If you’re anything like us, you see Ted talks as a black vortex of motivational lessons that are powerful enough to give you a new perspective on life every single day. Just when you think you know it all, a simple new Ted Talk can make you rethink your whole thought process.
Ted Talks, a popular platform for speakers to share their opinions about just about anything, now includes over 3,100 videos. So how do you pick out the best ones? Well, here are some of HMG’s personal favorites:
Jon Bowers – We should aim for perfection and stop fearing failure
Jon Bowers speaks on the flaws of not reaching for perfection in everything that we do. In his opinion, “trying our best isn’t good enough.” Although this could be a controversial saying, his logic is that seeking anything less than perfection limits our ability to find our full potential. In a world full of doctors, scientists, drivers, pharmacists, coders, and more, a simple mistake can make a world of a difference. The problem, he says, is not failing but accepting the failure and making it our limit.
Best Quotes:
“But to say that seeking perfection is too stressful is like saying that working out is too exhausting.”
“Failure and acceptance are necessary for success, it’s the acceptance of failure that’s not.”
“New definition of perfection: a willingness to do what is difficult to achieve what is right”
Guy Winch – How to fix a broken heart
Guy Winch speaks on what really causes someone to stay broken-hearted. He says that it is the addiction that keeps a broken heart from mending. Rather than accepting the fact that it didn’t work out for whatever reason, we tend to reject that reason and believe that the cause of the breakup is as dramatic as how we feel right then. We often become addicted to finding a satisfying answer to why things ended rather than accepting that they did. However, there will never be a satisfying answer so are left constantly searching and hurting and don’t realize that we are simply feeding our addiction by clinging onto the past relationship.
Best Quotes:
“Getting over heartbreak is not a journey, it’s a fight.”
“When you go through heartbreak, the same instincts you ordinarily rely on will lead you down the wrong path time and time again.”
“None of us are immune to heartbreak.”
Regina Hartley: Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume
Regina Hartley speaks about the story behind a person’s resume. In this Ted Talk, she explains two categories of applicants “the silver spoon” and “the scrapper.” While she emphasizes that she has nothing against the “silver spoon,” she draws attention to the probable story of “the scrapper.” “The scrapper,” she says, could indicate someone who fought through unfavorable odds rather than someone who is under-qualified.
Best Quotes:
“On the flip side, what happens when your whole life was destined for failure, and you actually succeed?”
“They don’t think they are who they are despite of adversity, they know they are who they are because of adversity.”
“Scrappers know that humor gets you through the tough times and laughter helps you change your perspective.”
Emilie Wapnick- Why some of us don’t have one true calling
Emilie Wapnick speaks on the infamous question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” In her opinion, our society has romanticized the “one true calling” idea of having one, single destiny. However, some people simply aren’t wired that way. People shouldn’t be punished for being a “multipotentialite” or someone who has multiple creative interests. She shares the strengths of exploring the possibilities of having more than one “true calling.”
Best Quotes:
“At some point the question goes from being a fun exercise to the thing that keeps us up at night.”
“While this question inspires kids to dream about what they can be, it doesn’t inspire them to dream about all that they can be.”
“Embrace your inner wiring, if you’re a specialist at heart, then by all means specialize. If you’re a multipotentialite… embrace your many passions. “
Andrew Tarvin – The skill of humor
Andrew Tarvin speaks on the power of humor. By analogizing his grandmother’s use of text messaging, Tarvin tells us how humor can help us in not only everyday situations, but also in the workplace and in our own mindsets. Humor, he says, has so much power because there is not a single person who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh and not a single person who can’t make at least one person laugh.
Best Quotes:
“Humor gets people to listen”
“Naps are the human version of powering it on and off again”
“The reality is no one has ever gotten fired for telling a bad joke. (not to be confused as an inappropriate joke).”