Who counts as a significant other?

TED Radio Hour

NPR

Social Sciences, Society & Culture, Science, Technology

4.4 • 21.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Finding "the one" can seem like life's ultimate goal—but should it be? This hour, TED speakers expand the definition of life partnership, whether it's with a friend, a spouse, a pet, or no one at all. Guest include journalist Rhaina Cohen, marriage and family therapist Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile, social psychologist Bella DePaulo and "Dogist" and photographer Elias Weiss Friedman.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is the TED Radio Hour. Each week, groundbreaking TED Talks. Our job now is to dream big.
0:08.6	Delivered at TED conferences. To bring about the future we want to see around the world.
0:13.4	To understand who we are. From those talks, we bring you speakers and ideas that will surprise you.
0:20.4	You just don't know what you're going to find.
0:22.3	Challenge you.
0:23.2	We truly have to ask ourselves, like, why is it noteworthy?
0:25.6	And even change you.
0:26.7	I literally feel like I'm a different person.
0:28.9	Yes.
0:29.8	Do you feel that way?
0:31.6	Ideas worth spreading.
0:33.9	From Ted and NPR.
0:37.5	I'm Manushe Zamorodi.
0:39.7	Today on the show, significant others.
0:43.5	Who matters most to us in our lives?
0:46.8	We start with a different kind of love story.
0:50.0	It does feel a little like a movie cliche that I spotted her across the room at a bar,
0:56.0	and I knew I wanted to talk to her just from her body language.
1:00.2	This is journalist Raina Cohen.
1:02.3	She had recently moved to D.C. when she met someone you might call her soulmate,
1:07.9	who she refers to as M.
1:10.4	She was leaning in, was making people laugh, and I could feel the
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -51 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.