Michael Scott, Leslie Knope, Detective Jake Peralta–television producer and writer Michael Schur has created some of TV’s most beloved sitcom characters on shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place. Still, his shows and his philosophy are not just about laughs. Today on The TED Interview, Michael Schur talks about the craft of writing the TV comedy, why he is obsessed with philosophy and ethics, and what he’s learned from both the fictional and the real workplace about how humans behave, grow, and love. Michael’s New York Times-bestselling book “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” is out now.

Michael Schur on every moral question ever

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity 

Sit down with Head of TED Chris Anderson as he interviews  leading thinkers and creators from around the world. The TED Interview is a space for guests to further delve into their groundbreaking work, give us a peek into how they discover and explore fascinating ideas, and, in some cases, even defend their thinking. This season, we’re looking at Infectious Generosity.

Generosity is at the heart of being human. It's how we've co-operated, innovated and grown as a civilization. Following Chris’s book of the same name, this podcast will dive into the idea that through the power of the internet, small acts of thoughtfulness spread to change lives at a scale never experienced before. Welcome to your front-row seat to great conversations with the world’s brightest minds.

And in the spirit of the Infectious Generosity, listeners can receive a free copy of Chris’s book in e-book or audio format. Just visit ted.com/generosity and fill out the short form to receive yours.

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity 

Will McCaskill is a moral philosopher and the cofounder of the Effective Altruism Movement, a school of thought that tries to answer the question: How can we do as much good as possible? Chris and Will talk about how to use evidence to figure out how to help solve the world’s most pressing problems efficiently. Then, they discuss why focusing our efforts on some issues over others is both a compelling philosophical question — and a complex project to scale up.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

How to use your time and money for good — as effectively as possible — with Will MacAskill

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity.

From Taiwan to Rwanda, artist Lily Yeh has traveled all over the world in pursuit of more than just aesthetic pleasure — and she’s activating local communities on this journey. Chris and Lily chat about Lily’s artistic evolution, discuss how art encourages growth and healing, and examine the positive effect that art can have on individuals long, even long after a work has been completed.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts.

The healing power of art with Lily Yeh

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity.

Daryl Davis is a Black musician and actor who regularly enters white nationalist spaces. That’s because Daryl is determined to understand the source of bigotry – by actually talking to the humans he disagrees with. Chris interviews Daryl about his unique approach, from attending KKK rallies to joining all-white country bands. Then, Daryl shares why he chooses curiosity over fear and why he still believes, despite our current divisions, humanity is in a bright spot.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts.

How to fight hatred with curiosity with Daryl Davis

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity. 

It may feel like the world is running low on a seemingly crucial human trait: empathy. But Paul Bloom, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, thinks that empathy is not the best measure of goodness. Paul’s work focuses on exploring some of the most puzzling aspects of human nature, including pleasure, religion and morality. He argues that empathy can actually lead to inequality because it muddles our judgment and narrows our prejudices. Chris and Paul talk about the biological evolution that led to our modern human psyche, discuss the perils of acting emotionally and break down the relationship between empathy, generosity and what Paul calls "rational compassion."

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts.

How empathy gets in the way of a better world with Paul Bloom

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when misinformation and fear was spreading rampantly, one optimistic community was forming... on Facebook. Catherine Barrett started "The Kindness Pandemic" Facebook group as a way to combat the negativity and aggression she was seeing online. Members participated in campaigns where they engaged in kind acts — and then they posted about it. The group went from dozens of members in its first day to more than 50,000 members joining every day. In this episode, Chris and Catherine chat about bringing humanity back into our digital worlds, discuss what it takes to make kindness go viral, and make a case for being loud about generosity.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at go.ted.com/TTIscripts

Michael Schur on every moral question ever

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