Poet and psychoanalyst Nuar Alsadir believes there’s a thin line between comedy and the self-discovery often found in therapy offices. In this episode, Nuar joins Chris and talks about her book Animal Joy: A Book of Laughter and Resuscitation. They discuss the power of laughter, what it means to let yourself look like a fool occasionally, how to break down the facades we create for ourselves, and the unexpected revelations she had while attending clown school.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts.

How to laugh at yourself (w/ Nuar Alsadir)

Join How to Be a Better Human as we take a look within and beyond ourselves.

How to Be a Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join comedian Chris Duffy in conversation with guests and past speakers as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human.

From your work to your home and your head to your heart, How to Be a Better Human looks in unexpected places for new ways to improve and show up for one another. Inspired by the popular series of the same name on TED’s Ideas blog, How to Be a Better Human will help you become a better person from the comfort of your own headphones.

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What is your relationship with the planet we live on? As a human rights lawyer and environmental activist, Nonette Royo is trying to make us all live more symbiotically with nature. She works hard to listen to indigenous peoples around the world to help them control the land they live on and have a voice in policies and decisions that combat climate change. Nonette sits down with Chris to help us better understand how native traditions can inform all of our lives and why fighting for land rights may be one of the most important policies to mitigate climate change. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts.

How to follow the laws of nature (w/ Nonette Royo)

Have you ever wished someone would just help you figure out your life? John Paul Brammer’s job is to do exactly that – he’s the writer behind the hit advice column Hola Papi. John has helped all kinds of people on topics as niche as figuring out what to do when your boyfriend pretends to be Latino to as common as answering the age-old question of how to make friends as an adult. John reveals what constitutes good advice, why a lot of problems have similar solutions, and shares what we can do to get ourselves out of our trickiest situations.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

How to give and receive good advice (w/ Hola Papi’s John Paul Brammer)

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 what’s best for you? Whether you are a parent or a child, healthy communication is one of the most important aspects of an intentional relationship with your family. Today’s guest, Ebony Roberts, is a writer, educator, activist, and mother. After ending their relationship, she and her ex-partner (author Shaka Senghor) decided to continue co-parenting their child. In this episode, she shares tips on how to establish good communication at home and gives deep insight on how to prioritize trust, open-ness, and of course, love. You can read more about Ebony’s story in her book, “The love prison made and unmade” (Harper Collins, 2019) and check out her talk at TED.com

Re-release: How to co-parent as allies, not adversaries (with Ebony Roberts)

Millions of people around the world are displaced by the enhanced natural disasters brought on by climate change, and sometimes, our economically driven world makes us feel powerless. Alyssa-Amor Gibbons knows about climate devastation and its effect on community first hand – but she thinks we can tap into our resilience through the power of design. In this episode, Alyssa shares how architecture can fundamentally change our perspective and our relationship to the planet – while helping us honor the indigenous communities that have sustained it for millennia. 

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

How to laugh at yourself (w/ Nuar Alsadir)

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