Top 10 TED Talks That Could Change Your Life
There is no time like the present to grow or improve, and few resources are as helpful as TED talks. Along those lines, here are the 10 best TED talks we featured at Lifehacker or were popular at TED.
The summary of all the videos below is just a quick introduction to the subject. They can’t properly do justice to these speakers’ presentations, so hopefully you’ll have about 20 minutes for each video (or come back to watch the rest later).
10. Your body language shapes your personality
Change your posture, change your life. Amy Cuddy explains how even pretending to be strong body language can reduce stress and make you more confident . Getting into a power pose is such a small thing, but it can be critical when you’re in a stressful situation, such as an interview or promotion negotiations.
9. The strength of vulnerability
We all feel vulnerable and at times fearful of uncertainty, but these situations can be powerful pathways to growth. Bren Brown’s Human Relationship Research shows that happier people tend to accept the unknown, and that vulnerability makes them feel better and more beautiful .
8. Mathematics of love.
Still looking for someone special? The mathematician Hannah Fry provides some math tips for finding the perfect match, including not using the perfect online dating photo .
7. Why we all need emotional first aid
Psychologist Guy Winch argues in his TED talk that too many of us don’t care about our emotional and mental health as much as we care about our bodies (and things like brushing our teeth). Loneliness, guilt and other psychological trauma can be even more dangerous than physical trauma. Try to think of emotional wounds as physical .
6. I am the son of a terrorist. This is how I chose the world.
“It takes a lot of energy to hold on to hate.” This is a message from Zach Ebrahim’s touching TED talk , his story of taking a path other than the violence and bigotry he grew up with. While his story deals with a very specific topic of terrorism and intimidation, Ebrahim shares several important lessons: Use your experiences to develop better empathy , because meeting people from different walks of life will expand your life, and regardless of your environment or family ideology, you are not them. …
5. How to speak so that people want to listen
Everyone wants to be heard when they speak – not only heard, but also listened. In part, we can all use it to become better listeners , but the other part is changing the way we communicate with others. Sound Consultant Julian Treasure suggests the HAIL method for communicating with others so that they trust what you say and pay attention to: honesty, authenticity, decency and love.
4. How to make difficult choices
You can’t live your life without making difficult decisions . The philosopher Ruth Change helps us make life-changing decisions by looking inward — it’s the ability to decide who you want to be.
3. Why we do what we do
What motivates you and makes you do what you do? What drives you today? Tony Robbins says that “emotions are the invisible force of inner attraction .” We all have a wonderful mind and think intellectually, but it is our emotions that determine the quality of our life. According to Robbins, performing is an art and it’s all about appreciation and input. (Watch it at least 5:30 am to 5:40 am to get an A from Al Gore.)
2. You can grow new brain cells. That’s how
Who doesn’t need more active brain cells? Neuroscientist Sanrin Thure points out three things you can do to grow new brain cells through neurogenesis: learning, sex, and running. We love it.
1. My intuition
Brain researcher Jill Bolt Taylor’s description of how the brain works and how it feels after a massive stroke is one of the most emotional TED talks you have ever seen. It is about self-awareness, near-death experience and, most importantly, that we are all energetic beings associated with the energy around us, including each other. Whether you value the spiritual overtones or not, Dr. Taylor’s remark that “we have the ability to choose, moment by moment, who and how we want to be in this world” is powerful advice.