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 charity? Do credit cards make us unhappy? In this episode, Michael shares the sometimes-surprising findings that can help you use our money to improve your life. Michael is a professor of business administration in the marketing unit at the Harvard Business School. Prior to joining HBS, Michael was a Fellow at the MIT Media Lab and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. His work has been published in a number of leading academic journals and has been covered in media outlets such as the Economist, the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

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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 on the wall. Why? Usually we assume the driving force is sunk costs: we don't want to admit we've wasted that time or money. But in fact, the root of our stubbornness is a psychological trap called “escalation of commitment.” Once we understand that, we can start taking steps to protect ourselves from… well, ourselves. This is an episode of WorkLife with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, find and follow WorkLife wherever you're listening to this. 

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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 we losing focus on the bigger picture? Luisa Neubauer draws on her experience at the front lines of activism to strategically reframe the climate crisis and identify the unique ways we can make systemic change. Luisa Neubauer is a climate activist, author and leader of the "Fridays For Future" school strike movement. In 2018, Luisa Neubauer co-initiated the "Fridays for Future" school strike movement Germany, which was inspired by Swedish teen Greta Thunberg. In fear of growing up in a world of rising global temperatures, Neubauer is organizing mass action to urge governments to comply with the 2015 Paris Agreements. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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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 sleep affects our relationships, well-being and society at large. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she specializes in behavioral treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders. Wendy has received several awards and honors for her research from national and international scientific societies, and her work has been published in top-tier medical and psychological journals. Her research on sleep was featured in two best-selling books: Arianna Huffington's “Sleep Revolution” and David Randall's “Dreamland”, and she recently was one of the co-organizers and presenters at the first-ever national conference on Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Times. Her latest book “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep” comes out on April 20th. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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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 has been doing transformative work for years, most recently as the founder of Lava MaeX, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that began by converting public transportation buses into bathrooms on wheels for the homeless. In today’s episode, she shares tips on how to get started with a cause you care about, and debunks myths about volunteerism that might have kept you from taking action in the first place. Doniece’s work is driven by what she calls “radical hospitality”, the idea that raising the bar on how you serve people is revolutionary. Since launching its service, Lava MaeX has transformed the lives of more than 10,000 Californians. Before tackling hygiene for the homeless, Doniece worked in the arts as head of marketing at the San Jose Museum of Art, and in branding at several major private sector companies. Doniece was recognized as a 2017 CNN Hero. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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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 to covering presidential campaigns. In this episode, Celeste shares practical tips for anyone looking to improve their conversational skills, arguing that better conversations are well within our reach. Celeste is the author of “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter” and “Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving.” Celeste is a regular guest host on NPR and American Public Media and a highly sought consultant.

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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, who believes documenting and sharing the ups --and downs-- of family life can help everyone feel less alone. In 2015, Glen created the YouTube channel Beleaf In Fatherhood where he welcomes viewers into his home to show the misadventures of parenting. He shares four children with his wife of ten years, Yvette Henry. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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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 that learning how to talk openly about sex — and unlearning some damaging misconceptions— can give you access to a more authentic and fulfilling sex life. She has a Ph.D. in health behavior, clinical internship experience at the Kinsey Institue, and is the author of the best-selling book “Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life.” To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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“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 perhaps has the locus of our self-worth. Dr. Meag-gan O'Reilly is a licensed Staff Psychologist at Stanford University's Counseling and Psychological Services. In this episode, she offers helpful frameworks for cultivating a life --and society-- that can better recognize the basic intrinsic value of each person. Dr. O’Reilly’s research interests focus on social class, college student mental health, resilience, and multicultural identities, particularly gender and ethnicity. She also operates a private practice in downtown Palo Alto, Inherent Value Psychology, in which she provides clinical services to Silicon Valley professionals. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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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 and Lady Gaga concerts to Broadway hits like Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. In this episode, he offers insights on how anyone can approach design and create the ideal environments in which to live, work, and play. David is the founder and principal designer of David Korins Design, a multidisciplinary creative firm developing and designing innovative experiences. David has worked extensively as a production designer in TV, film and award shows. He has been awarded an Emmy Award, Lortel Award, an Obie Award, two Drama Desk Awards, three Henry Hewes Awards, and three Tony Award nominations. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

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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