Psychology
Seeking forgiveness for gluttony, sloth and other deadly sins
The neurologist Guy Leschziner explores the medical conditions that might underlie extremes of human behaviour in a fascinating study that combines biology and psychology
How to buy a house that isn’t on the market
There are many, mutually reinforcing causes of the property crisis: it is too easy to borrow; there are too many…
Reliving the terror of the Bataclan massacre
Emmanuel Carrère knows when to let the horrors speak for themselves in his moving, hard-hitting account of the trial of the perpetrators
Is protest counterproductive?
If I had my life again and was asked to choose a superpower, I’d like to come back as one…
The myth of collective wisdom
After 250 years of American independence, a nation home to many of the smartest and most talented people in the…
There’s much to be said for nostalgia
Instead of condemning it as dangerous fantasy, two new books argue that we should welcome nostalgia as ‘emotional armour’ in a fast-changing world
Why today’s youth is so anxious and judgmental
In a well-evidenced diatribe, Jonathan Haidt accuses the creators of smartphone culture of rewiring childhood and changing human development on an unimaginable scale
Have we all become more paranoid since the pandemic?
Covid-19 proved devastating to our self-confidence and faith in others, says Daniel Freeman, who describes the ‘corrosive’ effects of mistrust on individuals and society
The beauty of mid-range products
Once or twice, when on a crowded overnight flight, I have taken a sneaky stroll through the different cabins for…
The bored teenagers who can disrupt the world
Scott Shapiro describes five major hacks – the most serious of which, the creation of the Mirai botnet, was the work of three young men hoping to make a few quick bucks
Tribal loyalties
In his ‘journey into the psychology of belonging’, Michael Bond focuses on the positive side of tribalism, leaving its darker aspects mostly unexplored
If buttons, balloons or premature burial terrify you, rest assured you’re not alone
Every summer, during our holiday in Orkney, there is a moment of panic. We’re standing on a dizzying cliff –…
Has Carole the tarantula cured my arachnophobia?
I’ve been an arachnophobe my whole life. I can’t remember a time when videos of spiders, or even photos or…
The cult of sensitivity
I was extra pleased to have swerved the modern curse that is Wordle when I read that ‘sensitive’ words have…
Don't make war in Ukraine about Putin’s mental health
There was a time when supposedly serious commentators on world affairs used to at least feign historical knowledge. They might…
The myth of the typical Brexit voter
In Jake’s Thing, Kingsley Amis gave it a name: he called it ‘the inverted pyramid of piss’: ‘One of [Geoffrey…
Good things can come from guilt
I do not know anyone in the Sackler family. I wouldn’t even have heard of them were it not for…
I tempted fate – and got Covid
Well, I did warn you. As I typed my column last week on the imminent end of Covid I said…
Why must younger generations constantly ‘work on themselves’?
If I could lift one thing from younger generations, unpeel one idea from their anxious minds, it would be the…
Sense and sensibility: Steven Pinker and Rory Sutherland on reason vs instinct
Steven Pinker and Rory Sutherland on reason vs instinct
How men’s wardrobes prove constraints can be good for us
One thing that surprised every-one during lockdown was how many people derived unexpected pleasure from living under imposed restrictions. Can…
How do we calculate the value of a painting?
There’s an intriguing conversation on YouTube between Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, and the artist Damien…
From salivating dogs to mass indoctrination: Pavlov’s sinister legacy
Peter Pomeranzev describes the refinement of thought-control techniques over the past century – and the worldwide competition to employ them
Champagne, sex or the Tories: what could you live without?
In idle chatter the other evening, somebody pooh-poohed champagne. He was a brave soul because in certain circles — and…
What do oven chips have to do with virtue signalling?
Why does virtue-signalling matter? It’s a fair question. After all, if people display virtuous behaviour, need we care about their…
