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Would you let your friend pay for dinner? #TEDTalks

The check lands on the table. Everyone freezes. Do you let your friend pay and call it a gift? Insist on covering it? Or promise to get the next one? Corner Piece host Sabrina puts Taha, Melissa and the audience to the test, and it turns out “what do we owe each other?” is a…

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The check lands on the table. Everyone freezes.
Do you let your friend pay and call it a gift? Insist on covering it? Or promise to get the next one?
Corner Piece host Sabrina puts Taha, Melissa and the audience to the test, and it turns out “what do we owe each other?” is a much harder question than it sounds.
Visit to hear how it plays out.

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12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. @Casey-ip7ug

    October 30, 2026 at 12:14 pm

    C

  2. @imaginefun13

    October 30, 2026 at 12:33 pm

    Definitely C. The problem is actually remembering that you wanted to treat them back 😂

    • @KenTheAdventurer

      October 30, 2026 at 7:42 pm

      This works better if you have a thoughtful personality

  3. @juliegolick

    October 30, 2026 at 12:50 pm

    “Aw, thank you so much, that’s so kind! Let me get the next one.” (i.e. C, but not just planning in my head. Actually asking them to let me pay next time.)

  4. @pureorangeness

    October 30, 2026 at 1:11 pm

    C for sure. Friendship is about reciprocation, and you have to let them do something nice for you so they will accept when you something nice for them. It doesn’t always have to be a 1:1 value trade but it should be close and consistent.

    The last thing you want to do is make it difficult for people to express their affection by pushing back when they try to treat you.

  5. @lilywashere27

    October 30, 2026 at 2:21 pm

    B, then C. Unless the friend is way richer than me, then A

  6. @PiotrKaszuba8403

    October 30, 2026 at 2:33 pm

    A mix of A, B, and C. Yes to A in general, as receiving a gift is a good thing. Also, B, but do not insist. Instead, propose to share so they won’t think I want to take advantage of them, and if assured, go back to A and say thank you stronger. Plus C, keeping in mind that receiving and giving are the sides of the same coin and wanting to do the same for them in the future.

  7. @Sandrylene

    October 30, 2026 at 2:55 pm

    Definitely team C. I just did this with my sister this month, makes it much easier than constantly doing math or whatever.

  8. @jillie_chan

    October 30, 2026 at 2:56 pm

    Literally just did C the other day, my friend bought the movie tickets and so I got dinner

  9. @jqsminemeow

    October 30, 2026 at 4:17 pm

    ok but who is Bill?

  10. @mariapeaceangel

    October 30, 2026 at 5:35 pm

    I agree with the all three approach

  11. @chachopaul695

    October 30, 2026 at 8:31 pm

    It is interesting to see how many different cultures play the “who gets to pay the bill” game.
    I’ve been out with friends from so many different backgrounds, and it’s always a battle to see who has the honor of paying.
    Typically, it ends with the host paying, and a promise from all guests to pay when they host. I think it’s beautiful to see.

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The Joy of Foraging Your Own Food | Alexis Nikole Nelson | TED

There’s a whole world of food growing right outside our doors — in our backyards, on sidewalks, in the parks we walk through every day — and most of us pass by it without a second glance. Alexis Nikole Nelson wants to change that. A self-described “ethnobotany nerd,” she’s spent years teaching people how to…

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There’s a whole world of food growing right outside our doors — in our backyards, on sidewalks, in the parks we walk through every day — and most of us pass by it without a second glance. Alexis Nikole Nelson wants to change that. A self-described “ethnobotany nerd,” she’s spent years teaching people how to forage the wild food hiding in plain sight. She explores how paying closer attention to what’s already around us can reconnect us to the land, our communities and each other. (This conversation, hosted by TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.) (Recorded at TED Membership on September 9, 2026)

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#TED #TEDTalks #Food

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What If You Could Read the DNA of Your Future Child? | Noor Siddiqui | TED

For all of human history, a baby’s DNA was determined by chance at conception: the so-called genetic lottery. “That era is over,” says Noor Siddiqui, whose company builds screening tools to read the whole genome of embryos in an effort to give parents more genetic information than standard IVF. She makes the case that this…

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For all of human history, a baby’s DNA was determined by chance at conception: the so-called genetic lottery. “That era is over,” says Noor Siddiqui, whose company builds screening tools to read the whole genome of embryos in an effort to give parents more genetic information than standard IVF. She makes the case that this kind of technology helps families understand and reduce health risks, raising the question: How much should we know about our children’s DNA before birth? (Followed by a brief Q&A with TED’s vision steward Sal Khan) (Recorded at TED2026 on April 15, 2026)

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

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#TED #TEDTalks #Health

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Can we eat our way to a stronger democracy? Civic leader Anuj Gupta believes that food is one of our last common denominators. (Recorded at TED Democracy Philadelphia on June 13, 2026) Join us in person at a TED conference: Become a TED Member to support our mission: Subscribe to a TED newsletter: Follow TED!…

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Can we eat our way to a stronger democracy? Civic leader Anuj Gupta believes that food is one of our last common denominators. (Recorded at TED Democracy Philadelphia on June 13, 2026)

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

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TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Humanity

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