Philosophy
essay
Mood and emotion
The joy of sulk
Full of implicit rules and paradoxes, sulking is a marvellous example of intense communication without clear declaration
Rebecca Roache
essay
Mood and emotion
In praise of irritation
Unlike anger, irritation has neither glamour nor radicalism on its side. Yet it might just be the mood we need right now
Will Rees
essay
Virtues and vices
The virtue of discretion
When the rules break down, you must judge what to do on your own. Discretion is necessary for navigating the muddle of life
Lorraine Daston
essay
Mental health
Secrets hurt their holders
Holding back the truth can take a huge toll on your relationships and your mental health. Why? And is there a better way?
Michael Slepian
video
Virtues and vices
From violent criminal to loving parent – a son’s story of his father’s transformation
23 minutes
essay
Virtues and vices
The delights of mischief
Mischievousness requires humour, wit and a playful humaneness: qualities that make for a particular kind of virtue
Alex Moran
essay
Virtues and vices
Look on the dark side
We must keep the flame of pessimism burning: it is a virtue for our deeply troubled times, when crude optimism is a vice
Mara van der Lugt
essay
Virtues and vices
Is virtue signalling a vice?
Proclaiming one’s own goodness is deeply annoying. Yet signalling theory explains why it’s a peculiarly powerful manoeuvre
Tadeg Quillien
essay
Ethics
Forget morality
Moral philosophy is bogus, a mere substitute for God that licenses ugly emotions. Here are five reasons to reject it
Ronnie de Sousa
essay
Virtues and vices
Lies and honest mistakes
Our crisis of public knowledge is an ethical crisis. Rewarding ‘truthfulness’ above ‘truth’ is a step towards a solution
Richard V Reeves
essay
Cognition and intelligence
How to be a genius
I travelled the world and trawled the archive to unearth the hidden lessons from history’s most brilliant people
Craig Wright
essay
Stories and literature
The living Mahabharata
Immorality, sexism, politics, war: the polychromatic Indian epic pulses with relevance to the present day
Audrey Truschke
video
Personality
Eight men reflect on their paths to prison – and imagine their alternative lives
30 minutes
essay
Global history
From vice to crime
European empires were addicted to opium smoking. Then their own agents launched a moral crusade to prohibit it
Diana S Kim
essay
Virtues and vices
Vice dressed as virtue
Cruelty and morality seem like polar opposites – until they join forces. Beware those who persecute in the name of principle
Paul Russell
idea
Ethics
If all our actions are shaped by luck, are we still agents?
Jake Wojtowicz
idea
Virtues and vices
Boredom is but a window to a sunny day beyond the gloom
Neel Burton
idea
Psychiatry and psychotherapy
Humility and self-doubt are hallmarks of a good therapist
Helene A Nissen-Lie
essay
Virtues and vices
Modesty means more, not less
True modesty is not to be timid or meek but a way of being in the world that means you don’t get in the way of your life
Nicolas Bommarito
idea
Ethics
Is virtue signalling a perversion of morality?
Neil Levy
essay
Knowledge
Mistaken
Assuming that another person’s opinions are immune from criticism is not a marker of respect. It is, in fact, dehumanising
Daniel Ward
idea
Virtues and vices
To make laziness work for you, put some effort into it
Neel Burton
idea
Virtues and vices
The fast track to a life well lived is feeling grateful
David DeSteno
essay
Virtues and vices
Righteous incivility
The temptation to be uncivil grows as public discourse gets nastier and more aggressive. Can rudeness ever be righteous?
Amy Olberding