola

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