Chris Duffy

Comedian, television writer, author, and TED podcast host. Chris Duffy hosts TED’s “How to Be a Better Human,” wrote “Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy,” and has written for HBO’s “Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas.”

Humor Works Best as Attention, Honesty, and Shared Relief

Comedian Chris Duffy argues in a TED Talks Daily conversation with Elise Hu that humor is less a gift for performers than a practice of attention, self-awareness and small social risk. Drawing on his book Humor Me, Duffy makes the case for keeping a literal list of what makes you laugh, noticing ordinary absurdities, and treating laughter as a way to stay present and connected. He is careful to distinguish that from forced optimism: humor, in his account, can release pressure without denying pain, cruelty or uncertainty.

TEDMay 31, 202618 min read