TED Radio Hour – "How You See Yourself"
NPR, Host: Manoush Zomorodi
Air Date: February 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Manoush Zomorodi explores how we perceive ourselves and how those perceptions are shaped—and sometimes distorted—by photography, moral ideals, beauty standards, digital technology, and even the architecture of our brains. Through in-depth conversations with a portrait photographer, a psychologist, a journalist, and a science writer, the episode investigates the persistent tension between our internal narratives and external realities, ultimately questioning what it means to see—and accept—ourselves as we truly are.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Awkwardness of Self-Image: Portrait Photography with David Suh

• Photo Day Trauma & the Power of the Lens
  David Suh, TikTok-famous portrait photographer, discusses why so many people feel deeply uncomfortable in front of a camera, often tracing it back to rigid, awkward school portraits.

  • "To many people, getting their photos taken is a very traumatizing experience." (David Suh, 01:47)
  • Many carry childhood discomfort into adulthood, affecting self-image and how they “show up” in life.

• Transforming the Pose
  Suh rejects cookie-cutter posing in favor of authenticity and presence.

  • "Posing is a practice of being present in your body and communicating who you are through body language." (David Suh, 06:50)
  • He coaches clients to embody their own definitions of confidence, often starting with mindful breathing and mirroring movements, making the session playful and collaborative.

• Empathy & Breaking Gender Norms
  Suh relates how wearing dresses for photoshoots helped him realize the physical and emotional vulnerabilities of his clients.

  • “There are feelings to it that we just would never know unless we try to be physically in their shoes.” (David Suh, 10:37)

• Challenging “Fake It Till You Make It”
  Suh advocates against pretending in photos, emphasizing the destructiveness of society’s narrow ideals.

  • “A session with me is almost like breaking down your Lego castle… and snapping your finger and saying, you know what, it’s actually a sandcastle. Now let’s rebuild it again.” (David Suh, 12:37)

Important Segment:

• The anatomy of a portrait session and the link between body comfort and authenticity (07:01–09:19)
• Suh’s journey toward empathy through gendered posing (10:11–10:57)

2. Good, Goodish, or Just Human? Exploring Moral Identities with Dr. Dolly Chugh

• Why We Need to See Ourselves as Good
  NYU professor Dolly Chugh explains humans are wired to protect a self-image rooted in morality, even in trivial situations (e.g. brushing against someone on the street).

  • “We care about whether we’re seen as a good person and whether we feel like good people.” (Dolly Chugh, 15:57)

• The Myth of Moral Perfection
  Chugh’s “bounded ethicality” theory reveals that our sense of being “good” is constructed, sliding, and often unattainable.

  • “Our definition of good person is so narrow, it’s scientifically impossible to meet.” (TED stage, 18:24)
  • People oscillate between ethical and less ethical behavior throughout the day, often subconsciously compensating for perceived lapses.

• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset for Morality
  Instead of striving for rigid “goodness,” Chugh proposes a “goodish” mentality—being open to learning and correcting mistakes.

  • “Being a goodish person is someone who has a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.” (Dolly Chugh, 23:31)
  • Ethical learning is about vulnerability and progress, not perfection.

• Virtue Signaling & Societal Policing
  The discussion addresses the phenomenon of “virtue signaling” and the pressures to display visible morality, often more about maintaining self-image than genuine growth.

Notable Quote:

• “Our brain is a gold medal gymnast when it comes to the gymnastics necessary to make our thoughts, our perceptions, our beliefs, what we want them to be.” (Dolly Chugh, 22:31)

Important Segment:

• The pitfalls and promise of embracing mistakes and growth (20:21–24:25)

3. Global Beauty Standards: Lessons from Korea with Elise Hu

• K-Beauty’s Influence and Homogeneity
  Journalist Elise Hu documents Korea’s beauty culture, its influence on global skincare routines, and its deeply rooted societal expectations.

  • “South Korea is exporting more cosmetics than they export smartphones.” (Elise Hu, 30:02)

• Surgery, Conformity, and Familial Pressure
  In Korea, cosmetic procedures are seen as both a necessity and a way of showing respect to one’s family.

  • “A Korean woman who gets cosmetic surgery... this is a way of showing respect to others in her community or family.” (Elise Hu, 35:22)
  • Beauty in Korea is not just personal—headshots are standard on resumes, and employers make snap decisions based on appearance.

• The Rise of Digital & AI-Created Beauty
  Social media and hyperrealistic filters are shaping—and narrowing—global ideas of attractiveness, moving beauty standards away from humanity and towards artificial perfection.

  • “If we are chasing digital beauty, well, then the limit does not exist. AI’s idea of attractiveness is only increasingly inhuman and cyborgian.” (Elise Hu, 39:30)
  • Even young children (tweens) are engaging with advanced beauty routines.

• Resisting the Pressure to Conform
  Hu advocates for celebrating difference and rejecting the pressure for uniformity imposed by digital culture.

  • “The more we sit with not dyeing the hair, not getting the Botox, the more comfortable it becomes. So we need to lean into our humanity, the things about us that aren’t smooth... Because if we go in this direction of just, like, smoothness and sameness, it’s really quite a boring future.” (Elise Hu, 41:34)

Important Segment:

• The impact of AI and filters on real-world beauty standards (39:01–40:55)

4. The Brain’s Stories: Science, Self, and Fragility with Anil Ananthaswamy

• The Narrated Self and Its Vulnerabilities
  Science writer Anil Ananthaswamy reveals the fragility of the “self,” drawing on experiences from Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and rare neurological conditions.

  • “We tell others, and indeed ourselves, stories about who we are. We take our stories to be sacrosanct. We are our stories.” (Anil Ananthaswamy, 43:25)
  • Alzheimer's shows that memory underpins our self-narrative; as memory collapses, so does a coherent sense of self.

• Body Ownership and Agency
  Disorders like xenomelia (feeling a limb doesn’t belong to you) and schizophrenia (loss of agency) reveal that the most basic aspects of self are constructed—and can fall apart.

  • “Something as basic as the sense of ownership of our own body parts is a construction.” (Anil Ananthaswamy, 46:13)

• Implications: Compassion, Marvel, & Letting Go
  Understanding the brain’s role in self-perception fosters empathy for those with “altered selves” and a humility about our own.

  • “These stories that we take ourselves to be—what philosophers call the narrative self—these are spun by the brain and body. They are constructions.” (Anil Ananthaswamy, 45:11)
  • We are both robust and deeply fragile.

Notable Moment:

• The poetic invitation to marvel at our constructed selves and be more open to difference (50:00–51:39)

Notable Quotes

• David Suh (on authentic posing, 06:50):
  "Posing is a practice of being present in your body and communicating who you are through body language."

• Dolly Chugh (on protecting self-identity, 22:31):
  "Our brain is a gold medal gymnast when it comes to the gymnastics necessary to make our thoughts, our perceptions, our beliefs, what we want them to be."

• Elise Hu (on digital beauty standards, 39:30):
  "If we are chasing digital beauty, well, then the limit does not exist. AI’s idea of attractiveness is only increasingly inhuman and cyborgian."

• Anil Ananthaswamy (on the self’s fragility, 45:11):
  "These stories that we take ourselves to be—what philosophers call the narrative self—these are spun by the brain and body. They are constructions."

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• How to create authentic portraits (David Suh, 07:01–09:19)
• The “goodish” person vs. good person mindset (Dolly Chugh, 23:31)
• AI and the future of beauty (Elise Hu, 39:01–40:55)
• Neuroscience and the narrative of self (Anil Ananthaswamy, 43:25–46:13)

Flow, Tone, and Takeaway

The episode weaves warmth, self-reflection, playful curiosity, and sobering science into a nuanced interrogation of self-perception. From David Suh’s gentle humor and dance-like photo sessions, through Dolly Chugh’s accessible wisdom, to Elise Hu’s cultural critique and Ananthaswamy’s poetic science, each segment connects to the next in a manner that is conversational, empathetic, and deeply human.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:
Expect a journey from the apparently minor discomforts of school picture day to the profound mysteries of the mind, with stops at the superficial (skincare), the deeply moral (how we think of ourselves), and the existential. The episode insists there is no fixed self, but rather a continuous negotiation—a mosaic of internal stories, social pressures, embodied experiences, and neural construction. True peace with ourselves, the show suggests, may come only from embracing that complexity, leaning into difference, and being open to growth.