20 of My Favorite Ted Talks and Why I Liked Them So Much
Are you a watcher of Ted? Do you have a list of favorite Ted talks, as I do?
TED.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a media organization which posts talks online for free distribution, under the slogan “ideas worth spreading.”
It was founded in February 1984 as a conference, which has been held annually since 1990.[ TED’s early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its Silicon Valley origins, but it has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific, cultural, and academic topics.
TED events are also held throughout North America and in Europe and Asia, offering live streaming of the talks. They address a wide range of topics within the research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling.
The speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can.
TED’s current curator is the British former computer journalist and magazine publisher Chris Anderson.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” If this sounds like a philosophy you can relate to, then you’ll love TED talks. These informational 18-minute presentations are given at annual conferences by some of the world’s greatest thinkers.
The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work.
Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.
Before proceeding further, I heard a story about Joe DiMaggio. Let me tell you about it.
Joe DiMaggio was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. A three-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award, DiMaggio was selected to the Major League All-Star team in each of his thirteen seasons. He is best known for his remarkable hitting streak during the 1941 season when he recorded a hit in fifty-six consecutive games—a record that still stands more than seventy-five years later.
The radio announcer explained a little-known story about how DiMaggio acquired his exceptional ability.
As the story goes, a journalist was interviewing DiMaggio at his home and asked him what it felt like to be such a “natural hitter.” Without saying a word, he dragged the reporter downstairs. In the shadows of the basement, DiMaggio picked up a bat and began to repeat a series of practice swings.
Before each swing, he would call out a particular pitch such as “fastball, low and away” or “slider, inside” and adjust his approach accordingly.
Once he finished the routine, DiMaggio set the bat down, picked up a piece of chalk, and scratched a tally mark on the wall.
Then he flicked on the lights to reveal thousands of tally marks covering the basement walls. Supposedly, DiMaggio then looked at the journalist and said, “Don’t you ever tell me that I’m a natural hitter again.”
We love stories like this—stories that highlight how remarkable success is the product of effort and perseverance.
In recent years, the study of hard work has developed into a scientific pursuit. Experts have begun to refer to focused and effortful training as “deliberate practice” and it is widely considered to be the recipe for success.
Like this story, the aim of Ted talks is simple: To inspire ideas and change attitudes around the world. As of April 2014, there were over 1,700 of these incredible talks available free online to choose from.
Sadly, listening to them all would take 20 days solid. Happily, you don’t have to because I’ve picked 20 of my favorite life-changing for you. Listen, learn, and enjoy.
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories.
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves.
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one.
You’ve never seen data presented like this. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, statistics guru Hans Rosling debunks myths about the so-called “developing world.”
“If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she’s gonna call me Point B … ” began spoken word poet, Sarah Kay, in a talk that inspired two standing ovations at TED2011.
She tells the story of her metamorphosis — from a wide-eyed teenager soaking in verse at New York’s Bowery Poetry Club to a teacher connecting kids with the power of self-expression through Project V.O.I.C.E. — and gives two breathtaking performances of “B” and “Hiroshima.”
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thought her country was “the best on the planet.” It wasn’t until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder.
She escaped the country at 14, to begin a life in hiding, as a refugee in China.
Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope — and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.
Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius.
It’s a funny, personal, and surprisingly moving talk.
Hailed as the greatest pickpocket in the world, Apollo Robbins studies the quirks of human behavior as he steals your watch.
In a hilarious demonstration, Robbins samples the buffet of the TED Global 2013 audience, showing how the flaws in our perception make it possible to swipe a wallet and leave it on its owner’s shoulder while they remain clueless.
In a lively show, mathemagician Arthur Benjamin races a team of calculators to figure out 3-digit squares, solves another massive mental equation, and guesses a few birthdays.
Biologist Richard Dawkins makes a case for “thinking the improbable” by looking at how the human frame of reference limits our understanding of the universe.
By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it’s like to be young and … different. “To This Day,” his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators).
Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson.
In an emotionally charged talk, MacArthur-winning activist Majora Carter details her fight for environmental justice in the South Bronx — and shows how minority neighborhoods suffer most from flawed urban policy.
Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself.
Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we’re left, right, or center.
In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.
The bottom line
Well, what is your conclusion? Will you join the Ted watchers club?
If you see the world from a different perspective, let us know in the comments which of these talks were your favorites. You can also add the ones that we missed so that others can enjoy them too!
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More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
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Know These Great Secrets of Collaboration and Co-Creation
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Mike Schoultz likes to write about the topics that lead to small business success. He also likes to share his many business experiences. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
