EducationSelf-Improvement

How to Be a Better Human

TED

How To Be A Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join 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 and TikTok at @chrisiduffy. Buy his book Humor Me.

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Monday · 53 min
How to reclaim your narrative (w/ Monica Lewinsky)
Monica Lewinsky is an anti-bullying activist and host of Reclaiming with Monica, a podcast that shines her guests’ unguarded conversations about how they make sense of the world. In this episode filmed in front of a live audience at TED 2026, Chris interviews Monica on how she finds healing throughout the years. They discuss the role of public shaming in an online world, the differences between cancel culture and accountability culture, and how to have more empathy after surviving trauma. Featured guest Follow Monica Lewinsky on Instagram and X Subscribe to Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 28 · 43 min
How reading can transform your life (w/ Reginald Dwayne Betts)
“We have tried to create a system devoid of beauty, and it has failed. We have never tried to create a system that is replete with beauty and ask us what it might do.” Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and a prison reform advocate. In this episode, he joins Chris to discuss the detrimental effects of prison systems and how lack of resources and the lack of beauty in prison perpetuates dehumanization. Reginald and Chris also share their favorite poems and books and discuss Reginald’s work with the Freedom Library to bring books to prisoners and correction officers. Poems and Books Mentioned From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee won’t you celebrate with me by Lucille Clifton Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden Failing and Flying by Jack Gilbert The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart by Jack Gilbert A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles under a soprano sky by Sonia Sanchez For Freckle-Faced Gerald by Etheridge Knight Featured guest Follow Reginald on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at FreedomReads.org Buy Felon: Poems and Doggerel: Poems Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 21 · 41 min
How to live longer (w/ Keith Diaz)
Keith Diaz is an exercise scientist who studies the importance of movement to combat a sedentary lifestyle. He joins Chris to talk about how you can build better habits, and why simple alarm alerts might be more effective in motivating people to move than savvier tech like smart watches. Keith also shares why you need to activate your muscles to help you fight diseases and stay healthy. Featured guest Follow Keith Diaz on LinkedIn Watch Ketih's TED Talk Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 14 · 48 min
How to navigate complicated family dynamics (w/ Emerson Whitney)
How do you bring up difficult topics—especially when it involves a loved one? In this episode, Emerson Whitney, author of the book O Mother, talks about the grief of losing his mom to suicide. Emerson shares delicate topics such as growing up neurodivergent with ADHD and autism and how he continues to show up as his authentic self. Then Emerson and Chris discuss finding community and how to cultivate more joyful friendships. Featured guest Follow Emerson Whitney on Instagram and at https://emersonwhitney.com/ Buy O Mother Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 7 · 43 min
Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? | from Better In Person
Harlan Coben doesn’t think so. The mega-best-selling author talks suburbia, impostor syndrome, and what he learned from his college friend David Foster Wallace. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 4 · 34 min
Summer Fridays: How zombies, dragons, and superheroes could make you a better person (w/ Christopher Robichaud)
Roleplaying games and the Marvel universe may be fictional, but they can also teach us a lot about morality in the real world. Christopher Robichaud is a Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In this episode, he shares ways we can explore important, everyday issues in fun, safe, and unexpected ways. Christopher has made a career out of teaching ethics and philosophy using pop culture, dissecting moral questions using anything from zombie apocalypse simulations to superhero narratives. He received his doctorate in philosophy from MIT. In 2015 he won the Innovation in Teaching Award at the Harvard Kennedy School for creating a day-long simulation--using design elements from old school tabletop roleplaying games like D&D--where policy students wielded their leadership skills and confronted ethical dilemmas to deal with a zombie pandemic. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 31 · 43 min
How to be creatively inspired (w/ Hrishikesh Hirway)
Hrishikesh Hirway is a musician and producer, but you probably know him best as the host of the podcast Song Exploder. Hrishikesh has a new album out, “In the Last Hour of Light,” and he shares with Chris his creative process. Hrishikesh also talks about his definition of success and why he values the act of creating over the insecurity of whether his work is “good enough.” Finally, Hrishikesh shares his advice for how people can become more attuned to their creative side. Featured guest Follow Hrishikesh Hirway on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and at https://hrishikesh.co/ Subscribe to Hrishikesh's Substack, accept cookies Buy Hrishikesh's album, In the Last Hour of Light Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 28 · 37 min
Summer Fridays: The art of paying attention (w/ Wendy MacNaughton and Laurel Braitman)
If you found yourself doodling or writing a lot as a child but then lost the hobby as you grew up, Wendy MacNaughton and Laurel Braitman want to help you recapture your spark. Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator, the author of “How to Say Goodbye”, and the creator of Draw Together, an art and learning community. Laurel Braitman is a TED Fellow, the author of the memoir “What Looks Like Bravery”, and the founder of Writing Medicine, a community of writing healthcare professionals. Together, Wendy and Laurel created Attention Club, a group of people pursuing creativity by practicing focus with one another. In this episode, Wendy and Laurel join Chris for an in-person chat at the 2024 TED Conference where they discuss the feelings that arise when sharing art with an audience and why embracing mistakes can lead to more meaningful work. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 24 · 43 min
The last places without human sounds (w/ Matt Mikkelsen)
What is natural sound in an increasingly noisy world? asks sound recordist and audio engineer Matt Mikkelsen. Matt travels the world recording natural sounds in places where you can’t hear anything made by humans: no planes, no cars, no ringing phones. In this episode, Matt joins Chris to talk about the difference between quiet and silence. Matt shares his adventures and work with Quiet Parks International and even shares a story about the time he was struck by lightning. They also talk about the importance of choosing our acoustic environment and why it’s important to unplug and sit still in nature. Featured guest Follow Matt Mikkelsen on Instagram and at matthewmikkelsen.com Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 21 · 34 min
Summer Fridays: Why you should try birding (w/ Christian Cooper)
If you ask Christian Cooper, a science writer, editor, and the host of the show “Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper”, birding can teach us all kinds of lessons about life, self-acceptance, and joy. In this episode, Christian shares what he deems as the seven pleasures of birding, why inclusion is especially important in life-affirming pursuits, and how anyone (city-dwellers and countryside-residents alike) can commune with nature to unlock the awe and wonder of the world around us. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 17 · 41 min
How increasing your happiness can help solve climate change (w/ Jiaying Zhao and Elizabeth Dunn)
The conversation around climate change is often bleak and terrifying, but it doesn’t have to be that way, says climate behavior scientist Jiaying Zhao, or JZ. In this episode, JZ and happiness researcher Elizabeth Dunn join Chris to discuss why we need to account for happiness in climate solutions. JZ and Elizabeth argue since happiness is contagious, making happiness-driven decisions go further in influencing behavioral change than fear-based tactics. They also talk about an anesthetic gas that releases more carbon than CO2 and why you should google if your bank is investing money in fossil fuels. Featured guest Follow JZ on X, LinkedIn, and at psych.ubc.ca/profile/jiaying-zhao/ Follow Elizabeth Dunn at https://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/ Learn more at https://happyclimate.org/ Buy Leave the Light On Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 14 · 35 min
Summer Fridays: How to clean your house without losing your mind (w/ KC Davis)
Let’s face it: if chores were fun, they probably wouldn’t be called that. Because for most people, life can be overwhelming – and that means it doesn’t always look like a cleaning commercial where everyone is dancing their way to do laundry, take out trash, or smiling while washing the dishes. KC Davis is a therapist, author, podcaster, and TikToker who knows that caring for yourself can be a struggle. In this episode, she shares how radically rethinking “care” tasks –like not seeing a lack of cleanliness as shameful, or viewing messiness as a moral failure– can improve our quality of life. She also shares small strategies that could help us take better care of ourselves, because we deserve it. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 10 · 41 min
What trees can teach us about life (w/ Robert Moor)
What can we learn from trees? Robert Moor thinks that the path to a well-lived life lies in trying our best to live like a tree. Branch out, prune what doesn’t work, and make use of the spots where we’ve been injured or broken. Robert talks to Chris about his decade-long project to write a book about the wisdom of trees, which took him from a thousand year old bonsai in Tokyo to a tree-climbing teacher in England and living in the canopy of an old growth forest in Canada to try and prevent its logging. This is an adventurous, far-ranging episode about what it means to be a human and why the answer to that question might just lie in the top branches of the nearest tree. Featured guest Follow Robert Moor on Instagram, X, Bluesky and at robertmoor.com/ Buy In Trees: An Exploration Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 7 · 24 min
Summer Fridays: Lessons from 102-year-old swimmer Maurine Kornfeld (re-release)
Maurine “Mighty Mo'' Kornfeld will soon turn 102 years old, and most days, you can catch her doing laps in a Los Angeles public swimming pool. And that’s not just because she regularly competes in – and wins – world swimming championships! It’s because she loves being in the water, despite only picking up swimming as a hobby well into her sixties. In this special episode, Maurine shares what she’s learned from doing something she loves almost every day, why it’s never too late to start something new, and the three things anyone can do to improve their life, no matter their age. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts (This episode originally aired in 2023 when Mighty Mo was 102 years old. Mighty Mo is still swimming and will soon turn 106 years old in November!) For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 3 · 44 min
Why should you care about animal sex? (w/ Perrin Ireland)
Perrin Ireland is an artist and environmentalist who draws science comics. She’s also the author of Poking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex. In this episode, Perrin discusses why learning about the kinky sex lives of animals is a form of biodiversity! From topics such as animal caregiving to how language tends to ascribe sexual characteristics onto non-objects, Perrin shares why openly talking about animal sex isn’t scandalous, but allows for better understanding of animal and human social organization. Factcheck Notes 1. Reported estimates of same-sex pairings and divorce rates in penguins vary across species and populations. Some studies have found values similar to those mentioned here, although these should not be treated as general estimates. 2. Rostrum-to-genital interactions in dolphins have been interpreted in multiple ways. In addition to possible sexual functions, studies suggest they may facilitate the inspection of chemical cues, allowing dolphins to gather information such as identity or reproductive status. Therefore, describing this behavior solely as a form of oral sex may oversimplify its potential functions. 3. Although it has been suggested that dolphins may obtain information by listening to the echoes produced by another dolphin’s echolocation, there is currently insufficient evidence that dolphins can intentionally transmit complex 3D images or engage in "holographic communication". This remains mostly a speculative hypothesis rather than an established scientific theory. Featured guest Follow Perrin Ireland on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://www.experrinment.com/ Buy Poking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 31 · 38 min
Summer Fridays: How to be more joyful (w/ Ingrid Fetell Lee) (re-release)
How to find and create Joy in your life -- what is joy? And what is its purpose in our lives? We talk with Ingrid about how to cultivate more joy in our daily lives, especially when we don't feel particularly in the headspace for joy, and about how our design choices can have a huge impact on the way we perceive joy in our environment. We also talk with her about her book Joyful and her TED talk. (This episode originally aired in 2025.) For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 27 · 42 min
How to understand your family history (w/ Keith Rushing)
Journalist Keith Rushing has spent years trying to report on his most difficult story - the history of his own family. Who do we come from? What do we inherit from the past? How can understanding our ancestors make us better humans today? To find out the answers, Chris invites Keith to talk about his book Descended: Searching for my Gullah-Geechee Roots. They cover how everything from the history of slavery to the cultural significance of African connections to the Gullah-Geechee people. This is a conversation about how you can spark your own curiosity to start researching your own family history. Featured guest Follow Keith Rushing on Instagram and LinkedIn Buy Descended: Searching for my Gullah-Geechee Roots Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 34 min
Summer Fridays: How to find “your thing” (or your many things) (w/ Constance Hockaday) (re-release)
Some people are born knowing exactly what they want to do with their life – and because of that, they’re able to get to the top of their field. But most of us have multiple passions and identities, making it difficult to visualize our own unique paths. So, how do we explore who we are and what we love to do in our careers and in our lives? This week, guest & TED Fellow Constance Hockaday helps us navigate and voice our deepest hopes and desires. She walks us through her perspective as an artist, what she’s learned from immersing herself into small and sometimes very isolated communities, and gives tips on how to find liberation by pursuing your passion. (This episode originally aired in 2024.) For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 20 · 42 min
What the data shows about youth mental health (w/ Candice Odgers)
“Social media and screen time aren’t the most important factor in teen mental health,” says development psychologist Candice Odgers. While this claim sounds counterintuitive, Candice shares why it’s so pervasive—scary stories sell. They always have. In this episode, Candice joins Chris to discuss social inequity and the five areas that would be more effective in helping improve teens mental health than banning social media. Featured guest Follow Candice Odgers on LinkedIn and at https://candiceodgers.com/ Watch Candice's TED Talk Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 17 · 37 min
Summer Fridays: How to get your sense of wonder back (w/ Nate DiMeo) (re-release)
How do you make sense of the present? Nate DiMeo might suggest you look at the past. Nate is the host of the podcast and book, The Memory Palace. Nate joins Chris to discuss how the past can teach us to live life in a new, rich, and complex way. Nate shares how to exercise the muscle of curiosity, how to tap into your sense of wonder to escape algorithmic filters, and urges you to seek moments of meaning in between life’s biggest plot points. This is an episode of TED's How to Be a Better Human podcast. Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://tedtalks.social/4gmAZt3 For the full text transcript, visit https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from THE MEMORY PALACE by Nate DiMeo; excerpt read by Nate DiMeo. © 2024 Nate DiMeo ℗ 2024 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. This episode originally aired in 2025. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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