How to forgive yourselfIt’s easy to forgive other people because you don’t have to live inside their head. Forgiving yourself is different and much, much har […]

The revolution will be memedKalle Lasn has been trying to jam consumer culture for decades. Now he thinks that was only the beginning. Sean talks with the […]

How A became AThe Gray Area is taking a short break this week — but we’ve got something special for you. We’re dropping an episode from one of our favorite podca […]

Why humans need to matterWhy do humans have this deep need to feel like we matter?  Sean Illing talks with the philosopher Rebecca Goldstein about why […]

A brief update on the AI apocalypseSomething is definitely happening in the AI world, but how seriously should we take it? Is this another hype cycle or a genuine […]

Consciousness is a mysteryWhat is consciousness, really? We don’t know. Scientists aren’t sure. Philosophers can’t agree. All we have is the fact that it feels […]

The end of world order as we know itVenezuela. Greenland. Iran. Things have been moving so quickly that we weren’t even at war with Iran when we recorded this e […]

Alone in a cage with cocaineAddiction is one of those words that seems obvious until you try to explain it. We tend to fall back on two simple stories. Either […]

Winging it in IranWhat the hell just happened in Iran? The US launched an attack last weekend, and within hours, the explanations were already shifting. Is this […]

Of course you’re anxiousWe use the word “anxiety” to describe stress, dread, worry, panic, even vibes. Which just goes to show: We really don’t know what anxie […]

Gen Z men have baby feverA lot of Gen Z men sound surprisingly excited about fatherhood. A lot of Gen Z women…do not.  And that divide — and the national hand […]

Why mindfulness got weirdMindfulness is everywhere now, which is kind of weird. What started as a countercultural practice has become a productivity hack and a […]

You’re right to bear armsSean talks to Atlantic writer Tyler Austin Harper about the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and why liberals are missing the point […]

Happy news from Sean The Gray Area with Sean Illing is now twice a week! Look for new episodes every Monday and Friday, here in your ears and at Youtube.com/vox […]

The problem with gamifying lifeGames are fun. Aren’t they? When we play games — board games, video games, any kind of game — something magical happens. Games […]

America is footballWhy do we love football so much? Why does this sport dominate American culture in a way nothing else can? Why does it feel essential even to […]

How we built a government that can’t build anythingWhy is it so hard for America to build things? Bridges take years to construct. Housing costs are soaring. […]

It’s okay to not be okayIt’s not always the most wonderful time of the year. Every December, we’re told to be merry and stay positive. But a lot of us don’t feel […]

Forgiveness is optionalYou have to forgive people who wrong you…right? The world is filled with injustice and wrongdoing, and to live in the world — to not be con […]

Across the GooniverseSean’s guest today is Daniel Kolitz, author of a remarkable Harper’s story on “gooning.”  They talk about this emerging subculture and how […]