Do you usually listen to TED talks? If not, perhaps now would be a good time to begin. Many people find them a great source of inspiration and motivation. Of course, in order for such talk to draw your attention, it should be on a topic that interests you or one of general interest.
Here is a list of some of the most inspiring TED talks.
Interesting & Inspiring TED Talks Everyone Should Listen To
ImgCredits – ted.com
1. Pope Francisc – Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone
This 18 minutes speech aims to send several important messages including:
- We are not alone and independent, but connected parts of a whole. If we want our whole to progress, if we want a brighter future, we need to rediscover and restore our connections to the people around us.
- We should pursue not only scientific and technical innovation but also equality and social inclusion.
- Instead of taking interest in faraway planets, we should care more about the needs of the people around us.
- We should show mercy and solidarity in all instances, and focus less on our own needs and more on those of our close ones.
- We should have our own revolution, but make it one of love and tenderness, one in which we rise and descend to the level of those around us, we open our hearts, and we remain humble.
2. Gary Kasparov – Don’t Fear Intelligent Machines; Work With Them
No doubt that this is one of the best inspirational TED talks of this year.
Kasparov’s defeat after a decade of being the world’s chess champion must have hurt.
However, instead of crying for himself and trying to fight technology, he decided to embrace it. This is a life lesson he now shares with passion, one we should all embrace.
Intelligent machines are here, and they won’t disappear or lose their capacity no matter what we do. But we’re not in a contest. Intelligent machines have their strengths, instructions, calculations, and objectivity.
We have our own:
- understanding
- passion
- and purpose
We invented machines to make our lives easier and fulfill our dreams. We should keep that in mind at all times, and not let failures discourage them. Our essence is not intelligence, but the ability to dream and the ambition to pursue our dreams even when all odds seem against us.
Check out the full talk here: Don’t fear intelligent machines
3. Elon Musk – The Future We’Re Building – and Boring
If anyone knows what the future will look like, that’s Elon Musk, the founder, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX. He doesn’t hesitate to share his visions with the rest of us.
Listening to him talk about underground tunnels and electric vehicles really makes you dream and hope.
What do you learn? The solutions to the world’s biggest challenges are sometimes under our nose, but we don’t see them, or, worse, we laugh at them.
The world laughed at TESLA when they launched their electric cars, yet all automakers are following their lead. Everyone envisions air transport, yet the underground provides safer conditions.
The key is to never give up. With hard work, perseverance, and innovation, anything is possible, as long as you want it bad enough.
Who knew autopilot cars would drive us to destination a couple of years ago?
It wouldn’t have happened, had it not been for the dreamers and those who believed in their dreams.
Click here to listen to Elon Musk’s speech on the future we’re building.
4. Tim Ferris – Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals
If you’re not familiar with Tim Ferris, now would be a good time to find out more about him. You will probably fall in love with his simple yet convincing talks. This time, he does a great job explaining how our fears can hold us back and prevent us from achieving our dreams.
According to him, fear stalls progress. We don’t even realize it, but our fears paralyze us and prevent us from pursuing and reaching our goals.
Instead of allowing fear to stand in our way, we should make identifying and facing it our main goal.
Therefore, if you want to progress, to do something with your life, start by identifying your fears. Once you know what they are and you find the courage to face them, everything else will follow naturally.
Here’s Tim Ferris TED talk.
5. Rutger Bregman – Poverty Isn’t a Lack of Character; It’s a Lack of Cash
The passionate historian argues that, contrary to what many seem to believe to this day, poverty has nothing to do with character.
It is strictly related to the lack of money, and it could be eliminated if all people would benefit from a minimum income meant to cover their basic needs.
He proposes an interesting wealth distribution model relying on universal basic income (UBI).
He suggests that, if you give people the money they need to ensure their day to day living, they will exceed their condition and begin to produce too.
It seems a 1970 experiment has already proved that poverty can be eliminated.
6. Luma Mufleh – Don’t Feel Sorry for Refugees — Believe in them
While the entire world is on verge of despair, not knowing how to end or handle every day more threatening immigration waves, a woman, one of their own, comes to take their side. She does this by sharing her own story as a Syrian refugee.
Take it from someone whose husband’s mission is to stop immigrants at the border, that their children really hurt, and any helping hand has the potential to change their life.
Just imagine toddlers dragged through mud, wind, and rain, hungry and with worn-out or inadequate clothing, to cross a border that leads nowhere.
Their parents have target destinations in mind, and may not want to rest until they reach them. Their children, on the other hand, really miss the warmth of a home, the taste of a lasting meal, and the feel of a bed.
They’re often left behind scared, traumatized, vulnerable.
Everyone can help change their lives for the better with a little compassion and commitment.
Yet another must-watch inspirational TED talk of a refugee, is here. Click here to listen to her.
7. Mehdi Ordikhani – Seyedlar – What Happens in Your Brain When You Pay Attention?
What you make of the above talks will inherently depend on the attention you pay to them. I thought it would be interesting to end this list with a talk that actually explains what happens with our brains when we focus on something.
Neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar does a great job explaining and proving that, when trying to process important information, the human brain filters out certain data. According to him, this discovery may be the first step towards communicating with patients in a coma or suffering from ADHD.
Which of these talks really moved you? Leave it in the comments section below.
Also, share your favorite TED talks with your friends and family. Do not forget to subscribe with us and stay tuned with awesome content.
