Join How to Be a Better Human as we take a look within and beyond ourselves.
How to Be a Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join comedian Chris Duffy in conversation with guests and past speakers as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human.
From your work to your home and your head to your heart, How to Be a Better Human looks in unexpected places for new ways to improve and show up for one another. Inspired by the popular series of the same name on TED’s Ideas blog, How to Be a Better Human will help you become a better person from the comfort of your own headphones.
Follow Chris on Instagram at @chrisiduffy
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Join How to Be a Better Human as we take a look within and beyond ourselves.
How to Be a Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join comedian Chris Duffy in conversation with guests and past speakers as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human.
From your work to your home and your head to your heart, How to Be a Better Human looks in unexpected places for new ways to improve and show up for one another. Inspired by the popular series of the same name on TED’s Ideas blog, How to Be a Better Human will help you become a better person from the comfort of your own headphones.
Follow Chris on Instagram at @chrisiduffy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For the past five seasons, host Chris Duffy has been interviewing guests from psychotherapist Dr. Orna Guralnik to poet Sarah Kay to author Andrew Leland and more on how they work to become better humans. In this special episode kicking off season 6, Chris is now in the hot seat. Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, joins as guest host to interview Chris on finding joy and how a 5th grader taught Chris humor. They also discuss Chris’ debut book Humor Me and the lessons he learned from hosting the podcast throughout the years.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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After a mysterious wave of tics and twitches swept through a small-town high school in New York, documentary podcaster Dan Taberski set out to investigate what was really happening. Drawing on extensive research and intimate interviews with the people involved, he explores the roots of mass hysteria — and what it reveals about the line between illness and belonging. What happens when the very thing that makes us sick ... is also what connects us?
After the talk, Shoshana interviews Dan on how his research into the mysterious Havana Syndrome leads to his unearthing of a similar mass hysteria in Le Roy, New York. They also discuss how storytelling can reshape discourse surrounding medicine and what happens when the person experiencing an illness feels unheard and unsupported by the very medical professionals supposed to care for them?
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Relationships of any kind can be tricky—but therapists are here to help. In this special episode, Anne and Frances talk to clinical psychologist Dr. Orna Guralnik, star of the hit show Couples Therapy, to translate her advice for romantic relationships to the professional world. Together, they discuss the art of deep listening, underline the importance of patience and working through differences, and reframe relationships as a constant cycle of rupture and repair. Dr. Guralnik also reflects on the making of Couples Therapy and gives Anne and Frances advice as a couple who work together.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Many of us are entering the new year with a similar goal — to build community and connect more with others. To kick off season five, Priya Parker shares ideas on how to be the host with the most. An expert on building connection, Priya is the author of “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.” Whether it's a book club, wedding, birthday or niche-and-obscurely themed party, Priya and Chris talk about how to create meaningful and fun experiences for all of your guests — including yourself.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Remember those fun high school superlatives like the “Class Clown” or the “Biggest Flirt”? In this special How to Be a Better Human season finale, you will be hearing from our previous guest Dallas Youth Poet Laureate Naisha Randhar and our team of editors, marketers, producers, fact-checkers and more on their favorite episodes this year.
How to Be a Better Human 2025 Superlatives
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Money can buy you happiness – but not in the way we think. Giving money away – especially to help others – has been shown make us happier than spending on ourselves.
Social psychologist Lara Aknin explains the best ways to spend on loved ones, friends and even total strangers to get the biggest happiness bang for your buck.
And Harvard’s Josh Greene reveals how much money Happiness Lab listeners gave to charity via Giving Multiplier last year – and how many lives you saved.
Pods Fight Poverty: https://GiveDirectly.org/betterhuman
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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What makes a hometown home, and how do you find community? Sarah Kay is a spoken word poet and author of the latest poetry collection, A Little Daylight Left. Sarah and Chris grew up in New York City where the energetic and diverse community shaped their lives. They discuss how to find belonging in new neighborhoods, how to focus on creating art and being empathetic when it feels like the world is chaotic, and how to take note of the small things in life that bring them joy.
Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Sarah Kay (Instagram: @kaysarahsera | https://kaysarahsera.com/)
Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy: https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
Follow TED!
X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks
Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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If you remove ingredients like dairy, wheat, flour, cane sugar, beef, pork, and chicken from your diet—then what do you eat? For Sioux chef Sean Sherman, excluding colonial ingredients from his cuisines gives him the opportunity to spotlight indigenous produce and uplift local communities. Sean is the owner of the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis. Sean joins Chris to discuss the philosophy behind his indigenous restaurant, where he thinks the American education system falls short, and how he is using food to reclaim indigenous history.
This episode is part of a series of bonus videos from "How to Be a Better Human." You can watch the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel and the extended interview on the TED Audio Collective YouTube Channel.
Watch
Sean cooking Indigenous foods: https://youtu.be/p0IpMqUZKbs
Chris extended interview: TBA
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Guests:
Sean Sherman (Instagram: @the_sioux_chef | https://seansherman.com/)
Linda Black Elk (Instagram: @linda.black.elk
Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy (https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL)
Follow TED!
X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks
Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Where do you belong and what does community mean to you? These are the central questions Chris asks poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib while visiting Hanif’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Hanif is a poet and essayist of many notable works such as They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, A Fortune for Your Disaster, and A Little Devil in America, among others. Hanif joins Chris to share his love for the city Columbus, what it means to be cared for by community members, and how spending time with others can show you how to love them better.
This episode is part of a series of bonus videos from "How to Be a Better Human." You can watch the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel and the extended interview on the TED Audio Collective YouTube Channel.
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Guest:
Hanif Abdurraqib (Instagram: @nifmuhammad | https://www.abdurraqib.com/)
Sarah Kay (Instagram: @kaysarahsera | https://kaysarahsera.com/)
Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy (https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL)
Follow TED!
X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks
Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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“All couples fight. In fact, how they fight in the first three minutes predicts with 96% accuracy not only how the rest of the conversation will go, but how the rest of the relationship will go six years down the road,” says relationship expert Dr. Julie Gottman. Dr. Julie and John Gottman are founders of the Gottman Institute and the Love Lab where they study how to sustain love and health in relationships. They join Chris to discuss why more people now than ever are deciding to go solo, what a healthy end to a conflict looks like, and the 52 questions you should ask your partner before getting married.
This episode is part of a series of bonus videos from "How to Be a Better Human." You can watch the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel and the extended interview on the TED Audio Collective YouTube Channel.
Watch
Julie and John answer listeners' questions: https://youtu.be/nJ4RtT0T_BA
Extended interview with Chris: https://youtu.be/CxW0JRAw8bk
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Guest: Dr. Julie and John Gottman
Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy (https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL)
Instagram: @thegottmaninstitute
YouTube: @TheGottmanInstitute
Linkedin: @the-gottman-institute
TikTok: @thegottmaninstitute
Follow TED!
X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
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Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks
Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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Edith Zimmerman is a sketchbook cartoonist and writer of the Substack newsletter, Drawing Links. In this episode, she joins Chris to talk about honesty and self-discovery. From sharing her artwork to discussing her sobriety journey to falling in love with running, Edith and Chris explore how creativity and pursuing new activities can help you overcome personal challenges.
This episode is part of the How to Be a Better Human Bonus Videos series. You can find the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel.
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Edith Zimmerman (Instagram: @edithzimmermans | Website: https://www.edithzimmerman.com/)
Links
https://drawinglinks.substack.com/
Stop Drinking Now by Allen Carr
Subscribe to TED
Instagram: @ted
YouTube: @TED
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LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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Did you know that you start losing bone AND muscle mass as soon as the age of thirty? Or that your fingers and toes don’t have muscles? Or how women in Scotland are starting to compete in the lighting of Dinnie Stones – which weighs 733 pounds?! These are topics that Chris discussed with Bonnie Tsui, author of the book On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters. They also discuss what strength and weightlifting means in today’s society – especially as more women enter the sport. Bonnie and Chris also discuss studying martial arts, playing on sports teams, and the benefits of functional mobility as you age.
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Guest: Bonnie Tsui (Instagram: @bonnietsui8 | Website: https://www.bonnietsui.com/ | )
Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy (https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL)
Buy Bonnie's book On Muscle: https://tinyurl.com/onmuscle
Newsletter: https://www.bonnietsui.com/events
Other handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonnietsui
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-tsui-71a57775
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@bonnietsui8
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bonnietsui
Follow TED!
X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks
Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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How do you quit people-pleasing? Internet filmmaker Baron Ryan and family therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile unpack the all-too-common fear of rejection and explore the practices necessary to reclaim your ability to finally say “no” and stop caring about what other people think. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts navigating the ideas shaping our world.)
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innovative approach that turned Texas into a renewable energy powerhouse. It’s a story about what could get done before partisan politics got in the way of good climate policy, and it shows that economic incentives for consumers, government, and companies can play a huge role in supercharging clean energy.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
How to Be a Better Human is nominated for the Signal Award for Best Advice & How To. Vote here!
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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The real lever of a meaningful life isn’t intelligence or hustle — it’s personal agency, says Cate Hall, former Supreme Court attorney and once the world’s top-ranked female poker player. Sharing her journey from the throes of addiction to leading a multibillion-dollar foundation, Hall shares tactical wisdom for increasing your ability to see and act on life's hidden degrees of freedom, showing how even the most trapped among us can discover a path to fulfillment.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
How to Be a Better Human is nominated for the Signal Award for Best Advice & How To. Vote here!
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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How often do you connect with different people each week? How many many close relationships do you aim to cultivate during those connections? And how long do these interactions last? Kasley Killam has the perfect guide to help you build better social connections – the 5-3-1 Rule. Kasley is a social scientist and the author of The Art of Science and Connection. Kasley joins Chris to discuss the future of social connection – why do we invest in physical health but not social health? And what happens when you substitute companionship for AI chatbots? Kasley shares tips on how to connect with your community and rethink social norms on technology.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Kasley Killam (Instagram: @kasleykillam | LinkedIn: @kasleykillam | Website: https://www.kasleykillam.com/)
Links
TED Talk: Why social health is key to happiness and longevity
Substack: Social Health with Kasley Killam
Book: https://www.kasleykillam.com/social-health-book
Newsletter: https://www.kasleykillam.com/newsletter
Subscribe to TED
Instagram: @ted
YouTube: @TED
TikTok: @tedtoks
LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
How to Be a Better Human is nominated for the Signal Award for Best Advice & How To. Vote here!
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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How do you raise confident and capable children in a seemingly scary and unsafe world? According to Lenore Skenazy, the solution is simple yet controversial — you leave the kids alone. Lenore is the president of Let Grow and the founder of the Free Range Kids Movement where she argues that parents don’t need to hover over their kids as much because they’ll be more than okay — they’ll thrive. Chris and Lenore discuss why overprotecting kids can backfire, how parents might be unintentionally stifling children’s innate curiosity, and why one of the best tools to teach kids is to step away and let them learn and problem-solve themselves.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Lenore Skenazy (Instagram: @lenoreskenazy_freerange | LinkedIn: @lenoreskenazy | Website: https://www.freerangekids.com/)
Links
Instagram: @letgroworg
Free Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow
Subscribe to TED
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YouTube: @TED
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LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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What’s more important in communication— the content or the delivery? Julian Treasure is a five-time TED speaker and the author of Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet, and he argues conscious listening is an invaluable tool for elevating conversations. Julian joins Chris to give advice on how to speak better, the listening method that could save your marriage, and how to be comfortable in silence.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Julian Treasure (Instagram: @juliantreasure | LinkedIn: @juliantreasure | Website: https://www.juliantreasure.com/)
Links
Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet
Subscribe to TED
Instagram: @ted
YouTube: @TED
TikTok: @tedtoks
LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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What makes some people supercommunicators? How can you become one too? This is the central lesson in Charles Duhigg’s bestseller Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret of Communication. Charles and Chris dissect what makes messy conversations so great, how to ask deep questions, and whether women and men communicate differently. They also discuss the different rules for different technologies — from telephones to Facebook to Signal — and how cautious politeness may be the best method to communicate effectively online.
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Charles Duhigg (Instagram: @charlesduhigg | LinkedIn: @charlesduhigg | Website: https://charlesduhigg.com/)
Links
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Subscribe to TED
Instagram: @ted
YouTube: @TED
TikTok: @tedtoks
LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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Is it effective to engage with politics on social media — and what does it take to make actual change? Katherine Cross is a researcher on online harassment and the author of Log Off: Why Posting and Politics (Almost) Never Mix. She shares why she believes social media is “anti-political” and how virtual engagement will not achieve the necessary political work for us. Katherine and Chris also discuss the limitations of short-form content in conveying decades of geopolitical strife, why our lives would be better off without social media, and the guardrails platforms could utilize to help users engage with posts critically and to slow down viral misinformation.
Follow
Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Katherine Cross (Website: ischool.uw.edu/people/phd/profile/kcross1)
Links
Log Off Why Posting and Politics (Almost) Never Mix
Subscribe to TED
Instagram: @ted
YouTube: @TED
TikTok: @tedtoks
LinkedIn: @ted-conferences
Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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