NPR/TED Staff

We now face an increasing list of global crises. But why aren't more of us taking action? Naomi Klein compares our circumstances with those of previous generations who took action for lasting change.

As a history teacher who lived through the horrific Parkland school shooting, Diane Wolk-Rogers describes what it takes for movements to inspire change — and how her students are doing that now.

In 2012, Ann Morgan set out to read a book from nearly 200 different countries around the world. She describes how that experience challenged her limits and tested her assumptions.

Stepping outside of one's comfort zone can happen on different levels. Entrepreneur and humanitarian activist Dan Pallotta says that doing so is not only important for individuals — but for society.

How can we conquer our fears? Entrepreneur Tim Ferriss says that by taking action, we can train ourselves to accept discomfort, become more resilient, and expand our horizons.

Speaking up — especially about topics that are difficult to discuss — can be scary but necessary. Writer and blogger Luvvie Ajayi feels it's her role to push people outside their comfort zones.

Humans naturally seek out cliques or in-groups. But organizational psychologist Tanya Menon encourages us to break out of our social comfort zones, for wider opportunities to grow.

Spoken word poet Sarah Kay imagines what it would like to raise a child in a world of happiness, heartache, and everything in between.

Writer and former firefighter Caroline Paul argues that in order to raise confident girls, parents must encourage them to take risks and have the same kinds of adventures boys do.

Author Peggy Orenstein warns if parents don't educate kids about sex — the media will. She says that leads to risky behavior — and keeps young women from expecting equality in sexual relationships.

Children in war zones experience unimaginable hardship, says Dr. Aala El-Khani. She says parents must play a major role in helping children survive — even thrive — in the wake of trauma.

Former Stanford dean Julie Lythcott-Haims says overinvolved parents prevent kids from developing agency. She urges parents to focus on what's more important: unconditional love ... and chores.

How do you raise a child in a world taught to fear the color of their skin? Poet and writer Clint Smith explains the difficulty of black parenting, and the implications of being black in America.

When Bronx-native Dena Simmons received a scholarship to attend a majority white boarding school, she felt like an imposter. Simmons suggests ways students of color can be made to feel more accepted.

Why do pregnant women of color have different health outcomes from their white counterparts? Writer and activist Miriam Zoila Pérez explains the ways racism manifests for these women and their babies.

Former prosecutor Adam Foss lays out the damaging effects an arrest, a criminal record, and a prison sentence can have on marginalized individuals. He argues prosecutors can be at the helm of reform.

Identifying basic emotions in others — like fear, sadness or anger — seems instinctive, but psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett says we're doing more guesswork than we think.

When we can't describe how we're feeling, we say we "have no words." But in his made-up dictionary, writer John Koenig has invented words to describe our most abstract and ephemeral emotions.

Developmental researcher Kang Lee says scientists can detect emotions by reading subtle physiological signals beneath the surface of our skin.

Did past generations experience and express emotions the same way we do? Probably not, says historian Tiffany Watt Smith — perceptions of our emotions depend on the time and place.