Introduction

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

As a comedian, my first instinct is to want to make jokes about things. But when terrible things happen in the world, sometimes comedy feels irrelevant or even wrong. The more that i think about and live through acts of terror and moments of tragedy, the more that i do think that laughter and joy in their wake, they aren't inappropriate. They're actually necessary in response to those who would create fear and terror. Joy can be a political act. It's not about toxic positivity or ignoring the difficulties and challenges life, but instead finding that joy and pain, that those two things can exist at the same time.

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 inappropriate? Today’s guest, Miracle Jones, believes that all the collective tragedy makes the role of joy in our routines even more crucial. She is a community organizer and queer activist who currently serves as the director of policy and advocacy at 1Hood Media. In today’s episode, Miracle meditates on the importance of joy as a catalyst for resilience, growth, and collective action, and shares how we can cultivate its practice even (and perhaps especially) in the darkest of times. You can learn more about Miracle’s work at 1hood.org. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman