Ted Talks have been a pervasive idea around schools, universities, and companies alike. Here are just a few of my favorites that are guaranteed to help you learn something today!
1. Julian Treasure on "Speaking so that People Want to Listen"
In this talk by Julian Treasure, a sound and communication writer and expert, we delve into some of the most common "deadly sins" of speaking. While some of them seemed a little obvious to me at first, when I really thought about it, I realized how many of these sins I lay claim to in my everyday life. Treasure helps to recognize these and understand how to stop them at the root!
2. Amanda Palmer on "The Art of Asking"
This talk is a little bit of an interesting one. Amanda Palmer, a musician and artist, speaks on her experience with the raw connection she began to feel when she started her first job as a street performer. As a woman who couch surfs quite a bit, Palmer goes into the trust and courage it takes to step into this raw connection and how she found her way in the world.
3. Brené Brown on "The Power of Vulnerability"
Brené Brown is a qualitative researcher and storyteller whose main focus for the past few years has been shame. Her main goal was to understand shame and the power it has over regular people. What it turned into, though, was largely an in-depth look at vulnerability and how it can bring people into a closer relationship with each other. This talk explains Brown's process and what she found in her extensive research. I have found this to be one of the most captivating talks I've watched because she is such a wonderful speaker and she is so passionate about her research!
4. James Veitch on "What Happens When You Reply to a Spam Email"
Okay, so maybe this one won't necessarily make you smarter. But this talk by James Veitch is absolutely hilarious. A must-watch about what happens when you respond to a scam email and have fun with it!
5. Tim Urban on "Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator"
In this talk, Tim Urban goes well into the reason behind procrastination in modern society. Not only is he hilarious, but he also helps us to become aware of our "instant gratification monkey" so that we can quit the procrastination thing and be productive for once.
Sir Ken Robinson on "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
In this talk, Ken Robinson makes a profound and moving case for why our current education system undermines and destroys children's creativity, an then proposes an education system that promotes creativity rather than destroying it. Funny at times, and incredibly captivating, Robinson really gets at the heart of why creativity is so scarce in modern adults.
