How to Be a Better Human

What is consciousness? Humans and animals have it, but do plants have sentience? These are the questions journalist Michael Pollan studies. Michael is the author of ten books on the relationship between food, consciousness, and psychedelics. Michael joins Chris to discuss why humans ruminate, how people should get comfortable with boredom, and whether we can really trust our own memories?

Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Michael Pollan (Instagram: @michael.pollan | Website: https://michaelpollan.com/)

Links
Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me, at https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard after acting, and why she thinks anyone can find their highest order if they pay attention.

Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Yara Shahidi (Instagram: @yarashahidi | Website: https://www.yarashahidi.com/)

Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy - https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
The Optimist Podcast (Instagram: @theoptimistprojectpod)
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Levine is the author of Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff” newsletter where he writes about Wall Street and finances. Matt joins Chris to break down common money questions such as what exactly is commodity trading? How do AI companies make money? How do companies balance ethics and virtues with increasing profits for shareholders? They also discuss how Matt uses comedy and humor to make complicated money topics accessible.

Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Matt Levine (Website: https://mattlevine.co/work)

Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy - https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
Bloomberg Money Stuff newsletter
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If we accept that work-life balance is a necessity, then why are stress and burnout still increasing? Guy Winch is a psychologist and was the first guest ever on the How to Be a Better Human podcast. Guy returns to the show six years later to share strategies on how to stop indulging in unhealthy ruminations, start identifying harmful triggers, and why it’s necessary to change your perspective and view problems as solvable.

Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Guy Winch (Instagram: @guywinch | https://www.guywinch.com/)

Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy: https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
Mind Over Grind by Guy Winch: https://www.guywinch.com/books/mind-over-grind/
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you could switch places with someone and peek into their mind, who would you pick? For journalist Courtney Martin, she chose her aging dad with advanced dementia. Courtney joins Chris to talk about her deep desire to understand her father’s experiences, what it’s like to witness a loved one's health decline, and why it’s important to practice asking for help. This is a perfect episode to listen to if you’re taking care of a loved one (or know someone who is) and want practical ways to be kinder to caregivers.

Host & Guest
Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
Courtney Martin (Instagram: @courtwrites | https://courtneyemartin.com/)

Links
Humor Me by Chris Duffy: https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
https://courtney.substack.com/
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.