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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast If you take away how others see you, how do you see yourself? Psychologist, author and Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Brian Lowery argues that this question is so difficult to wrap our heads around because what we think of as our individual identity is actually a social construction. In this episode, he and Chris take us on a journey exploring the objective vs the subjective self, the performance of identity and how your view of others has a stronger sway than you realize. Hosted...
Sep 16, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s extremely difficult to move past anger and hurt driving you towards revenge. War, violence, and suffering are driven by that cycle of emotions. Palestinian author, peacemaker, and entrepreneur Aziz Abu Sarah knows the feelings well, but from his own life experiences, he shares his belief that peace is achievable and another way forward is possible. In this episode, Aziz tells his story and explains his work to bring even the most seemingly intractable conflicts to a resolution that allows f...
Sep 09, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast The weekend. Social Security. Health insurance. What do these things have in common? They all exist thanks to the advocacy of labor unions. In this episode of TED Talks Daily, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, political economist Margaret Levi explains how these organizations forge equality and protect worker rights, calling for a 21st-century revival of the labor movement in order to build a more equitable future. If you'd like to hear more from Margaret, check out her How to Be a ...
Sep 02, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s an age-old question - are people innately good or bad? Watching the news and constantly consuming social media, many of us are cynical about human nature. Psychologist Jamil Zaki suggests that we may be being fooled, that empathy is all around us - we just have to pay a little more attention. Jamil and Chris discuss the power of empathy, positive gossiping, normalizing compliments and more to help you see why the good in each of us is what makes us human. For the full text transcript, visit...
Aug 26, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Whether it’s grades and test scores, cushy jobs or big salaries, our ideas of “success” tend to be incredibly narrow and often start incredibly early. Julie Lythcott-Haims is a New York Times bestselling author and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, and she is dedicated to helping people reconsider what really makes a happy, “successful” adult. Julie shares wisdom for parents and anyone who has been parented on why it’s crucial to question societal expectations, how to find your own path and w...
Aug 19, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast How often do you use your imagination? Anab Jain is on a mission to help us all dream bigger. As the co-founder and director of Superflux (a design and experience-creation company), she creates spaces and events that help people see, touch, and feel potential futures they may not have ever considered. In this episode, she discusses why exploring ideas that challenge your current reality can help you envision–and create–a brighter future. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscrip...
Aug 12, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Like many new, exciting artistic technologies before it, the development of AI is begging us to ask: what counts as art? In a provocative conversation, Claire Silver, an anonymous AI collaborative artist, sits down with Bilawal to talk about how AI has revolutionized her own mixed media practice, and why she thinks that AI may be an inextricable part of human creativity in the near future. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Aug 05, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us would like to find meaning in the work we do, but many of us are burnt out or stressed at our jobs. In this episode, an international mental wellness educator, a former journalist turned meditation advocate, and the author of the literal book on millennial burnout share why –and how– we can rethink our relationship to work and stress entirely. The episodes we referenced were: • Anne Helen Petersen on changing your relationship to work and the guardrails that can prevent burnout •How t...
Jul 29, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Think of the last time you were in nature. How did it make you feel? This week, a forager, a cave diver, a birding enthusiast, and science writer share why connecting with nature is so illuminating and how to benefit from more outside time this summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 22, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to be civil with others – and why does this value often feel at risk? Alexandra Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, says that civility is very different from being polite – but that it might be the key to building back positive relationships across differences in society. This week, Alexandra shares her research on why valuing the people you disagree with as human beings is so important, and what you can do to be a slightly...
Jul 15, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
