5 GREAT Ted Talks and some not so good
- Ayushi Mishra
- Oct 27, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 24, 2022
Disclaimer: The videos suggested are best suited for people in schools and colleges. Also, the views are personal.
Let me start with asking a few questions so that you can decide whether this blog is for you or not. Do you Google videos to make yourself feel better? If a Ted Talk, do you sometimes find the title relatable but the content not so much? It happens to me. After watching multitudinous videos, I have sorted a few Ted Talks. There obviously may exist finer Ted Talks, but it's all a matter of taste and the TED Talks I skipped because I might have not needed them.
I deem a Ted Talk (or a general talk/speech) riveting if:
It has a humorous component.
It does not intimidate you.
The speaker is not too self referential.
Give examples rather than just explaining theoretical aspects.
Give novel insights apart from the regular opinions.
The first point is fairly clear.
Let me explain the second point. So basically we open a Ted Talk to listen to something motivational, feel good about ourselves and go down the road that the videos suggest. I recently Googled a Ted Talk on “worrying” and I came across this video:
You can check it out.
Maybe this video is good for others but it’s not my cup of tea. It lacks a humorous component and the most important thing is that the woman mentions that she is a workaholic and used to work in really great company with really great people and has opened her own company (For almost four minutes she discusses this).I mean, I came here to ease my fear of all the things you have. So I don't know what “worries” she is talking about.
I know there exists something called anticipatory anxiety that may be her case, but I just can’t relate. The reason for the disrelish lies in the fact that her situation and age is really incompatible to mine.
It may be acceptable for a person who is in a job position.
Next, I opened this video because I make emotional decisions and want to get rid of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFbv757kup4
This video is an example of the speaker talking too much about themslef and you just can't relate to it and apply their school of thought. Obviously real life examples are much more lucid than any theoretical approach of explaining things, but I’m sorry, I CAN’T RELATE.
PS: This woman is indeed mentally strong. If I were in her shoes, I couldn't imagine continuing my life further. Someone who has lost their loved one, and facing constant family problems can watch this. This video is not for a teen/adult worrying about, say school.
5 good TED Talks are as follows:
1. The 3 Myths of the Indian Education System | Vinay Menon | TEDxThiruvananthapuram
My recent favorite:
Everyone talks about the drawbacks of the Indian education system, but he has something different to discuss. Just go and watch. It is wonderful.
2. How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal
This one gives another way to look at stress. The day I watched it, I could say I actually learned something new. (If you watched the above video before reading this sentence, you would know why the previous words are highlighted)
Are you the person who can relate to the following situations or a situation related to it?
You are talking to a person and they are checking their phone making you extremely annoyed.
You are giving a presentation and the teacher is talking to another teacher on phone or in person and you start saying them “things”.
Your friend dodges your call every time you call them.
3. How not to take things personally? | Frederik Imbo | TEDxMechelen
So, if you are the one who takes things personally, you should definitely watch. It's not exactly a panacea, but it's highly effective for a long time.
For example if you watched it today and you feel like the videos’ effect is fading (maybe after 2-3 months), you can rewatch it.
4. Inside the mind of a master procrastinator | Tim Urban
It is the MOST famous one, and a person who regularly watches Ted Talk has surely watched it, ergo, I didn't mention it in the start.
Are you a procrastinator? (YES WE ARE)
This one is funny, it is relatable and it's just the BEST. Although its brilliance masks the fact that the speaker has not suggested a lot of things to help you overcome procrastination, but I think procrastination can only be sorted through willpower, so it's not much of a mistake of the speaker.
5. The Super Mario Effect - Tricking Your Brain into Learning More | Mark Rober | TEDxPenn
Wanting to keep learning is something that almost everyone desires but may carry a fear of failing and wasting their time. And once they enter the cycle, they just don’t want to leave it. But if the flow is broken, you are gone!!! This video is amazing for this pickle.
I actually learned something new.