How to Be a Better Human
Episodes
How to get workplace gender equity now (with Sara Sanford)
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are more opportunities for women in the workplace today than there ever have been. But with stagnant wage gaps, limited parental leave, and endu...
What to do when the truth isn’t enough to be believed (w/ Dina Nayeri)
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stories are such a powerful human invention that even the fictional ones can feel completely true. Dina Nayeri is a writer of fiction and nonfiction w...
How to cultivate the skill of happiness (w/ Dan Harris)
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever felt apprehensive about trying something seemingly woo-woo to improve your mental health (like meditation, mindfulness, or simply tou...
How to find connection –and love– in everyday life (w/ Barbara Fredrickson)
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Romantic love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – at least that’s one way positive psychologist Barbara Fredrickson puts it. Barbara’s decades...
Re-release: Why love –and therapy– means going in a direction you don’t yet know (w/ Dr. Orna Guralnik)
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In her critically acclaimed Showtime docuseries, Couples Therapy, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik thinks deeply about relati...
How to be good enough in America (w/ Wajahat Ali)
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If there's one thing this show believes in, it's that finding joy and comedy in life is essential when being human gets tough. Wajahat Ali is a writer...
How to discover your authentic self -- at any age (w/ Bevy Smith)
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wanting to “find yourself” isn’t something that only happens in coming-of-age movies – anyone, at any age, can wonder what it’d be like to h...
How to make generosity contagious (w/ Chris Anderson)
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever opened up social media in the hopes that it would cheer you up only for it to leave you upset, angry, or tired, you are not alone. So...
Why you should start thinking about death (w/ Alua Arthur)
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a saying about two things that are inevitable in this world, and Alua Arthur wants to help you think about one of them with less fear. No, s...
How to think critically about history -- and why it matters (w/ David Ikard) (Re-release)
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever recalled a story only to have someone point out "that's not how it went"? Well, what happens when what we misrepresent are our historica...
Re-release: How to lead a happier, more fulfilling life (with Dr. Robert Waldinger)
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes YOU happy? Dr. Robert Waldinger is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 83-year-old project that tracks how life expe...
Re-release: How learning about indigenous foods can open up your worldview (with Sean Sherman)
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What’s your favorite dish — and what culture originated that recipe? Whether you’re thinking about grilled cheese, burritos, curry, pho… (we w...
Lessons from 102-year-old swimmer Maurine Kornfeld
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maurine “Mighty Mo'' Kornfeld will soon turn 102 years old, and most days, you can catch her doing laps in a Los Angeles public swimming pool. And t...
What do our guests do to be better humans?
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This show is all about growth – and it’s always inspiring to know that the amazing guests we bring on still see room in their own lives to become ...
The perks of listening to the sounds of the world (w/ Dallas Taylor)
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keyboard and mouse clicks, the song of an ice cream truck, a neighbor’s yapping dog – what kind of noises soundtrack your life? Today’s guest, D...
How comedy helps us deal with hard truths (w/ Roy Wood Jr.)
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. Perhaps that’s why some of our biggest problems feel easiest to manage with a dose of humor. Co...
How to solve your problems through drawing (w/ Liana Finck)
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Liana Finck’s cartoons explore life’s big predicaments: what to make for dinner, how to leave a party without being rude, how to feel like more th...
Why you should try birding (w/ Christian Cooper)
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you ask Christian Cooper, a science writer, editor, and the host of the show “Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper”, birding can teach us...
How do I know what my future self wants? (w/ Shankar Vedantam)
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How well would you say you know yourself? Do you feel like the same person you were 10 years ago? Today’s guest, Shankar Vedantam, loves these kinds...
How to build better relationships between kids, parents, and ourselves (w/ Dr. Becky Kennedy)
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most important things that humans do is learning how to relate – to ourselves, one another, and, crucially, to our parents. Dr. Becky Ken...
What vision loss helped Andrew Leland gain
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When he was a teenager, Andrew Leland was diagnosed with a condition that causes a gradual loss of vision. Over the years, Andrew’s literal view of ...
How labor unions create worker power (w/ Margaret Levi) (Re-release)
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If the ongoing television writers' and actors' strikes -- and other labor organizing efforts happening across the world -- have been on your radar, th...
How changing your story can change your life (w/ Lori Gottlieb)
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why your brain is an unreliable narrator (w/ Aparna Nancherla)
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Impostor syndrome is one of many therapy-speak words that have gone mainstream in the past few years — but what is it, really? Aparna Nancherla know...
How to Love Criticism | WorkLife with Adam Grant
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if you could tell your co-workers what you really think of them? At one of the world’s most successful hedge funds, everyone is rated and ranke...
Episode 1: The Internet’s First Main Character? | The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks is a new show from the TED Audio Collective, hosted by Dylan Marron. It’s 1999, and sixteen years after its original...
How To Love Your Face (from Slate's How To!)
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is an episode from a podcast we think you'll love. It's called How To! and it's from Slate Podcasts.Earlier this year, our listener, Rell, nearly...
Do we have something to learn from conspiracy theories? (w/ Peter McIndoe)
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There was a time when Peter McIndoe might see you on the street and ask: have you ever seen a baby pigeon? If you said no, he’d probably grin and sa...
How can art hold space for your pain? (w/ Jessie Reyez)
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessie Reyez isn't afraid to make you cry when you listen to her music. The R&B artist, who was born in Toronto to Colombian immigrants, has amass...
Why we should rethink what mental health means (w/ Sandy Allen)
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It feels like talking about mental health, in our workplaces, homes and schools, is not as unusual – or as risky – as it may have been until very ...
Fixable: “How do I deal with a communication breakdown?"
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is an episode of Fixable, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective hosted by Anne Morriss and Frances Frei.Kelli is a nurse at a leading tea...
How to travel without even leaving home (w/ Saleem Reshamwala)
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re going somewhere new and exciting for the summer or taking a well-earned staycation, there are endless ways to venture into our world ...
Listen to Ten Percent Happier ft. Get Fit Sanely series
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you want to live longer, exercise smarter & eat better? Ten Percent Happier has a series of podcast episodes to help you do just that, featurin...
What will you do with your one wild and precious planet? (w/ Bill McKibben)
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us get that climate change is a global problem we need to solve, fast. But that can feel incredibly overwhelming when most of us don’t even ...
How to embrace – and challenge – the idea of “beauty” (w / Elise Hu)
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we’ve been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain b...
How to be an adult – and how to raise one (w/ Julie Lythcott-Haims)
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
What we can learn from great salespeople (w/ Colin Coggins)
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Selling products, ideas or even yourself is a task that can feel daunting, or maybe even a little uncouth for some people. But Colin Coggins, author a...
How to set boundaries and find peace (w/ Nedra Glover Tawwab)
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 bestse...
How to dive into your fears (w/ Jill Heinerth)
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jill Heinerth is a professional cave diver who faces threats big and small constantly – from dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves,...
How to stop finding your self-worth through your job (w/ Gloria Chan Packer)
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For some of us it’s easy to lose ourselves in our work. But a lack of boundaries between your personal and work life is something mental wellness ed...
The secret to making new friends as an adult (w/ Marisa G. Franco)
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Making friends as an adult can feel like a baffling obstacle course. Why was it so much easier to connect as kids? To help you find well-rounded and f...
The difference between easy and difficult beauty (w/ Chloe Cooper Jones)
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chloe Cooper Jones knows how it feels to be complicit. The critically acclaimed author has moved through life with a rare disability that brings incre...
ALOK is microdosing creativity and rejecting norms
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ALOK doesn’t quite get the term multihyphenate – but how else to describe the internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian, and public speaker...
How to keep house while drowning (w/ KC Davis)
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s face it: if chores were fun, they probably wouldn’t be called that. Because for most people, life can be overwhelming – and that means it ...
Fixable: Kelli - “How do I deal with a communication breakdown?
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kelli is a nurse at a leading teaching hospital where communication issues are not only leading to resentment – they could also be affecting patient...
Stephen Satterfield wants his meals to match his ideals
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Satterfield, the host of Netflix docu-series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America,” thinks the bananas in th...
Julissa Arce on why success isn’t worth her assimilation
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When do you feel like you've reached "success"? Julissa Arce is an acclaimed social justice advocate, the author of four books, a former vice presiden...
Why Kim Scott thinks you need to ask for feedback
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know what they say about unsolicited advice (don’t give it!) but when it comes to SOLICITED feedback, author and executive coach Kim Scott says:...
Cord Jefferson's creativity is fueled by mental health
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Television writer Cord Jefferson has written for the kind of shows that crack hearts open. From The Good Place to Watchmen, Station Eleven to Master o...
Anne Helen Petersen on changing your relationship to work and the guardrails that can prevent burnout
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does "burnout" even mean anymore? If you're asking yourself this question, you've come to the right podcast. Anne Helen Petersen is the writer wh...
Pardon the Interruption… But Did Sports Debate Shows Change the World?
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From risky snowboard halfpipe runs, to 400m sprints where every second counts, to high-stakes archery tournaments, performing well in sports requires ...
Why love –and therapy– means going in a direction you don’t yet know (w/ Dr. Orna Guralnik)
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In her critically acclaimed Showtime docuseries, Couples Therapy, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik thinks deeply about relati...
Jody Avirgan learned everything from sports
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to sports, it might seem like there are two kinds of people. Those who are religious about their love for the game and those who only se...
Andrew Marantz doesn’t want you to give up on the internet
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The internet can be a wonderful, but also a terribly unpleasant place. Andrew Marantz knows this well. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker who spen...
The science of happiness (w/ Laurie Santos)
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The phrase “comparison is the thief of joy” might be the kind of cliche that makes you roll your eyes – and yet, it’s an idea that is, scienti...
How to care for the people who take care of us (w/ Ai-jen Poo)
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Activist, and MacArthur Genius, Ai-jen Poo believes that caring for others is one of the fundamental acts that make us human. But from nannies to elde...
There is no “grief starter pack” (w/ Michael Cruz Kayne)
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s one thing that connects all living beings – an experience so profound yet so common. Today’s guest, Michael Cruz Kayne says it best: “...
You can do better than a New Year’s resolution (w/ Gretchen Rubin)
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many of us wait until a new calendar year to start setting our goals? For today’s guest, Gretchen Rubin, “there really is no magic to Ja...
How to answer your biggest questions—with data (w/ Mona Chalabi)
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever we have a question – about ourselves or the world around us – it can be helpful to visualize our answer in order to really understand it....
How to have curious conversations in dangerously divided times (w/ Mónica Guzmán)
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you really connected with someone who disagrees with you? Or saw a post on social media that challenged your views? Or listened...
How to take charge of your money (w/ Wendy De La Rosa)
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We hardly ever talk openly about our money. Today’s guest Wendy De La Rosa thinks that’s a costly mistake. She is a behavioral scientist who helps...
How free solo climber Alex Honnold faces fear | ReThinking with Adam Grant
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2017, Alex Honnold did what even the world’s best rock climbers thought was impossible. He climbed to the top of El Capitan– a granite rock mou...
How labor unions create worker power (w/ Margaret Levi)
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We don't know about you, but we are fans of weekends. And social security. And health insurance. And the end of child labor! And all of these workplac...
How to stand up for what you believe in (w/ Luvvie Ajayi Jones)
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most positive change starts with a challenge to the status quo. But going against the current and speaking up for the right thing can be a challenge–...
How to tell your authentic story (with Noor Tagouri)
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you remember a time you ACTUALLY felt represented in pop culture? For Libyan American journalist Noor Tagouri, those moments of being portrayed in ...
How to get workplace gender equity now (with Sara Sanford)
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are more opportunities for women in the workplace today than there ever have been. But with stagnant wage gaps, limited parental leave, and endu...
How to have great sex (with Siphumeze Khundayi and Tiffany Mugo)
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sex is a normal part of human life, but it can also get complicated–whether you’re having it or not! The way we approach, think, and engage with o...
TED Tech: Why people and AI make good business partners | Shervin Khodabandeh
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the data-driven capabilities of AI are combined with human creativity and ingenuity? Shining a light on the opportunities this futur...
How to be perfect (with Michael Schur)
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans face ethical dilemmas big and small every day: Which product is the most sustainable? Can you separate the art from the artist? Should you real...
How to get motivated - by losing?! (with Monica Wadhwa)
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever daydreamed o standing at an Olympic podium or delivering a big award speech, you probably pictured yourself as a winner. But accordin...
How to be okay when things are not okay (w/ Mollie West Duffy and Liz Fosslien)
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans: we've got Big Feelings. From happiness to regret, delight to frustration, we all experience a rollercoaster of emotions. But while it's become...
How to embrace rejection (with Jia Jiang)
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We experience rejection all the time–in job interviews, while dating, when pitching a story or even trying to join a new club or activity. But if re...
How to let go of being a "good" person (with Dolly Chugh)
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us want to be good people–but what even makes a person “good?” And is our fixation on whether or not we ARE good holding us back from be...
The TED Interview: How to predict the future with Jane McGonigal
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Future forecaster and game designer Jane McGonigal ran a social simulation game in 2008 that had players dealing with the effects of a respiratory pan...
How do you approach gender as a parent? (with LB Hannahs)
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking and talking about gender is complex for anyone, and for some people it’s a frequent conversation–especially for parents. In today’s epi...
How to make transformative ideas happen (with Frans Johansson)
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You often hear that “there are no bad ideas” when brainstorming–but why is that? In those instances, doesn’t it feel inevitable that someone’...
How to discover your humanity… through math? (with Francis Su)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, we humans do math. Whether we are obsessed with a logic puzzle on our smartphones or even just calculating a morning alarm that gives you 8...
How to find your voice (with Greta Morgan)
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What would happen if the thing that defined you disappeared overnight? Whether it’s our job, our abilities, or output—many of us meld our identiti...
How to make yourself more human in an automated world (with Kevin Roose)
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans can have a complex relationship with technology: tools like smartphones make our lives easier, but they can also be a source of anxiety or depe...
How to Find the Comedy in A Messed-Up World (with Maeve Higgins)
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a list of the least funny topics imaginable, the global refugee crisis, border disputes, and questions of citizenships are probably close to the to...
How to unite people through art (with JR)
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Art can move us in deep, meaningful ways. A beautiful song, a good book, or a great film can change our perspectives and attitudes toward ideas, and s...
Body Stuff: Do you really need 8 hours of sleep?
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know a good night’s sleep is essential, but for many people, sleeping well (or falling asleep at all) can be difficult and even stressful– ...
How To Pitch Your Best Ideas | WorkLife with Adam Grant
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Great pitches can seem like genius or magic. But you don’t have to be a great salesperson to give a great pitch. Whether you’re floating an idea a...
How to talk to a colleague who offended you
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dionna and Denise had a professional relationship that mostly worked–until it didn’t. After a string of mishaps in their workplace, a comment Deni...
How to find gratitude everyday
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As the year draws to a close and the collective mood turns reflective, we asked you—our listeners—to pick moments from the first season that stuck...
How creating space for joy can build resilience (with Miracle Jones)
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With all the terrible things happening in the world lately, does the idea of maintaining a spark of joy in your day to day feel unrealistic? Or even i...
How to nurture your “emotional agility” (with Susan David)
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re the kind of person who “gets in their feels” or you’re more the type to sweep things under the rug, all humans experience emoti...
How to enrich your everyday life with poetry (with Sarah Kay)
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Roses are red, violets are blue, has poetry ever been intimidating for you? For many people, this art form can feel unapproachable for a myriad of rea...
How thinking critically about history shapes our future (with David Ikard)
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can you think of a time when you told a story and remembered it...wrong? Perhaps you forgot a small detail, like the color of someone’s shoes, or so...
How to co-parent as allies, not adversaries (with Ebony Roberts)
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of your home or your childhood, what comes to mind? Did you feel cared for and loved? Did you trust that your parents were always doing...
How to find health information you can trust (with Dr. Jen Gunter)
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While technology and the internet have made accessing information easier than ever, how can we discern between the facts we need to make the right dec...
How practicing curiosity could help the world around you (with Joe Hanson)
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why there are seven days in a week? Or, why glaciers are blue—or what color even is? Today’s guest, YouTube creator Joe Han...
Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi: How many friends do I need?
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Time with friends just isn’t the same with a screen in between you. That’s a struggle many have faced recently, with half of Americans saying they...
How to be a better steward of the environment
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one thing that connects all humans, it’s that everything we walk on, breathe, drink, and eat comes from the same source: planet Earth. ...
How to find the humor in everyday life (with Jo Firestone)
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you really, really laughed? For some people, laughter comes easily and anything can set them off. But for many of us, finding h...
How engaging with the natural world benefits you-- and science (with Mary Ellen Hannibal)
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of a scientist, do you think of a person in a lab coat? How about a teenager with a smartphone-- or even, yourself? Mary Ellen Hannibal...
How to tap into your self-awareness-- and why it even matters (with Tasha Eurich)
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine someone just pointed out you have something stuck in your teeth. A comment like that would probably make most of us self-conscious, but you’...
How to have conversations with people who hate you? (with Dylan Marron)
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you are online and especially if you're on social media, it’s likely you’ve engaged with people whose opinions are different from your own. Whi...
How to future-proof your career? (with Dorie Clark)
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hustle culture, burnout, “toxic productivity.” Does today’s fast-paced world ever leave you feeling rushed? Dorie Clark teaches executive educat...
How humility and bravery can help your career
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether they are academics, designers, medical professionals, or anything in between, our guests are leaders in their fields whose expertise goes beyo...