Psyche | Know Your Self

An older man in a hat and glasses with a colourful tie-dye shirt at an outdoor event, headphones around his neck.

The human frequency

With Radio Paradise, William Goldsmith built an internet radio station that’s become a living argument for taste, trust and the art of choosing what comes next

by Greg Easley

An elderly couple sitting on a bench under a patterned umbrella, with a mosaic-tiled wall in the background.

How to rediscover your purpose later in life

You don’t have to ‘reinvent’ yourself to live happily after 60. There’s a better approach grounded in lifespan psychology

by Denise Taylor

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.

MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

Ideas

A spiral wooden staircase with soft lighting and curved design elements, creating a warm, flowing pattern.

VIRTUES AND VICES

Sometimes, the road to virtue comes by way of vice

by Sabrina B Little

A person writing in a notebook on a cluttered vanity with makeup items and a smartphone nearby.

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

Writing letters is a spiritual practice for our age of speed

by Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein

An excited crowd in orange shirts cheering at a sports event, showing diverse fans in a stadium atmosphere.

Why do crowds make our emotional experiences more intense?

by John Drury

Photo of a nun in a hospital ward walking between patients lying on beds lined up against the walls, with light from windows.

VIRTUES AND VICES

Mother Teresa was virtuous, but she was wrong about virtue

by Michael Brownstein & Alex Madva

Guides

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THINKERS AND THEORIES

How to think like a Hegelian

For Hegel, your thoughts aren’t trapped in a cerebral box: they act on the world, making meaning and expressing your freedom

by Jeffrey Reid

Hands shaping clay on a spinning pottery wheel, with a tool used for carving.

FOCUS AND ATTENTION

How to enter a state of flow

That moment of sweet immersion in the task at hand: that’s flow. With some strategy, you can experience it more often

by Susan A Jackson

Life stories

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SPORTS AND GAMES

After the performance

For 19 years, the NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony mastered the version of himself the world demanded. Retired from basketball, he confronts a harder question: who is he now?

by D Watkins

Editor’s picks

Abstract painting of two figures near a brightly lit doorway with vivid orange and teal tones, interior includes a chair.

How to get ready for therapy

Whatever brings you to a therapist’s office, taking these proactive steps as you begin can help you make the most of it

by Rochelle Frank

Photo of a person with closed eyes and hands clasped, appearing thoughtful or in prayer, set against a dim background.

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

Spirituality is a brain state we can all reach, religious or not

Neuroscience shows that spiritual experiences are correlated with brain states that we can all aim for, religious or not

by Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan

Latest videos

Photo of a man and woman with glasses examining a handheld device in an art-filled room with brick wall and paintings.

You’re sure that society is spiralling and we’re all doomed. Now what?

Directed by Ryan Malloy

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MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA

To make better memories, prioritise high peaks and happy endings

Cartoon of a person looking at a striped sock puppet while taking a written exam, drawn in a simple line art style.

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Talking to yourself isn’t just normal – it can be beneficial

Photo of a smiling woman with short white hair pointing at a doll on a wooden cabinet filled with various figurines.

ARTISTS AND ART HISTORY

Whimsy and tragedy exist side by side in Liliana Porter’s art

Photo of a person feeding cats on a tree-lined path, with green hedges and shadows cast by the afternoon sun.

COMPASSION AND EMPATHY

Why nurturing your compassionate side is simple and deeply beneficial

Photo of a man in a black cap holding a baby in white, with a blue cap, sitting on a grey couch against a blue wall.

Birth doulas are almost exclusively female. Enter Teddy

Illustration of a person sitting cross-legged among tall stacks of paper on a pink background.

TRAUMA AND PTSD

Why people hoard, and how you can help them

Notes to self

A switched-off smartphone on a bright yellow surface with fingerprints and smudges on the black screen.

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

A brief escape from social media

by Tamur Qutab

A person with a red backpack walking through a lush forest, sunlight filtering through the trees.

NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Don’t let nature slip out of reach

by Hannah Seo

Black and white photo of an older man in a coat tipping his hat on a city street, with another person walking away.

WORK AND VOCATION

The satisfaction of doing work that lasts

by Matt Huston

Popular

An elderly couple sitting on a bench under a patterned umbrella, with a mosaic-tiled wall in the background.

How to rediscover your purpose later in life

You don’t have to ‘reinvent’ yourself to live happily after 60. There’s a better approach grounded in lifespan psychology

by Denise Taylor

Hands shaping clay on a spinning pottery wheel, with a tool used for carving.

FOCUS AND ATTENTION

How to enter a state of flow

That moment of sweet immersion in the task at hand: that’s flow. With some strategy, you can experience it more often

by Susan A Jackson

Photo of a person in a white shirt holding an orange behind their back at a crosswalk, seen from behind.

THINKERS AND THEORIES

How to think like a Hegelian

For Hegel, your thoughts aren’t trapped in a cerebral box: they act on the world, making meaning and expressing your freedom

by Jeffrey Reid

Photo of a man in a black cap holding a baby in white, with a blue cap, sitting on a grey couch against a blue wall.

Birth doulas are almost exclusively female. Enter Teddy

Directed by Lauren Santucci

A person writing in a notebook on a cluttered vanity with makeup items and a smartphone nearby.

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

Writing letters is a spiritual practice for our age of speed

Handwritten letters seem like a remnant of pre-online life, but they connect us to ourselves and each other like nothing else

by Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.

MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

A spiral wooden staircase with soft lighting and curved design elements, creating a warm, flowing pattern.

VIRTUES AND VICES

Sometimes, the road to virtue comes by way of vice

To work your character into better shape, be like a carpenter who fixes warped wood by bending it the opposite way

by Sabrina B Little

Photo of a nun in a hospital ward walking between patients lying on beds lined up against the walls, with light from windows.

VIRTUES AND VICES

Mother Teresa was virtuous, but she was wrong about virtue

There’s more to virtue than how we treat other individuals. ‘Structure-facing virtues’ tie the personal to the big picture

by Michael Brownstein & Alex Madva

Explore: History and philosophy of mental health

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.

MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

by Chereen Shurafa

Black and white photo of a man in glasses and a suit speaking, seated indoors with window blinds in the background.

THINKERS AND THEORIES

Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960

Video by The Search for America

Black and white photo of two women from the 1950s, one whispering to the other.

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Make some noise

by Hannah Seo

A silhouette of a person at an airport window watching a plane on the tarmac under a blue sky.

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

What mental health campaigns get wrong about silence

by Dan Degerman

Woman in historical dress washing her hands with water poured by a child from a jug, with onlookers in an ornate interior setting.

Forever compelled

by Matt Huston

A woman wearing a black gown and veil, and gold and turquoise jewellery raises her harms with eyes closed; musicians wearing headdresses play drums in the background in a dimly lit setting.

What rituals from the past teach us about panic and anxiety

by Mariem El-Kady

Photo of a man holding laundry in a dimly lit room with shelves, a microwave and a curtain on the left.

MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

What do Japan’s hikikomori reveal about our lonely world?

by Alain Julian

Sketch of a woman in historic attire with hands clasped, head bowed, drawn on gridded paper.

SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE

For the Puritans, embracing God’s will could get dangerous

by Alexandra M Lord