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....
Apr 14, 2025•31 min
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...
Apr 07, 2025•39 min
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, audi...
Mar 31, 2025•35 min
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 impo...
Mar 24, 2025•39 min
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 prese...
Mar 17, 2025•40 min
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...
Mar 10, 2025•34 min
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...
Mar 03, 2025•38 min
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. Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audi...
Feb 24, 2025•37 min
What do the most powerful people in the world do after they've achieved success? Jared Cohen is a history buff and a presidential historian. His latest book, “ Life After Power ,” is a fascinating exploration about what seven American presidents did after leaving the most influential job in the world. In this episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, Adam and Jared discuss the psychology of the founding fathers, debate the pros and cons of pursuing a leg...
Feb 17, 2025•35 min
Talking about money can feel confusing and awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Paco de Leon is a financial planner and author of the book Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances. Paco joins Chris to discuss ways everyone – but particularly freelancers and artists – can reframe their conversations and shift their mindset from “money corrupts” to “money gives you the power and freedom to create more art”. Whether it’s advising parents how to talk about money to their children or le...
Feb 10, 2025•41 min
There’s only so much you can do in a week – or, according to Oliver Burkeman, in the roughly 4,000 weeks the average human lives. Oliver is a journalist and author of the books Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Meditations for Mortals, and the newsletter “The Imperfectionist.” Chris and Oliver discuss the paradox of why change can only occur once we accept that we might not be able to change. Oliver also shares how life’s mishaps can become our most treasured memories and why sha...
Feb 03, 2025•40 min
Nadia Bolz-Weber believes the good and bad in all of us is what makes us human. Nadia has built a career talking about personal failings, recovery, grace, faith, and really whatever the hell else she wants to. She’s a bestselling author, a former stand-up comic, and now an ordained Lutheran Pastor. Nadia joins Chris to discuss her journey with religion, leadership, and community. They explore questions around the definition of faith, whether spirituality is innate to us, and the beauty of low ex...
Jan 27, 2025•40 min
Amidst the multiple devastating fires in Los Angeles, where Chris lives, extreme weather events and shifting climate patterns are occurring across the globe, making our everyday lives all the more unpredictable. Today we are re-airing this episode from the very first season of How to Be a Better Human. It's a conversation with Luisa Neubauer, a climate activist, author, and leader of the "Fridays For Future" school strike movement. She draws on her experience at the front lines of activism to st...
Jan 20, 2025•31 min
Many of us are entering the new year with a similar goal — to build community and connect more with others. To kick off season five, Priya Parker shares ideas on how to be the host with the most. An expert on building connection, Priya is the author of “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.” Whether it's a book club, wedding, birthday or niche-and-obscurely themed party, Priya and Chris talk about how to create meaningful and fun experiences for all of your guests — including you...
Jan 13, 2025•38 min
Lori Gottlieb believes we all have an inner narrator. In this episode, she explains why the story you tell yourself is key to your happiness (or lack thereof). She also discusses the stages of change, why relationships are a dance, and the steps to finding a good therapist that can help you edit the story of your life. Lori is a therapist, the bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and a co-host on the Dear Therapists podcast. She was once also an executive at NBC, overseeing sh...
Jan 06, 2025•35 min
Telling other people what you want – or need – can be a really difficult thing to do! Nedra Glover Tawwab is a therapist and New York Times bestselling author who helps people create healthy boundaries with themselves and others, both at work and in personal relationships. In this episode, she talks about why identifying your needs is so important, clarifies what healthy boundaries can look like and shares empowering tools so you can advocate for yourself – and get the treatment you deserve. For...
Dec 30, 2024•34 min
Life can throw curveballs that you feel wholly unprepared for-- just ask Dr. Lucy Hone, a resilience researcher, who tragically lost her 12-year-old daughter in a road accident. While all of us may experience tragedy in our lives, not everyone knows how to manage it. In this episode, Dr. Hone shares the strategies that got her through unimaginable adversity and—in doing so—helped her find meaning through loss. Co-director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, Hone's researc...
Dec 23, 2024•34 min
Why is having the sex talk, admitting you passed gas, or being open about your body hair so seemingly uncomfortable for all of us? Journalist and host of the podcast, Embodied, Anita Rao, joins Chris this week to discuss why having open conversations about taboo topics like sex, relationships, and our bodies can help us understand ourselves better and feel less shame. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 16, 2024•34 min
No matter how religious you may or may not be, or how much you do or do not know about the Sikh religion, there’s something we can all learn from their major philosophies. Simran Jeet Singh is the author of the book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. He joins Chris this week to talk about how to approach life with more optimism and shares how he’s navigated prejudice with humor and compassion. Hear about why he believes we all win when we show more curiosity and understa...
Dec 09, 2024•37 min
It’s natural to romanticize the random meet-cutes we’ve all seen in romantic comedies, but is hoping for a chance encounter with the next great love of your life the best way to find them? Behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury believes in dating with practicality and intention. Logan joins Chris to share actionable tips on where and how to meet people, making the best of first dates, and how to know when you have found the right person. Whether you’re in your 20s or your 70s, Logan’...
Dec 02, 2024•41 min
It's not a good feeling to be stuck in an argument with someone who doesn't seem to be listening to your point of view, especially when that someone is very important to you. So how can we strive to have deeper conversations with more respect, understanding, and open-mindedness with those who have different opinions? Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the chief storyteller of "Braver Angels", an organization dedicated to political depolarization. She shares the tools you can use to find common ground w...
Nov 25, 2024•39 min
Some problems seem impossible. But this week’s guests say any problem can be solved. Leadership coach Anne Morriss and Harvard Business Professor Frances Frei are the power couple behind the book, Move Fast and Fix Things, the TED podcast Fixable, and more. They join Chris to discuss why any problem can be solved — whether the issue is in your business, family, or community. Learn how simple, everyday logic, authenticity, and empathy can guide you to the best solutions to your trickiest problems...
Nov 18, 2024•41 min
Zeynep Ton believes that low-wage work (in childcare, customer service, assembly lines and other essential industries) is front-line work — and that pay should be adjusted accordingly. She makes the case that fair and competitive compensation for front-line workers is a better business model, with a nearly endless list of benefits for people and society at large. Listen in to learn how higher pay leads to higher productivity, better services, and happier people everywhere. Hosted on Acast. See a...
Nov 11, 2024•35 min
Ronald Young Jr. is an award-winning podcaster, producer, and writer and the creator of Weight For It — a podcast about his own experience with body image. Ronald explores complex feelings and asks profound questions about how we think and talk about a sometimes taboo subject: our weight. In this episode, he joins Chris to dive into why body image culture affects us all – and shares his thoughts on how to break away from our unspoken insecurities and fears. For the full text transcript, visit go...
Nov 04, 2024•40 min
When it comes to a controversial topic like climate change represented in art, is the conversation its sparks more significant than the art itself? In this episode, Chris talks with David Finnigan, a playwright and climate activist who knew what he was doing when he titled his 2014 play “Kill Climate Deniers.” The result? Outrage from hundreds of climate skeptics — and new conversations sparked around the climate crisis. Listen as David shares how he used the power of theater to shift perspectiv...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min
Have you ever laid awake at night, cringing at something your younger self did or said? So why is it that when we hear other peoples’ memories from their own awkward phases, we’re free of judgment? Dave Nadelberg and Neil Katcher are the co-founders of Mortified — a comedy podcast and live show where people read old diary entries from their childhoods. They’re experts in turning embarrassing stories into hilarious, heartwarming ones. David and Neil tell Chris their own quirky/eccentric/teenage a...
Oct 21, 2024•40 min
When was the last time something you watched struck you? Award-winning theater director Lear deBessonet is deeply passionate about spectacle – and thinks you should be too. She shares the unexpected connections, wonder, and creativity that come from finding the unusual, notable, or entertaining; in common everyday experiences — and why you should look for more ways to create spectacle in your own life. Plus, learn why Lear has been rejected by ‘the San Diego chicken’ multiple times. Hosted on Ac...
Oct 14, 2024•37 min
Reggie Watts has no plan when he walks out on the TED stage — he just lets go and tries to make himself laugh. In this episode, he shares with Chris why the audience member you should pay the most attention to is yourself and how you can find more ways to improvise, laugh and find ridiculousness in your everyday life to get to a happier one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 07, 2024•34 min
Solving the world’s biggest problems can seem impossible. But, Angeline Murimirwa — the CEO of Camfed, a pan-African movement revolutionizing education for girls — makes the case that the best solutions are often more straightforward than we realize. When Angie was growing up, a girl receiving an education was the exception, not the rule. Today, Angie works to make sure that going to school is the norm for all children. Angie shares with Chris how the very program she runs changed her life traje...
Sep 30, 2024•35 min
How often do you know your friends’ exact salaries? For most of us, the answer is almost never. Yet, in our everyday lives and interactions, we notice the many small cues that make our class differences obvious. So why does talking about money create such an uncomfortable, cringey feeling? How can we cohabitate knowing that in class, we are unequal? And does being rich make you a bad person? Host of the podcast Classy, Jonathan Menjivar, and Chris Duffy break down the answers in this episode. Ho...
Sep 23, 2024•37 min
