Why are melodramatic people and art so often dismissed? Exaggerated, histrionic, over the top – a melodramatic person creates life in vibrant colours, for there is no incident too tiny to be symbolic of Great Things. Emotions are heartfelt and opinions expressed in extreme ways. And while this can be entertaining from a distance, up …
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Where does dharma come from? The origins of dharma go back a long way, to the spiritual literature of India, when the Mahabharata, often referred to as ‘the Great Epic’ or the world’s longest poem, was created. According to Hindu belief, dharma is, in its simplest form, the ‘quality that epitomises what it is to …
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How does metal detecting work? The handheld metal detector, first patented by two people, Gerhard Fisher and Shirl Herr, around the same time in the 1920s, works by transmitting an electromagnetic field from the search coil into the ground to detect targets (any metal objects). When an item is detected, the device will produce an …
How to identify an anti-hero Antiheroes can be any gender, but they must be the star of their show. As a principal character, they embody the opposite of what you’d expect. In fact, it’s these very qualities that drive their appeal. Antiheroes embody the shadow side of humanity. They’re the parts of ourselves we despise …
Why the brain is wired for pareidolia There’s much conjecture about why people see identifiable faces, animals and shapes in random patterns, but it seems the brain is wired to notice or look for something recognisable. It’s widely thought that the brain is primed to see faces (the most common form of pareidolia) and is …
How does no-mow gardening work? Put simply, no-mow gardening means leaving your lawn to grow unchecked for a while. This might be for a full season or a single month and involve a whole garden or plot, a section or even just the edges. Some no-mow gardeners cut strips across their gardens to create pathways …
Read moreWhat are the benefits to wildlife of not mowing your lawn?
How to change a negative situation It might be worth considering whether change – rather than continual complaining – could be part of the solution. If you find yourself frequently sounding off about the same things, it might be time to explore whether there’s anything you can do to transform the situation. The answer might …
How to reframe exercise to follow your values One way to reframe ideas of exercise is through the idea of values-driven living. As Christine says, this means ‘living a life that is guided by our values’. In this sense, you use those things you value to guide your long-term decision making. This is instead of …
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When does scapegoating become problematic? Scapegoating occurs in any type of relationship, including those within larger structures, such as families and workplaces. In fact, it’s common to occasionally attempt to deflect responsibility for one’s mistakes, often by blaming someone else. It becomes problematic, however, when the pattern is repeated, especially if the so-called blame is …
How has cooperation shaped the world? This is something that Nichola Raihani, professor of evolution and behaviour at University College London, addresses in her 2021 book The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World. She begins by looking at the way molecules team up to form cells, before widening her scope to the animal kingdom. …
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