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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TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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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
Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:
TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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
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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!
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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!
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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
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Website: ted.com
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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!
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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
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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
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Website: ted.com
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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.
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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
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Website: ted.com
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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.
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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
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Website: ted.com
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For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.
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What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of platonic love. They also debate whether or not you have to learn to love yourself before loving someone else, and imagine a world in which AI agents vet potential partners before a first date.
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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)
Guest: Whitney Wolfe Herd (Instagram: @whitney)
Links
Subscribe to TED
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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.
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TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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When someone you love is going through a difficult time, what do you say? Despite your best intentions, author Katherine May argues offering help or shying away from tough conversations isn’t as effective as you think. Katherine is the author of the memoir, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, and its latest companion piece, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age. Chris and Katherine share how humor may sometimes be a good medicine and how to live alongside life’s difficulties.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Katherine May (Instagram: @katherinemay_ | Website: katherine-may.co.uk/)
Links
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times (UK Bookshop / US & CAN Bookshop)
Enchantment: Reawakening Wonder in an Exhausted Age (UK Bookshop / US & CAN Bookshop)
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Website: ted.com
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What parts of yourself did you lose as you grew up? This is one of the central questions asked in Ashley C. Ford’s memoir, Somebody’s Daughter. Ashley joins Chris to talk about growing up with an incarcerated father, grappling with a complicated relationship with her mother, and how writing can be a way of processing and understanding your life. They also discussed why adults become less kind to kids, how libraries can become safezones, and how to confront the messy parts of childhood.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Ashley C. Ford (Instagram: @smashfizzle | Website: ashleycford.net/)
Links
Subscribe to 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
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What makes kids so joyful? Why do polka-dots and bright colors invoke feelings of joy? How do our senses shape our experience of joy? These are questions designer Ingrid Fetell Lee studies. Ingrid is the author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness and the blog, The Aesthetics of Joy. Chris and Ingrid ruminate on how joy differs from happiness and how infectious joy can be – so much so that the simple act of sharing your joy with others can even spark second-hand joy!
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Ingrid Fetell Lee (Instagram: @ingridfetell | @aestheticsofjoy)
Links
Book: Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
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Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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“People are expected to have good friendships, but nobody talks about how they happen,” says journalist Aminatou Sow. Aminatou is also the host of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend and the author of the book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. She joins Chris to discuss the communication efforts necessary to maintain meaningful friendships, why she rejects Western society’s obsession with self-improvement, the insights she gained from reading obituaries and the act of grace in sharing bits of yourself with others.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Aminatou Sow (Instagram: @aminatou)
Links
Book: bigfriendship.com/
Podcast: callyourgirlfriend.com/
Subscribe to TED
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Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
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For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.
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TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou
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Humor is all around us— you only need to be intentional about seeking moments of laughter and joy in your life. In this special compilation episode on humor, Chris shares six short snippets from his conversation with thoughtful guests such as TikTok forager Alexis Nikole Nelson, meditation and happiness journalist Dan Harris, peace activist Aziz Abu-Sarah and more on how they flex their laughing muscles. From foraging mugwort to drawing a stranger for 60-seconds, Chris and his guests encourage you to practice mindfulness and embrace the spectacle of life.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guests:
Alexis Nikole Nelson (Instagram: @blackforager | TikTok: @alexisnikole | YouTube: @blackforager)
Dan Harris (Instagram: @danharris | Website: danharris.com)
Wendy MacNaughton (Instagram: @wendymac)
Laurel Braitman (Instagram: @laurel_braitman | Website: laurelbraitman.com/)
Lear deBessonet (Website: lct.org/shows/people/lear-debessonet/)
Dave Nadelberg (Instagram: @davenadelberg | Website: getmortified.com/)
Neil Katcher (Instagram: @neilkatcher | LinkedIn: @neilkatcher | Website: getmortified.com/)
Aziz Abu-Sarah (Instagram: @azizabusarah | Website: azizabusarah.com/)
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Website: ted.com
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We often think donating clothes is a sustainable act, but when tons of garments are shipped to places like West Africa, it creates environmental waste and disrupts local artisans’ livelihoods. Diarra Bousso, a mathematician and sustainable fashion designer, joins Chris to unpack the hidden cost of global textiles waste and how she founded her lifestyle brand Diarrablu. She shares how she designs with emotional sustainability in mind – creating clothes that adjust to our changing body while showcasing Sengalese’s bold colors and prints. They also discuss how mathematical concepts influence her work, how technology and AI might help designers reduce waste, and why it’s important to make clothes that make you feel good.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Diarra Bousso (Instagram: @thediarrablu | LinkedIn: @diarrabousso | Website: diarrabousso.com/)
Links
Subscribe to 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
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Sarah Jaffe is the author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. She and Chris discuss the emotional toll of modern work culture and the importance of community. They also dive into Sarah’s newest book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire, and explore the idea that between pandemics, climate change, and economic inequality, many of us are feeling a huge (and often unacknowledged sense of grief. Sarh explains the concept of “disenfranchised grief” and how collective mourning can invite meaningful social connections.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Sarah Jaffe (Instagram: @sarahljaffe | Website: sarahljaffe.com/)
Links
From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire
Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone
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Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
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Widely recognized as a musical genius and once-in-a-generation talent, Jon Batiste is one of history’s most brilliant, prolific, and accomplished musicians. The Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar-winning star joins to discuss his legendary career, connecting people through a shared love of music. This episode originally aired on Design Matters March 31, 2025.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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What is the aspect of being you that you cling to most tightly? Why are you you and not somebody else? How do you understand and make sense of your experiences? These are questions studied by Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience and the University of Sussex. Anil and Chris reflect on the limitations in describing the brain as a “supercomputer,” the ethical and morally grey areas of technological advancements and brain computer interfaces, and how hallucinogenic drugs affect consciousness.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Anil Seth (Instagram: @profanilseth | LinkedIn: @anilseth | Website: https://www.anilseth.com/)
Links
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
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Website: ted.com
Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts
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Austin Kleon thinks stealing inspiration is a good thing — because it requires you to pay attention to the world. Austin is a self-proclaimed “creative kleptomaniac” and the author of five books, including Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative. In his conversation with Chris, they discuss “scenius,” or the creative genius of a group, how children are invaluable creative teachers, and why he thrives in the tension between discipline and spontaneity.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Austin Kleon (Instagram: @austinkleon | Website: https://austinkleon.com/)
Links
Austin Kleon’s Substack
Steal Like an Artist (Book)
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Website: ted.com
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“If you’re a good designer in five or ten years, you’re gonna want to look back on your portfolio with horror and nostalgia and somewhat amusement… because you want to be growing,” says illustrator Debbie Millman. Debbie is the host of the longest running podcast, Design Matters, and the author of the book, Love Letter to a Garden. In this episode, authenticity and growth are at the forefront. Debbie talks about the loss of humanity with the rise of personal branding, how her fascination with origin stories and the universe led her to gardening, and her advocacy with the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization working to help sexual assault victims heal and reclaim their lives.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Debbie Millman (Instagram: @debbiemillman | LinkedIn: @deborahmillman | Website: debbiemillman.com/)
Links
Love Letter to a Garden (Bookshop.org)
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Website: ted.com
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