How to Be a Better Human

Latest Episodes:

How you can be more creative by taking a long walk (w/ Craig Mod) Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

What do we gain from a long walk? Craig Mod is a photographer and writer who has done treks and pilgrimages around the world. From the Camino de Santiago to the Old Tōkaidō Road, Craig Mod transforms the simple act of walking into a meditative journey and creative practice. In his new book, Things Become Other Things, Craig chronicles a long distance journey on foot in Japan where he lives. In this conversation, Craig talks about the presence, mindset, and meditation of walking. He talks about the role that boredom plays in sparking creativity and the social conditions that allow for people to have the time, space, and flexibility to pursue their best selves.

Follow

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

Guest: Craig Mod (Instagram: @craigmod | LinkedIn: @craigmod | Website: craigmod.com)

Links

Books by Craig Mod (craigmod.com/books)

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 ways to fight climate change without getting overwhelmed (w/ Ayana Elizabeth Johnson) Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

The future could be amazing, if we get it right. That’s so rarely how we think about it though. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and author of the anthology What If We Get it Right?, is constantly collecting visions of the future and of climate solutions that are worth working towards together. Chris and Ayana talk about how to find your unique role in climate activism, the media’s responsibility in reporting climate-solution-focused news, and how to emphasize climate solutions rather than only catastrophizing the crisis. This is an episode all about what needs to be done, what you can do, and the world we could build together.

Follow

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

Guest: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (Instagram: @ayanaeliza | LinkedIn: @ayanaelizabeth | ayanaelizabeth.com)

Links

ayanaelizabeth.substack.com

Getitright.earth

Bookshop.org What If We Get It Right?

urbanoceanlab.org

Listen to Ayana's podcast, What If We Get it Right?, on Apple or Spotify!

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Re-release: How to enrich your everyday life with poetry (w/ Sarah Kay) Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Roses are red, violets are blue, has poetry ever been intimidating for you? For many people, this art form can feel unapproachable, but poet and educator Sarah Kay, suggests that people who don’t like poetry just maybe haven’t found a poem that really speaks to them. Sarah proposes a fresh approach to this ancient art, talks about why playing with language can help you get in touch with yourself, and discusses the ways that writing and art help us form deeper, meaningful connections with others.

This episode was originally recorded on November 29, 2021.

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How you can move forward and learn from the past (w/ Clint Smith) Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

How do you grapple with national history, legacy, and the stories you tell yourself? Clint Smith is the author of the narrative nonfiction, How the Word is Passed, and the poetry collection, Above Ground. Clint joins Chris to talk about the cognitive dissonances that shaped American history. From understanding the complexities of Thomas Jefferson, who wrote “all men are created equal” while enslaving over 600 people – to reflecting on growing up in New Orleans – a major site for domestic slave trades, Clint urges you to examine historical contradictions. He also discusses his love for poetry and why it’s crucial to teach joyous moments in Black history too. So students won’t see slavery and Jim Crow as the totality of the black historical experience but can envision themselves of possibilities beyond subjugation.

Follow

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

Guest: Clint Smith (Instagram: @clintsmithiii | clintsmithiii.com)

Links

Above Ground

How the Word Is Passed

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to gossip — the right way (w/ Rachelle Hampton) Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

What makes a story so good you HAVE to tell everyone you know? How do you hook listeners with juicy details and tantalizing conundrums? In this special live episode, recorded at On Air Fest in Brooklyn, Chris is joined by Rachelle Hampton, the new host of Normal Gossip. Chris and Rachelle talk about what she’s learned touring the country and hearing strangers share their secrets, the art of keeping (or not keeping) secrets, and how to listen closely to hear the story behind the story. Plus, audience members share wild stories of their own, including gossip about a Maine snowplow coup and a wedding throuple.

Follow

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

Guest: Rachelle Hampton (Instagram: @heyydnae | LinkedIn: rachelle-hampton-95355899)

Links

Normal Gossip (@normalgossip | defector.com/normal-gossip-podcast) NEW SEASON premieres Wednesday, April 9th

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to raise emotionally resilient children (w/ Richard Weissbourd) Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Happiness, high achievement, or kindness – which is most important to you in your kids? Which do you think your kids think you care about the most? Richard Weissbourd is a psychologist, the senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the director of the Making Caring Common Project. Richard joins Chris to discuss the challenges facing American parents which he raised in his book, The Parents We Mean to Be. Rick also explains how parents can overcome their own shame, the importance of teaching kids to recognize others' emotions, and how acts of service can strengthen relationships.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram | Website)

Guest: Richard Weissbourd (Harvard Website)

Links

Making Caring Common

The Parents We Mean to Be by Richard Weissbourd

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to enjoy poetry — without being a poet (w/ Naisha Randhar) Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

In honor of National Poetry Month, Chris is speaking with Naisha Randhar. Naisha is the Youth Poet Laureate of Dallas, the author of Roses of Arma, and the youngest guest Chris has ever interviewed — she’s a high school sophomore. Chris and Naisha talk about the inspiring work of teaching teenagers poetry and how to balance self-awareness with self-confidence. Naisha also encourages listeners to be witnesses more than interpreters and how it’s equally important to witness yourself and your presence in the world.

Follow

Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram | Website)

Links

Youth Poet Laureate of Dallas

Roses of Arma by Naisha Randhar

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What to do when your beliefs are challenged (w/ Tenelle Porter) Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

Tenelle Porter’s job is to study humility. Specifically, intellectual humility, the idea that we might be wrong or mistaken about some of our beliefs. Tenelle talks with Chris about why she thinks intellectual humility is so important, how to cultivate it, and why it’s the missing piece in so many conversations these days. Whether it’s in politics, academia or social media, Tenelle argues discovering you are wrong doesn’t have to be a painful realization, rather it can lead to positive discovery.

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to trust in times of uncertainty (w/ Rachel Botsman) Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Rachel Botsman studies trust. She’s a professor at Oxford University and the author of the books What's Mine is Yours, Who Can You Trust? and the new audiobook, How to Trust and Be Trusted. From asking AI medical questions, to understanding what’s real and what’s a lie online, Chris and Rachel discuss trust in many forms. What happens when trust is shifted away from human interactions and given to machines or companies to be monetized?

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to get your sense of wonder back (w/ Nate DiMeo) Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

How 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 the past can teach us to live life in a new, rich, and complex way. Nate shares how to exercise the muscle of curiosity, how to tap into your sense of wonder to escape algorithmic filters, and urges you to seek moments of meaning in between life’s biggest plot points.

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

Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast!

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

Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected