How to Be a Better Human

By TED and PRX

Education

What's How to Be a Better Human about?

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.

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Body Stuff: Do you really n...

05.30.2022

We all know a good night’s sleep is essential, but for many people, sleeping well (or falling asleep at all) can be difficult and even stressful– and there’s no shortage of tales about what prevents people from catching their ZZZs. ...

How to Be a Better Human episodes:

05.30.2022 Body Stuff: Do you really need 8 hours of sleep? We all know a good night’s sleep is essential, but for many people, sleeping well (or falling asleep at all) can be difficult and even stressful– and there’s no shortage of tales about what prevents people from catching their ZZZs. ...
05.02.2022 How To Pitch Your Best Ideas \| WorkLife with Adam Grant Great pitches can seem like genius or magic. But you don’t have to be a great salesperson to give a great pitch. Whether you’re floating an idea at a team meeting, looking for investors for your startup, or applying for ...
03.21.2022 How to talk to a colleague who offended you Dionna and Denise had a professional relationship that mostly worked–until it didn’t. After a string of mishaps in their workplace, a comment Denise made online sparked a fallout between the two coworkers. In this episode, we hear from both women ...
12.20.2021 How to find gratitude everyday As the year draws to a close and the collective mood turns reflective, we asked you—our listeners—to pick moments from the first season that stuck with you and inspired you. In today’s episode, we yield the floor in gratitude and ...
12.13.2021 How creating space for joy can build resilience (with Miracle Jones) With all the terrible things happening in the world lately, does the idea of maintaining a spark of joy in your day to day feel unrealistic? Or even inappropriate? Today’s guest, Miracle Jones, believes that all the collective tragedy makes ...
12.06.2021 How to nurture your “emotional agility” (with Susan David) Whether you’re the kind of person who “gets in their feels” or you’re more the type to sweep things under the rug, all humans experience emotions. And the way we tend to those emotions directly affects the way we see ...
11.29.2021 How to enrich your everyday life with poetry (with Sarah Kay) Roses are red, violets are blue, has poetry ever been intimidating for you? For many people, this art form can feel unapproachable for a myriad of reasons, but today’s guest, poet and educator Sarah Kay, suggests that people who don’t ...
11.22.2021 How thinking critically about history shapes our future (with David Ikard) Can you think of a time when you told a story and remembered it...wrong? Perhaps you forgot a small detail, like the color of someone’s shoes, or something much bigger, like where the event took place. In a personal context, ...
11.15.2021 How to co-parent as allies, not adversaries (with Ebony Roberts) When you think of your home or your childhood, what comes to mind? Did you feel cared for and loved? Did you trust that your parents were always doing what’s best for you? Whether you are a parent or a ...
11.08.2021 How to find health information you can trust (with Dr. Jen Gunter) While technology and the internet have made accessing information easier than ever, how can we discern between the facts we need to make the right decisions and fictions that could actually cause us harm? Turns out there is a better ...
11.01.2021 How practicing curiosity could help the world around you (with Joe Hanson) Have you ever wondered why there are seven days in a week? Or, why glaciers are blue—or what color even is? Today’s guest, YouTube creator Joe Hanson, makes a living by asking—and trying to answer—these kinds of questions. A biologist ...
10.25.2021 Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi: How many friends do I need? Time with friends just isn’t the same with a screen in between you. That’s a struggle many have faced recently, with half of Americans saying they’ve lost touch with at least one friend during the pandemic. It can be sad, ...
10.18.2021 How to be a better steward of the environment If there’s one thing that connects all humans, it’s that everything we walk on, breathe, drink, and eat comes from the same source: planet Earth. From composting to cooking to taking climate action, today’s guests (including Chef Sean Sherman, comedian ...
10.11.2021 How to find the humor in everyday life (with Jo Firestone) When was the last time you really, really laughed? For some people, laughter comes easily and anything can set them off. But for many of us, finding humor in everyday life is something we might leave to the professionals. Jo ...
10.04.2021 How engaging with the natural world benefits you-- and science (with Mary Ellen Hannibal) When you think of a scientist, do you think of a person in a lab coat? How about a teenager with a smartphone-- or even, yourself? Mary Ellen Hannibal is a science writer who argues that everyday people collecting data ...
09.27.2021 How to tap into your self-awareness-- and why it even matters (with Tasha Eurich) Imagine someone just pointed out you have something stuck in your teeth. A comment like that would probably make most of us self-conscious, but you’d probably be grateful for the heads up if you were about to head into a ...
09.20.2021 How to have conversations with people who hate you? (with Dylan Marron) If you are online and especially if you're on social media, it’s likely you’ve engaged with people whose opinions are different from your own. While those conversations can sometimes be informative, they often spiral into a vitriolic whirlpool of hurtful ...
09.13.2021 How to future-proof your career? (with Dorie Clark) Hustle culture, burnout, “toxic productivity.” Does today’s fast-paced world ever leave you feeling rushed? Dorie Clark teaches executive education at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and at Columbia Business School. In today’s episode, she talks about the importance of ...
09.06.2021 How humility and bravery can help your career Whether they are academics, designers, medical professionals, or anything in between, our guests are leaders in their fields whose expertise goes beyond their TED and TEDx talks. Unsurprisingly, they’ve garnered wisdom on how to navigate or forge a successful career. ...
08.30.2021 Design Matters with Debbie Millman: Celebrating Pride Alison Bechdel. Eileen Myles. Kenny Fries. Saeed Jones. Four icons reflect on their journeys in this special Pride episode of Design Matters. For more episodes of Design Matters, find the podcast wherever you're listening to this.
08.23.2021 TED Climate: What happens to the plastic you throw away? Plastic is everywhere. We know we should cut down on it where we can, but is plastic ever the answer? In this episode, a whole world of plastic you never knew about. Starting with: which bag is best: paper, plastic, ...
08.16.2021 Science of Happiness: Scheduling Time to Feel Awe Feeling awe can boost your mood and make you feel more connected with others. Comedian Chris Duffy learns how to tap into it. This is an episode of The Science of Happiness podcast. For more, find the podcast wherever you're ...
08.09.2021 How to Be a Better Human Recommends At the end of each interview, Chris asks guests: What idea, book, or piece of culture has made you a better human? In today’s episode, we compile never-before-heard answers from past guests for the ultimate recommendation list. From emergency physician ...
08.02.2021 How to really see patience as a virtue Over the course of the podcast, our guests have shared insights for how anyone can be a better human-- in love, in the workplace, in our communities, and beyond. But, how are these experts trying to be better humans in ...
07.26.2021 How to lead a happier, more fulfilling life (with Dr. Robert Waldinger) Listening to your favorite song, going on vacation, chocolate… What makes YOU happy? Today’s guest, psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger, is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 83-year-old project--one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever--that ...
07.19.2021 How to stop sabotaging your romantic relationships (with Raquel Peel) Does it ever feel like you—or someone you know—is always entering a relationship that’s doomed? According to psychology researcher, Dr. Raquel Peel, you may be falling victim to a surprising foe—yourself. Raquel studies “romantic self-sabotage,” the patterns and behaviors that ...
07.12.2021 How to deal with jerks in the workplace (with Christine Porath) Have you ever had a rude co-worker or boss — or have you ever been told that the “jerk” is you? Today’s guest, Christine Porath, researches incivility in the workplace. She’s found that if you want to have a thriving ...
07.05.2021 How to become a better ally (with Nita Mosby Tyler) What do we mean when we call ourselves “allies”? For Dr. Nita Mosby Tyler, being an ally means being a person that uses their own resources and privileges to stand beside people that are marginalized. She explains why we need ...
06.28.2021 How to create a more just future with your community (with Raj Jayadev) How would you describe your community? And what if the stories you tell have the power to save someone from injustice? With the popularity and support of movements like Black Lives Matter, it seems the world is reckoning with how ...
06.21.2021 How to forget about finding “The One”— and build a lasting relationship (with Dr. George Blair West) If you choose to be in a relationship —long or short term— how do you go about picking the right person to spend your time with? And once you are in that relationship, how can you be a good partner? ...
06.14.2021 How to make language fun— and create a more inclusive world (with Juli Delgado Lopera) Do you remember the first time you used “Google” as a verb? Or a time before there were “selfies”? Language is constantly evolving, and as a result provides limitless opportunities to change how we see the world. Juli Delgado Lopera ...
06.07.2021 How learning about indigenous foods can open up your worldview (with Sean Sherman) What’s your favorite dish — and what culture originated that recipe? Whether you’re thinking about grilled cheese, burritos, curry, pho… (we would go on but we are getting too hungry) trying something delicious opens you up to new experiences and ...
05.31.2021 BODY STUFF: Why are we so awkward about poop? When most people think about poop, they think about shame and embarrassment. It’s something they don’t want to talk about and that prevents us from learning things—like the number of times a day we should be going number two—that can ...
05.24.2021 How to tap into the transformative power of reading (with Michelle Kuo) When was the last time you got lost in a book? If it’s been a minute, today’s guest might recommend you visit a local library or bookstore ASAP. Michelle Kuo is a teacher, lawyer, writer who is passionate about reading ...
05.17.2021 How zombies, dragons, and superheroes could make you a better person (with 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. ...
05.10.2021 How to handle the ups and downs of social media (with Aparna Nancherla) After scrolling through your social media feeds, how do you feel? Empowered and connected -- anxious, or exhausted? When stand up, actor, and writer Aparna Nancherla was just starting out, her jokes on Twitter got her recognition in a way ...
05.03.2021 How to spend money to buy happiness (with Michael Norton) Can money really buy happiness? Michael Norton is a social science researcher who studies how we feel about our spending decisions. His work explores questions like: What’s the best way to spend your cash? How much should you donate to ...
04.26.2021 How to Rethink a Bad Decision \| WorkLife with Adam Grant In life and work, we have a hard time changing course. When we wind up in a miserable job, a failing project, or a floundering romantic relationship, we rationalize, make excuses, and stick with our bad decisions—even when the writing's ...
04.19.2021 How to turn climate anxiety into action (with Luisa Neubauer) Sometimes it feels like fighting climate change is all about dealing with the many little things we as individuals are doing wrong (hello single-use coffee cups, plastic bags, and eating dairy). While these bad habits are important to address, are ...
04.12.2021 How to sleep like your relationships depend on it (with Wendy Troxel) How did you sleep last night? Whether you sleep next to someone or not, in today’s episode Wendy Troxel offers tips on how to catch better z’s. Wendy is a Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist at RAND who explores how ...
04.05.2021 How to care for your community with radical hospitality (with Doniece Sandoval) Do you volunteer in your community? Don’t feel bad if the answer is no. Whether you are currently involved in a cause or not, you probably have some mental image of what it means to be a volunteer. Doniece Sandoval ...
03.29.2021 How to have better conversations (with Celeste Headlee) Humans need to have conversations every day-- at our jobs, in our homes, in government-- so how can we handle these better? Celeste Headlee is an award winning journalist who has done everything from anchoring morning news on public radio ...
03.22.2021 How to celebrate the ups —and downs— of family life(with Glen Henry) Families can be the cause of both great happiness and deep struggle. In today’s episode, Glen shares how he uses humor and empathy to redefine fatherhood, equip parents, and inspire children. Glen Henry is a musician, writer, and content creator, ...
03.15.2021 How to bring confidence and joy into your sex life (with Emily Nagoski) Sex is such a big part of being human. It's how our species persists, but it's also so much more than that. So why do we feel so uncomfortable talking about it? Emily Nagoski is a sex educator who argues ...
03.08.2021 How to redefine your self-worth (with Meag-gan O'Reilly) “What am I doing with my life? Where am I going?” During this isolated time, many of us are having to readjust our identities because our visions for what life was supposed to look like completely shifted -- and so ...
03.01.2021 How to be the set designer of your own world (with David Korins) Many of us are spending the majority of our time confined to our homes and becoming aware of how the space we're in can affect our well-being. Design expert David Korins has made countless spaces come alive-- from corporate offices ...
02.22.2021 How to get the medical care you deserve (with Leana Wen, M.D.) A doctor’s visit, even in the best of times, can be overwhelming to navigate. Dr. Leana Wen is an emergency physician and public health advocate who is committed to patient advocacy. In this episode, Dr. Wen shares tips on how ...
02.15.2021 How to become a better ally (with Dwinita Mosby Tyler) What do we mean when we call ourselves “allies”? For Dr. Dwinita Mosby Tyler, being an ally means being a person that uses their own resources and privileges to stand beside people that are marginalized. She explains why we need ...
02.08.2021 How to thrive in remote work (with David Burkus) Water coolers, office bagels, frigid spaces with fluorescent lighting. Today's episode is all about work. It’s how we pay the bills, but it’s also how many of us derive purpose, meaning and structure from our days. Whether you're unemployed, salaried, ...
02.01.2021 How to fix our polarized conversations (with Robb Willer) Is your family, community, or even your country more divided than ever? Today’s guest Robb Willer is here to share some compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offer some intuitive advice on ways to be ...

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