How to Be a Better Human

Latest Episodes:

How to stop doomscrolling — and what to do instead? (w/ Katherine Cross) Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

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.

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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

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The future of finding love with Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd | ReThinking with Adam Grant Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

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.

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

Guest: Whitney Wolfe Herd (Instagram: @whitney)

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bumble.com

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How to rest when life is overwhelming (w/ Katherine May) Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

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.

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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)

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How to love your complicated family (w/ Ashley C. Ford) Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

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.

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

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

Links

Somebody’s Daughter

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How to be more joyful (w/ Ingrid Fetell Lee) Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

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!

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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/

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How to keep close friendships (w/ Aminatou Sow) Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

“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.

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

Guest: Aminatou Sow (Instagram: @aminatou)

Links

Crème de la Crème Substack

Book: bigfriendship.com/

Podcast: callyourgirlfriend.com/

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How to find laughter anywhere (w/ Dan Harris and guests) Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Humor is all around us— you only need to be intentional about seeking moments of laughter and joy in your life. In this special compilation episode on humor, Chris shares six short snippets from his conversation with thoughtful guests such as TikTok forager Alexis Nikole Nelson, meditation and happiness journalist Dan Harris, peace activist Aziz Abu-Sarah and more on how they flex their laughing muscles. From foraging mugwort to drawing a stranger for 60-seconds, Chris and his guests encourage you to practice mindfulness and embrace the spectacle of life.

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

Guests:

Alexis Nikole Nelson (Instagram: @blackforager | TikTok: @alexisnikole | YouTube: @blackforager)

Dan Harris (Instagram: @danharris | Website: danharris.com)

Wendy MacNaughton (Instagram: @wendymac)

Laurel Braitman (Instagram: @laurel_braitman | Website: laurelbraitman.com/)

Lear deBessonet (Website: lct.org/shows/people/lear-debessonet/)

Dave Nadelberg (Instagram: @davenadelberg | Website: getmortified.com/)

Neil Katcher (Instagram: @neilkatcher | LinkedIn: @neilkatcher | Website: getmortified.com/)

Aziz Abu-Sarah (Instagram: @azizabusarah | Website: azizabusarah.com/)

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

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

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How to rethink your emotional attachment to clothes (w/ Diarra Bousso) Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

We often think donating clothes is a sustainable act, but when tons of garments are shipped to places like West Africa, it creates environmental waste and disrupts local artisans’ livelihoods. Diarra Bousso, a mathematician and sustainable fashion designer, joins Chris to unpack the hidden cost of global textiles waste and how she founded her lifestyle brand Diarrablu. She shares how she designs with emotional sustainability in mind – creating clothes that adjust to our changing body while showcasing Sengalese’s bold colors and prints. They also discuss how mathematical concepts influence her work, how technology and AI might help designers reduce waste, and why it’s important to make clothes that make you feel good.

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

Guest: Diarra Bousso (Instagram: @thediarrablu | LinkedIn: @diarrabousso | Website: diarrabousso.com/)

Links

diarrablu.com

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

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

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How to stop devoting yourself to your job (w/ Sarah Jaffe) Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Jaffe is the author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. She and Chris discuss the emotional toll of modern work culture and the importance of community. They also dive into Sarah’s newest book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire, and explore the idea that between pandemics, climate change, and economic inequality, many of us are feeling a huge (and often unacknowledged sense of grief. Sarah explains the concept of “disenfranchised grief” and how collective mourning can invite meaningful social connections.

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

Guest: Sarah Jaffe (Instagram: @sarahljaffe | Website: sarahljaffe.com/)

Links

From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire

Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone

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

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Jon Batiste | from Design Matters Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Widely recognized as a musical genius and once-in-a-generation talent, Jon Batiste is one of history’s most brilliant, prolific, and accomplished musicians. The Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar-winning star joins to discuss his legendary career, connecting people through a shared love of music. This episode originally aired on Design Matters March 31, 2025.

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

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