How to Be a Better Human

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 our sexuality varies widely our culture, community, identity, and more. But one thing we can all strive for is healthy and safe sex. Siphumeze Khundayi and Tiffany Mugo are two sex educators and the co-founders of HOLAAfrica (HOLAA!) a Pan-Africanist digital platform that focuses on creating spaces that deal with safe sex and pleasure. Today they share insights on the kinds of mental and emotional tools we can turn to in order to have great sex, why it’s ok to take small steps on your sexual journey, and why it’s important to take ownership of your pleasure.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the data-driven capabilities of AI are combined with human creativity and ingenuity? Shining a light on the opportunities this futuristic collaboration could bring to the workplace, AI expert Shervin Khodabandeh shares how to redesign companies so that people and machines can learn from each other. After the episode, TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey dives deeper into the potential promises (and pitfalls) of AI-work integration. TED Tech is another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more ideas on the intersection of tech and humanity, follow TED Tech wherever you're listening to this.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 really share your streaming platform passwords? Today’s guest, Michael Schur, has spent a lot of time thinking about morality, most recently in his Emmy-nominated show The Good Place, and in the New York Times bestselling book “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question,” and. In this episode, Michael talks about why he’s gone from working on shows like Saturday Night Live, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Hacks, to reading and writing about Kant, Nietzsche, and Aristotle. Michael shares why he uses analogies and pop culture references to engage with philosophy, why he’s still chasing after the eternal and perhaps unanswerable question of “how to be perfect”, and why he believes caring about ethics –at any level– can actually make a difference.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 according to today’s guest, marketing professor Monica Wadhwa, maybe you should imagine yourself as a runner-up. In this episode, Monica talks about why getting close to – but not quite achieving – triumph actually helps us gain the energy and motivation we need to chase after our goals, and shares tips on how we can change our mindset and create almost wins that will put us on the path to success.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 more acceptable to talk about and even embrace them, it still feels like there is a stigma around admitting that you're grappling with a less-than-positive feeling. Mollie West Duffy (Chris’s wife!) and Liz Fosslien (not Chris’s wife!) are the co-authors of two celebrated books about feelings, “No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions At Work” and “Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay.” In this episode, they share thoughtful insights on the across-the-board importance of talking about our emotions as well as offer tips on how to identify, manage, and learn from the big feelings that make us all human.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 rejection happens so often, why is it so scary? And worse, what if our fear of being rejected is keeping us from going after the things we want? Jia Jiang is kind of a rejection expert–he’s gone from a career in the corporate world to the risky world of entrepreneurship. To conquer his fear of rejection, he started the 100 Days of Rejection Therapy blog, where he documented an experiment in which he willfully sought rejection on a daily basis. Now he’s authored a bestselling book, and owns a company dedicated to helping people overcome their fear of rejection. In this episode, he shares what he’s learned over the years on how to turn fear into triumph.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 becoming even better? Dolly Chugh is an author and social psychologist who studies the psychology of good people. In this episode, she explains how ethical behavior is full of complexity and paradox, and shares insights on why even striving to be a “good-ish” person can actually help us grow into the better, nicer person we want to become.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Future forecaster and game designer Jane McGonigal ran a social simulation game in 2008 that had players dealing with the effects of a respiratory pandemic set to happen in the next decade. She wasn’t literally predicting the 2020 pandemic—but she got eerily close. Her game, set in 2019, featured scenarios we're now familiar with (like masking and social distancing), and participant reactions gave her a sense of what the world could—and eventually, did—look like. How did she do it? And what can we learn from this experiment to predict—and prepare for—the future ourselves? In this episode, Jane teaches us how to be futurists, and talks about the role of imagination—and gaming—in shaping a future that we’re truly excited about. Jane’s new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today is available now.This is an episode of The TED Interview, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. You can find and follow it wherever you're listening to this.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thinking and talking about gender is complex for anyone, and for some people it’s a frequent conversation–especially for parents. In today’s episode, LB Hannahs, a genderqueer parent, shares their experience of parenting and discusses why they try to center authenticity and gender expansive thinking in the way they live their lives–both in how they interact with their kids, and how they work and show up in their community. Plus, from rethinking the gifts we give children to embracing the spectrums of identity, LB shares actionable recommendations for parents and non-parents alike on how we all can better support the LGBTQ+ people in our lives.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frans Johansson, author and CEO of The Medici Group, delves into the magic of innovation through diversity. He argues that transformative ideas emerge when varying perspectives, cultures, and disciplines collide. Johansson provides captivating examples illustrating how intersectionality fosters creativity and change. He emphasizes creating a safe space for bad ideas, as they are often the stepping stones to groundbreaking innovations. Listeners are encouraged to embrace experimentation and adaptability to unlock their next big idea.