How to Be a Better Human

What it means to truly pay attention (w/ Kevin Townley)

Kevin Townley is a meditation teacher. But he’s also a comedian who leads museum tours and an actor whose career spans Men in Black 3 and Law & Order. In today’s episode, Kevin talks about how to practice the art of looking and the deep Buddhist wisdom that can be found in every museum. Inspired by his book Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again: Buddhist Wisdom Reflected in 26 Artists, Kevin shows Chris how letting go of judgment—and engaging Buddhist principles—can change the way we view the world and find belonging. Host & Guest Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy [https://www.instagram.com/chrisiduffy/?hl=en] | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/ [https://chrisduffycomedy.com/]) Kevin Townley (Instagram: @kevintownleyjr [https://www.instagram.com/kevintownleyjr/?hl=en] | Website: https://www.kevintownley.nyc/home [https://www.kevintownley.nyc/home])  Links Humor Me by Chris Duffy: https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL [https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL] Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again by Kevin Townley (https://www.amazon.com/Look-Again-Buddhist-Reflected-Artists/dp/1736943901 [https://www.amazon.com/Look-Again-Buddhist-Reflected-Artists/dp/1736943901]) Follow TED!  X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks [https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted [https://www.instagram.com/ted] Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED [https://facebook.com/TED] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks  [https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks] Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts [https://www.ted.com/podcasts] For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts [https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to experience the world like a good dog (w/ Alexandra Horowitz)

Can our dogs feel guilt? Or have they successfully trained us with their puppy eyes to win a treat and extra kibble? Alexandra Horowitz is a researcher and head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College; she joins Chris to chat about how dogs make us laugh and ways to be more present in life. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts [https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to make 2026 a year full of laughs (w/ Chris Duffy and Manoush Zomorodi)

For the past five seasons, host Chris Duffy has been interviewing guests from psychotherapist Dr. Orna Guralnik to poet Sarah Kay to author Andrew Leland and more on how they work to become better humans. In this special episode kicking off season 6, Chris is now in the hot seat. Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, joins as guest host to interview Chris on finding joy and how a 5th grader taught Chris humor. They also discuss Chris’ debut book Humor Me and the lessons he learned from hosting the podcast throughout the years. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts [https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Interview: The razor-thin line between contagion and connection w/ Dan Taberski | from TED Health

After a mysterious wave of tics and twitches swept through a small-town high school in New York, documentary podcaster Dan Taberski set out to investigate what was really happening. Drawing on extensive research and intimate interviews with the people involved, he explores the roots of mass hysteria — and what it reveals about the line between illness and belonging. What happens when the very thing that makes us sick ... is also what connects us? After the talk, Shoshana interviews Dan on how his research into the mysterious Havana Syndrome leads to his unearthing of a similar mass hysteria in Le Roy, New York. They also discuss how storytelling can reshape discourse surrounding medicine and what happens when the person experiencing an illness feels unheard and unsupported by the very medical professionals supposed to care for them? For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts [https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Work advice from the world’s favorite couples therapist w/ Master Fixer Dr. Orna Guralnik | from Fixable

Relationships of any kind can be tricky—but therapists are here to help. In this special episode, Anne and Frances talk to clinical psychologist Dr. Orna Guralnik, star of the hit show Couples Therapy, to translate her advice for romantic relationships to the professional world. Together, they discuss the art of deep listening, underline the importance of patience and working through differences, and reframe relationships as a constant cycle of rupture and repair. Dr. Guralnik also reflects on the making of Couples Therapy and gives Anne and Frances advice as a couple who work together. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts [https://go.ted.com/BHTranscripts] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.