About this podcast
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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Episodes
The newest 50 of 288 episodes
- How to truly listen (w/ Michael Chorost) · 43 minWhat if one day, over the course of a few hours, you lost all of your hearing? That was Michael Chorost’s reality. Michael is an author who had to relearn how to hear after…
- How to be less useful (w/ Priyanka Mattoo) · 41 minWhat does the pressure to be more efficient, more productive, and more useful do to us? Priyanka Mattoo is an author whose new book, How to Be Less Useful, addresses the joys of…
- How to connect with literally anyone (w/ Chris Gethard) · 45 minChris Gethard is a comedian and the host of the podcast Beautiful Anonymous, an unscripted, unpredictable show where one anonymous person calls in and shares their family woes…
- Why do we like scary stories? (w/ Glynn Washington) · 43 minHow does someone who claims having zero tolerance on watching scary movies come to host a podcast on supernatural stories? That’s the question Chris asked Glynn Washington, host…
- Do all my friends secretly hate me? | from Corner Piece · 41 minWhy does making friends as an adult feel like mission impossible? Today, we’re sharing a special episode of a new TED podcast, Corner Piece. Friendship is hard, especially in…
- The doctor who says to eat your ice cream (w/ Zeke Emanuel) · 46 minHow long do you want to live? 75 years? 90? Over 100?! In this episode, oncologist and bioethicist Zeke Emanuel joins Chris to discuss why he’s suspicious about medical…
- How to reclaim your narrative (w/ Monica Lewinsky) · 53 minMonica 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…
- How reading can transform your life (w/ Reginald Dwayne Betts) · 44 min“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…
- How to live longer (w/ Keith Diaz) · 42 minKeith 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…
- How to navigate complicated family dynamics (w/ Emerson Whitney) · 48 minHow 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…
- Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? | from Better In Person · 44 minHarlan 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…
- Summer Fridays: How zombies, dragons, and superheroes could make you a better person (w/ Christopher Robichaud) · 34 minRoleplaying 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…
- How to be creatively inspired (w/ Hrishikesh Hirway) · 43 minHrishikesh 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…
- Summer Fridays: The art of paying attention (w/ Wendy MacNaughton and Laurel Braitman) · 37 minIf 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…
- The last places without human sounds (w/ Matt Mikkelsen) · 43 minWhat 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…
- Summer Fridays: Why you should try birding (w/ Christian Cooper) · 34 minIf 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…
- How increasing your happiness can help solve climate change (w/ Jiaying Zhao and Elizabeth Dunn) · 41 minThe 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…
- Summer Fridays: How to clean your house without losing your mind (w/ KC Davis) · 35 minLet’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…
- What trees can teach us about life (w/ Robert Moor) · 41 minWhat 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…
- Summer Fridays: Lessons from 102-year-old swimmer Maurine Kornfeld (re-release) · 25 minMaurine “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…
- Why should you care about animal sex? (w/ Perrin Ireland) · 45 minPerrin 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…
- Summer Fridays: How to be more joyful (w/ Ingrid Fetell Lee) (re-release) · 38 minHow 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…
- How to understand your family history (w/ Keith Rushing) · 43 minJournalist 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…
- Summer Fridays: How to find “your thing” (or your many things) (w/ Constance Hockaday) (re-release) · 35 minSome 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…
- What the data shows about youth mental health (w/ Candice Odgers) · 43 min“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…
- Summer Fridays: How to get your sense of wonder back (w/ Nate DiMeo) (re-release) · 37 minHow 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…
- How to think fast and talk smart (w/ Matt Abrahams) · 42 minMatt Abrahams is a communication expert who teaches strategic communication at Stanford University, hosts the podcast Think Fast Talk Smart, and wrote the new book Think Faster…
- Why you are starved for creativity—and how to fix it (w/ Katina Bajaj) · 44 minKatina Bajaj is a scientist studying “creative health.” She looks at the role of play, fun, art, and creativity in our overall wellbeing. When was the last time you’ve gone on an…
- How play is the secret to success at work (w/ Maxwell Pearce) · 41 minWhy is it so fun to watch your team win in the World Cup or to be a Knicks fan as they finally get an NBA championship? There’s a collective joy in sports that can also be found…
- How to give up control - advice from neuroscientist Heather Berlin · 41 minHeather Berlin is a a neuroscientist, clinical psychologist, and professor of psychiatry and neuroscience who studies the science of giving up control. She joins Chris to talk…
- Why you should try improv comedy (w/ Rick Andrews) · 40 minWhat do radio personality Ira Glass, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, and your host Chris Duffy have in common? They all have practiced an unexpected skill that makes them…
- Why you need to get up and move—right now! (w/ Manoush Zomorodi) · 43 minHow long have you been sitting today? If you’re still on the couch or the office chair, then this is your PSA to get up and move! In this episode, Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's…
- Stressed, stuck, and overthinking? The science of moving forward w/ Ranjay Gulati | 10% Happier · 53 minIn today’s special featured episode of 10% Happier with Dan Harris, hear from Ranjay Gulati, a Harvard professor and author whose pioneering work focuses on unlocking…
- Why you should take a risk every day with Julie Zhuo | from WorkLife with Molly Graham · 37 minWhen you think about risk, you probably think about big, dramatic moves: quitting your job, moving across the country, saying something controversial. But the people who are…
- How algorithms changed the way we communicate (w/ Adam Aleksic · 41 minA-1. Killer-diller. Outta sight. All that and a bag of chips. This slaps! From the 1940s to the early 2020s, these words and phrases are all generational slang that means the…
- How to handle uncertainty (w/ Simone Stolzoff) · 42 minI was looking for certainty when there was no certainty to be found. If Simone’s words resonate with you, then this episode is for YOU. Simone Stolzoff is a journalist who writes…
- How to mentally reset when you’re stressed out (w/ Dr Jenny Taitz) · 40 minIt’s hard to not feel stress at the state of the world today, so how can you cope with stressors without letting them completely overwhelm you? Clinical psychologist Jenny Taitz…
- Are you feeling emotionally stuck? Here’s how to get past it (w/ Yowei Shaw) · 41 minWhat if your hardest emotional challenges could be solved by talking to a stranger? A person who has gone through the exact same situation or something very similar. That’s the…
- The right risks to take for a great career (w/ Molly Graham) · 41 minMolly Graham has had a high-powered career at a ton of extremely successful companies—and now she’s joining TED as the new host of the podcast WorkLife with Molly Graham. So what…
- The right risks to take for a great career (w/ Molly Graham) (video) · 41 minMolly Graham has had a high-powered career at a ton of extremely successful companies—and now she’s joining TED as the new host of the podcast WorkLife with Molly Graham. So what…
- How to have great sex (w/ Siphumeze Khundayi and Tiffany Mugo) (re-release) · 36 minSex is a normal part of human life, but it can also get complicated–whether you’re having it or not! The way we approach, think, and engage with our sexuality varies widely our…
- Want to change your life? Start small! (w/ Eric Zimmer) · 38 minEric Zimmer has learned the hard way that the path to big life changes starts with small everyday behaviors. Whether it’s kicking an addiction, building a business, or writing a…
- Chris Duffy | from Design Matters · 1 h 22 minChris Duffy—comedian, writer, and host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human—joins to discuss how humor shaped his path from teaching and improv to podcasting and…
- How to add more exploration in your life (w/ Alex Hutchinson) · 41 min“When was the last time you did something you didn’t do yesterday?” asks journalist and explorer Alex Hutchinson. Alex joins Chris to examine whether the desire to explore is…
- How to understand your own consciousness (w/ Michael Pollan) · 39 minWhat is consciousness? Humans and animals have it, but do plants have sentience? These are the questions journalist Michael Pollan studies. Michael is the author of ten books on…
- How to find your purpose (w/ Yara Shahidi) · 41 min“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her…
- How to find your purpose (w/ Yara Shahidi) (video) · 40 min“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her…
- How to understand money stuff (w/ Matt Levine) · 39 minMatt Levine is the author of Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff” newsletter where he writes about Wall Street and finances. Matt joins Chris to break down common money questions such as…
- Your job or your sanity? How to not lose both (w/ Guy Winch) · 43 minIf we accept that work-life balance is a necessity, then why are stress and burnout still increasing? Guy Winch is a psychologist and was the first guest ever on the How to Be a…
- How to be a caregiver (w/ Courtney Martin) · 38 minIf you could switch places with someone and peek into their mind, who would you pick? For journalist Courtney Martin, she chose her aging dad with advanced dementia. Courtney…
