How to Be a Better Human

TED and PRX

Join How to Be a Better Human as we take a look within and beyond ourselves.

How to Be a Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join comedian 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.

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Our Editor's Take

Comedian Chris Duffy hosts How to Be a Better Human. Fans of TED's Ideas blog may recognize the title. This podcast has the same intent. It wants to help people make life better for themselves and those around them.

Many people aspire to become better people. But they feel they need help figuring out where to start. In every How to Be a Better Human podcast episode, Chris talks to a different person with a unique understanding of themselves, others, and the world. Entrepreneur Jia Jiang and data journalist Mona Chalabi have been guests. Other guests have included psychologist Adam Grant and counselor KC Davis. These professionals offer valuable insight and actionable advice.

Author Anne Helen Petersen talks about burnout, a subject she is more than familiar with. She invested herself in extensive research about how it hit the millennial generation. But she makes a distinction between burnout and demoralization. Unlike demoralization, it is possible to recover from burnout, she explains. A demoralized person can no longer do their job in a way that feels ethical, given what they have to work with. In this podcast, Anne advises on how to recover from burnout and avoid reaching demoralization.

Another How to Be a Better Human episode features TV writer Cord Jefferson. He is open about his mental health struggles. Many artists hesitate to try using medication to manage their mental health. They worry they might stop being creative. Cord debunks the myth that depressive episodes are necessary for great art. He explains how being more open to life means more life experiences to inspire him. He believes that being vulnerable is essential.

In another episode of the podcast, Julissa Arce speaks about assimilation. She regrets what she gave up for so-called success. She wants to help others preserve and celebrate their culture. Julissa stopped letting people mispronounce her name. She invites others to have less fear around this. It's a small way to reclaim one's culture.

Wise people learn from their experiences. Exceptional people share that learning. This is what makes the How to Be a Better Human podcast special.

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