Convictions are where beliefs meet identity. But that can lead to trouble. Our supercharged politics make giving up a conviction feel like an act of self-betrayal and a betrayal of our tribe.
Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo, right, with Dali Mpofu and Winnie Mandela in 1989.
Thobekile Maphumulo Family Papers, Author provided (No reuse)
In the wake of yet more mass murders, people want answers. Some questions that arise about the tragedies relate to mental illness. A psychiatrist answers three here.
Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltender Frederik Andersen is scored on by Montreal Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal in April.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Our neural hardware responds differently when we perceive people to be on “our team.” This hard-wiring allows for both positive and negative biases.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., respond to remarks by President Donald Trump.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo/
Fear, a psychiatrist writes, has roots deep within the human psyche, and demagogues have long exploited the emotion. In today’s world, it’s important to know the dangers of that exploitation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the launch of the governing ANC’s 2019 elections manifesto in Durban.
EPA-EFE/Kim Ludbrook
The vision set out by Cyril Ramaphosa has the seeds for galvanising South Africans to get back on the right path. But it urgently needs a plan to make it happen.
White nationalists clash with protesters at the Aug. 12, 2017 Charlottesville, Va. rally that turned deadly violent.
Steve Helber/AP Photo
Fear is very much a part of humans’ survival. Demagogues and others who want to manipulate have learned that this human trait can be exploited, often with disastrous consequences.
People queued to cast their votes in Kenya’s election. The final results have yet to be released.
Siegfried Modola/Reuters
Kenyan voters are aware of their central role in the electoral process, yet they tend to limit their leadership choices. Are they ready to break away from tradition in the 2017 elections?
A bunch of Khasi children fire-fighters watch on, as the flames erupt in a slash and burn episode.
Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman
In north-east India, children of the Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) learn slash and burn cultivation, an intergenerational yet controversial indigenous practice.
US President-elect Donald Trump has displayed behaviour that will resonate with autocrats in Africa.
William Philpott/Reuters
Besides worries that Donald Trump might not make Africa a priority of his presidency, his temperament and views bode ill for democracy on the continent.
Seemingly poles apart, Donald Trump and Jacob Zuma have something in common: they are both prominent patriarchs with populist support. And they both count women among their staunch supporters.