App Store

Google Play

Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

Step into an infinite world of stories

Listen and read

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 to Be a Better Human

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.

Follow

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

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to strengthen your relationships — one airport ride at a time (w/ Kasley Killam)

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.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)

Guest: Lenore Skenazy (Instagram: @lenoreskenazy_freerange | LinkedIn: @lenoreskenazy | Website: https://www.freerangekids.com/) 

Links

Instagram: @letgroworg

LinkedIn: @letgrow

Join Let Grow (free!): https://letgrow.org/join

Facebook Group: Raising Independent Kids Facebook Group

Book: Free Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow

Lenore's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whaesnYloMQ

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to build your kid's confidence — by leaving them alone (w/ Lenore Skenazy)

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.

Follow

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 

How to Be Heard

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to talk so people will listen (w/ Julian Treasure)

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.

Follow

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

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to communicate better (w/ Charles Duhigg)

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. 

Follow

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

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to stop doomscrolling — and what to do instead? (w/ Katherine Cross)

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.

Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Whitney Wolfe Herd (Instagram: @whitney) 

Links

bumble.com

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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.

The future of finding love with Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd | ReThinking with Adam Grant

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.

Follow

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)

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to rest when life is overwhelming (w/ Katherine May)

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.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)

Guest: Ashley C. Ford (Instagram: @smashfizzle | Website: ashleycford.net/) 

Links

Somebody’s Daughter

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to love your complicated family (w/ Ashley C. Ford)

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!

Follow

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

aestheticsofjoy.com/

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to be more joyful (w/ Ingrid Fetell Lee)

“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.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)

Guest: Aminatou Sow (Instagram: @aminatou) 

Links

Crème de la Crème Substack

Book: bigfriendship.com/

Podcast: callyourgirlfriend.com/

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 to keep close friendships (w/ Aminatou Sow)

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.

Follow

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

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

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!

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 your brain predicts your reality (w/ Anil Seth)

Listen and read

Other podcasts you might like ...