CM 315: Chris Duffy Makes You Laugh

CM 315: Chris Duffy Makes You Laugh

From Curious Minds at Work by Gayle Allen

April 4, 2026 · 52 min

About this episode

Chris Duffy discusses the importance of humor in life and its benefits for healing and creativity.

When life gets hard, humor can feel like a luxury. Like an indulgence we don’t deserve or have time for. But science tells a different story. Researchers have learned that humor can help with healing and grief, and it can improve our social connections. And innovators often call out the role fun plays in getting curious and acting on their ideas. One of these innovators is Chris Duffy, a stand-up comedian, TV writer, and host of TED’s hit podcast, How to Be a Better Human. Chris sees humor as a powerful life practice, an argument that lies at the heart of his book, Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. In this conversation we talk about how to build our humor muscle, what to avoid when going for a laugh, and why humor is really about the other person. Chris has written a book that is fun to read and fun to talk about. Talking to Chris, I can already feel my humor muscle getting stronger. Related Links How to Be a Better Human podcast with Chris Duffy Chris Duffy on Substack How to Find Laughter Anywhere, Chris Duffy’s TED Talk The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you…

People in this episode

Host: Gayle Allen

Guest: Chris Duffy

Topics covered

  • humor
  • healing
  • social connections
  • creativity
  • innovation

Keywords

  • humor
  • healing
  • social connections
  • creativity
  • Chris Duffy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: How to Be a Better Human, TED

Books & works: Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy

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