http://www.ted.com/talks/tavi_gevinson_a_teen_just_trying_to_figure_it_out.html
Tavi Gavinson's TED talk was just so... Relatable. I don't know why, I think it was all of of it. Everything about it, starting with the fact that she was 15 when she gave it (she might still be, I don't know). But it was fun to listen to, unlike a lot of the other ones I have watched. It was about fashion, and feminism, and growing up. It also was about books or movies, and the characters in them. It was like she was talking about everything that I am interested in.
The main topic of her talk was feminism, and growing up. It was how people expect unrealistic things when it comes to women, and girls have a hard time finding themselves amongst those expectations. It's true when you think about it- a lot of female characters in books or movies are very flat, as she said. Many women have one or two traits, such as Hermione in Harry Potter- she is intelligent, and she is loyal. But that never changes, throughout all seven books. When realistically, she would have changed more than that. Not to shun Hermione- she is probably one of the characters that I look up to the most in all the books I have read. I feel like I can relate to Hermione- but we are nothing alike. There are so many other things that I do, so many other passions I have, other personality traits. She remains brave and loyal the entire series, and I haven't always been brave and loyal. Truth be told, she is flat, compared to me. (Sorry, Hermione.... I love you...) I really liked the message of Tavi's talk, because was so true- women and teenagers are not just one personality trait, unchanging forever. We are bundles of conflict, and that's okay.
1. My take away from this video is that just because I am a feminist (I do actually consider myself one) doesn't mean I have to be against the whole institution that is being a girl. I think I always knew this, but there were times when I have told myself 'you should disagree with this because it is girly' or 'if you were a feminist, you would do this'. I think the fact that she said this out loud made it clear to me, made me realize that I already knew.
2. I think Tavi's effective speaking techniques were that she was just overall very likable. I realize that this is more a personality trait, but it's true! The way she said things wasn't particularly dynamic, but there were plenty of jokes, and when she messed up, it was like she was talking to the audience, not giving a speech. There are two kinds of speeches- the ones where the audience is a group, separate from the speaker, who is giving a performance, and then there are the ones where the audience it simply a group of people, who the speaker is talking to and interacting with. I personally prefer the second kind- with the first kind, it always seems like they are talking at me, not to me. The second kind was the kind she used, when she messed up her slides, and it made her more likable.
3. Tavi's presentation style was very quirky. You could tell that she had put a lot of work into it, but it was very cute, not especially professional- which fit with her entire theme. There are many TED talks where the presentation just looks like it is someone trying too hard the entire time. Or not trying hard enough. Like the ones where the person mentions the light at the end of the tunnel, and they show a picture of a light at the end of a tunnel. And I'm like.... Okay, you seriously just google imaged 'light at end of tunnel'. How exactly is this helping my TED talk experience? It wasn't that Tavi had put tons of time and effort into her slides, it was that she had put some thought into them. Plus, they made everyone laugh. That is a plus.
4. This message is important to me, and to all girls, because it is about growing up as a girl. It is about finding yourself, which all girls need to do at some point- if it is sooner rather than later, all the power to you! Every girl should know that they don't have to be consistent all the time- it's okay. If every girl realized she could stop trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, there would be a lot less unhappy girls in the world.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Dave Eggers' TED Talk
The first thing I noticed about Dave Eggers? That would be how obviously nervous he was. It was ridiculous. He looked and sounded more nervous than any of the people in all the talks I have seen.... Combined. Be he rolled with it. He didn't ignore the fact that he was nervous. He admitted it to the audience, which was good, because if he hadn't, it would have been weird. It kind of showed off his personality in a good light that he was able to make the audience laugh with him over his nervousness instead of at him.
I loved the topic of his TED talk. It was fantastic. The whole idea of the tutor groups with the funny shops in front was awesome. Although I have never been tutored, I think I would enjoy it if that was where I got to go and hang out every day.
1. I took away his challenge, which I though was great. It got me involved in his speech, even if I wasn't ACTUALLY involved. I also realllllly want to go visit that superhero supply store.
2. Dave Eggers was very nervous, but he rolled with it. He says "I just discover I do this with my hands when I'm nervous" as he held out his hands, which he was rubbing together furiously. While this wasn't very professional, it made him a lot more relatable to the audience, especially me, because I already get jitters in my stomach when I think about my TED talk. He also used a lot of pictures, of actual THINGS, instead of, like, pictures of lights at the end of a tunnel as he talked about finding enlightenment. Other TED talkers have done that before. He grew more confident as the talk went on, which was great, because although his nervousness was originally a little endearing, after fifteen minutes of it, I probably would have been rolling my eyes. Like, come on, man. It's hard to take you seriously when you look like you are about to pee your pants.
3. I want to call Dave Eggers' presentation style show and tell and challenge. He showed us what he had done, and what other people have done, and then he basically asked us what WE had done, and asked us to DO SOMETHING if we hadn't. His entire presentation was also very humorous, even if it wasn't if the traditional sense. He was talking about stuff that was funny, but he himself wasn't making jokes. Plus, at least in me case, everything he was talking about was just very interesting.
4. This connects to me because I think it would be TOTALLY AWESOME to go and hang out at a place like one of the tutoring centers that he talked about. That was fantastic. I think it matters to education because if more education was done that way, in a fun, adventuring sense, then I think kids would be much more into it. It really plays into the whole 'making life more right brained' think Daniel Pink talks about in A Whole New Mind.
3. I want to call Dave Eggers' presentation style show and tell and challenge. He showed us what he had done, and what other people have done, and then he basically asked us what WE had done, and asked us to DO SOMETHING if we hadn't. His entire presentation was also very humorous, even if it wasn't if the traditional sense. He was talking about stuff that was funny, but he himself wasn't making jokes. Plus, at least in me case, everything he was talking about was just very interesting.
4. This connects to me because I think it would be TOTALLY AWESOME to go and hang out at a place like one of the tutoring centers that he talked about. That was fantastic. I think it matters to education because if more education was done that way, in a fun, adventuring sense, then I think kids would be much more into it. It really plays into the whole 'making life more right brained' think Daniel Pink talks about in A Whole New Mind.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Joe Smith's TEDx Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
Joe Smith's TEDx talk was more of a tutorial, of sorts. How to use less paper towels. If people use his method (shake and fold) then they can save over 5 million paper towels each year. That was just about the depth of his talk- it was only 5 minutes long, but he covered his point. There isn't much to discuss- such as why paper towels should be saved, but it was still interesting to listen to.
1. In this video I learned how easy it would be to save paper towels. If everyone uses this simple method, then tadaa! Five million paper towels are of a job. Not a great thing for the paper towels, but hey, it saves the trees!
2. Joe Smith must have been nervous, or something, because at the beginning of his talk he screwed up the numbers. Not very effective, in my opinion. But what he did do well was get the audience engaged by assigning them words, and keep them engaged by having them repeat the words. He also made his talk a little bit interesting with his demonstration. Although, when he reached for the fourth or fifth paper towel, I did roll my eyes. (We saw you the first time, Joe. Now we all know how to dry our hands, and stretching my vocal chords to shout 'shake' doesn't really count as exercise). I liked how he used all the different kinds of paper towels, though, because I could relate.
3. As I said before, Joe Smith's presentation was very technical, visual. He did a demonstration (like FIVE TIMES) and involved the audience. When he held up the paper towels at the beginning and told us how many people took for each one, I laughed (at least at the recycled paper towel. True dat, brother). His entire presentation was very to the point, as well. This is what you should do, and if you do, it will be good. There wasn't much 'why' (him telling us it will save paper towels doesn't really count. WHY should we save paper towels? (Well, I mean, I know we should save paper towels, but he just didn't go into it....) I guess he would have run out of time if he explained, though. But wait. If he cut out three of his five demonstrations, he could have explained! Problem solved!)
4. I think everyone should use this method to dry their hands. Wasting paper and paper towels actually is a big deal, and it affects everyone, everywhere. It is going to stink when there are no more trees. Hopefully, that never happens! SAVE THE TREES, PEOPLE! SHAKE AND FOLD!
Joe Smith's TEDx talk was more of a tutorial, of sorts. How to use less paper towels. If people use his method (shake and fold) then they can save over 5 million paper towels each year. That was just about the depth of his talk- it was only 5 minutes long, but he covered his point. There isn't much to discuss- such as why paper towels should be saved, but it was still interesting to listen to.
1. In this video I learned how easy it would be to save paper towels. If everyone uses this simple method, then tadaa! Five million paper towels are of a job. Not a great thing for the paper towels, but hey, it saves the trees!
2. Joe Smith must have been nervous, or something, because at the beginning of his talk he screwed up the numbers. Not very effective, in my opinion. But what he did do well was get the audience engaged by assigning them words, and keep them engaged by having them repeat the words. He also made his talk a little bit interesting with his demonstration. Although, when he reached for the fourth or fifth paper towel, I did roll my eyes. (We saw you the first time, Joe. Now we all know how to dry our hands, and stretching my vocal chords to shout 'shake' doesn't really count as exercise). I liked how he used all the different kinds of paper towels, though, because I could relate.
3. As I said before, Joe Smith's presentation was very technical, visual. He did a demonstration (like FIVE TIMES) and involved the audience. When he held up the paper towels at the beginning and told us how many people took for each one, I laughed (at least at the recycled paper towel. True dat, brother). His entire presentation was very to the point, as well. This is what you should do, and if you do, it will be good. There wasn't much 'why' (him telling us it will save paper towels doesn't really count. WHY should we save paper towels? (Well, I mean, I know we should save paper towels, but he just didn't go into it....) I guess he would have run out of time if he explained, though. But wait. If he cut out three of his five demonstrations, he could have explained! Problem solved!)
4. I think everyone should use this method to dry their hands. Wasting paper and paper towels actually is a big deal, and it affects everyone, everywhere. It is going to stink when there are no more trees. Hopefully, that never happens! SAVE THE TREES, PEOPLE! SHAKE AND FOLD!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Frank Warren's TED Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/frank_warren_half_a_million_secrets.html
Frank Warren's TED Talk was different from the other talks that I have watched. It was less of a call to action and more him showing the world something that is important to him. While I think that having a purpose, a way to connect to the listeners is very important, I really liked his TED talk, mostly because of the topic. It intrigued me, the idea of all those secrets. I liked how he included a lot of different ones, different types. There were the funny ones, the cute ones, the serious ones. Every one made me feel something, and I connected with it.
However, his TED talk didn't really have a point to argue. I can't sit here and think about whether I agree with him or not, because he wasn't telling people to share their secrets (at least not as far as I could tell...) and he wasn't really saying anything against it either. He was just saying that people have many kinds of secrets and then giving examples. The examples were great and everything, but if they hadn't been there, well.... This wouldn't be a happy blog post. So now, instead of me saying whether he is right or wrong, I can only say that I think the idea of collecting secrets is cute.
1. The thing that I took away from this video is mainly that everybody has secrets. No matter how big they are, or how small, or how many people they affect, everyone has them. You may have them without even knowing it. And having secrets is okay. Other than that, I don't feel like I took much from this video in way of, say, what we are supposed to DO with those secrets. I guess his entire message was that everyone has them?
2. I loved the way Frank Warren used so many examples. Some were really profound, like the one about 9/11, and some were really funny like the one by the Starbucks employee. I also really liked how he used the audio, of the girl's grandmother's last message to her. Although using audio would not really be practical in a TED talk like ours, only five minutes long, I think it helped me connect more with the story he was trying to tell, and the point he was trying to get across. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not really sure what that point was.... (I wish he had included a call to action, or something....)
3. Frank Warren's style of speech is that he tells a lot of stories. He told the story about the man who proposed to his wife with the post card, and then about the granddaughter who saved her grandmother's last phone message to her. It helped me connect everything. It also kept me from losing interest. In a way, each post card that he showed had a story behind it.
4. I think the thing that is important from this video, for me and the world, is that everyone has secrets, and that it's okay to have them. Sometimes it helps to share them, even if you are only sharing them anonymously. This matters to education because teachers and students should remember that they never know everything about one another, and to never take anybody absolutely for granted.
Frank Warren's TED Talk was different from the other talks that I have watched. It was less of a call to action and more him showing the world something that is important to him. While I think that having a purpose, a way to connect to the listeners is very important, I really liked his TED talk, mostly because of the topic. It intrigued me, the idea of all those secrets. I liked how he included a lot of different ones, different types. There were the funny ones, the cute ones, the serious ones. Every one made me feel something, and I connected with it.
However, his TED talk didn't really have a point to argue. I can't sit here and think about whether I agree with him or not, because he wasn't telling people to share their secrets (at least not as far as I could tell...) and he wasn't really saying anything against it either. He was just saying that people have many kinds of secrets and then giving examples. The examples were great and everything, but if they hadn't been there, well.... This wouldn't be a happy blog post. So now, instead of me saying whether he is right or wrong, I can only say that I think the idea of collecting secrets is cute.
1. The thing that I took away from this video is mainly that everybody has secrets. No matter how big they are, or how small, or how many people they affect, everyone has them. You may have them without even knowing it. And having secrets is okay. Other than that, I don't feel like I took much from this video in way of, say, what we are supposed to DO with those secrets. I guess his entire message was that everyone has them?
2. I loved the way Frank Warren used so many examples. Some were really profound, like the one about 9/11, and some were really funny like the one by the Starbucks employee. I also really liked how he used the audio, of the girl's grandmother's last message to her. Although using audio would not really be practical in a TED talk like ours, only five minutes long, I think it helped me connect more with the story he was trying to tell, and the point he was trying to get across. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not really sure what that point was.... (I wish he had included a call to action, or something....)
3. Frank Warren's style of speech is that he tells a lot of stories. He told the story about the man who proposed to his wife with the post card, and then about the granddaughter who saved her grandmother's last phone message to her. It helped me connect everything. It also kept me from losing interest. In a way, each post card that he showed had a story behind it.
4. I think the thing that is important from this video, for me and the world, is that everyone has secrets, and that it's okay to have them. Sometimes it helps to share them, even if you are only sharing them anonymously. This matters to education because teachers and students should remember that they never know everything about one another, and to never take anybody absolutely for granted.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Clay Shirky's TED Talk
Clay Shirky's TED Talk is about cognitive surplus- according to the summary of it in the bar next to the video. I wouldn't be able to say what it is about, myself. The entire time he was talking, I felt like I could understand his words, but not his points. This may sound like I was not paying attention, but I swear, I was- but he never drew me in. He never made me care. He never mentioned anything that I thought involved me.
It's not that his ideas aren't interesting, because they are. I think it's so cool that people from all over the world can collaborate on things via the internet. If two heads are better than one, how about a billion? But that's one piece of information, not really something you can base an entire TED talk on (well, a good TED talk, at least....). If the world has so much potential, then what can we do with it? What can we look forward to? What should we be careful to avoid? There are so many things he could have talked about relating to this. And most of all, a thing that he's missing... A call to action. As far as I can tell, there wasn't one. I don't know, maybe I missed it. But at the end on the TED talk, I felt like saying to him, "Okay, Mr. Shirky, that's a very interesting theory that you have there, and I would like to hear more about it. But first of all, what do you want me to DO about it?" Because I honestly had no idea.
1. I honestly don't know. I think it is very interesting to think about the fact that everyone collaborates on the internet. We can do almost anything, together. I think it is probably something I will think about whenever I use Wikipedia from now on. But other than than, nothing left a big enough impression on me to say that I 'took it away' from the talk.
2. Clay Shirky's effective speaking techniques- hmmm. I am not sure what to say. He was very fluent, he had done his research, and I felt like he had some of the good elements that we saw in other TED talks. The visual aids- lol catz, and the interesting story about the woman at the very beginning of his talk. I felt like he intended the cat pictures to be funny, but they weren't- and they could have been had he presented them differently. I kind of felt like his presentation was monotone- nothing changed, the entire talk. He should have found ways to break it up, to make it more attention grabbing. And a final thing. I didn't know what he was trying to talk about until the very end. I kept waiting for him to announce it, but the announcement never came. At the end, i didn't know what he expected from me. His he want me to get out there and start collaborating, or something else entirely. I just wasn't sure about anything.
3. Very monotone, very fast. I felt like Clay Shirky almost rushed through his talk, and he didn't change his tone, or pause in talking ever. Like he was too nervous, and he thought no one would laugh. Like he just wanted to get everything over with. As far as presentation styles go, this is not one I would recommend.
4. I think the thing that matters that Clay Shirky talked about was that we can collaborate and do almost anything. I think that if enough people work together, we can solve all the world's problems. It is important for people to realize that we all can and should collaborate. Hopefully, when they do realize it, it will make the world a better place.
It's not that his ideas aren't interesting, because they are. I think it's so cool that people from all over the world can collaborate on things via the internet. If two heads are better than one, how about a billion? But that's one piece of information, not really something you can base an entire TED talk on (well, a good TED talk, at least....). If the world has so much potential, then what can we do with it? What can we look forward to? What should we be careful to avoid? There are so many things he could have talked about relating to this. And most of all, a thing that he's missing... A call to action. As far as I can tell, there wasn't one. I don't know, maybe I missed it. But at the end on the TED talk, I felt like saying to him, "Okay, Mr. Shirky, that's a very interesting theory that you have there, and I would like to hear more about it. But first of all, what do you want me to DO about it?" Because I honestly had no idea.
1. I honestly don't know. I think it is very interesting to think about the fact that everyone collaborates on the internet. We can do almost anything, together. I think it is probably something I will think about whenever I use Wikipedia from now on. But other than than, nothing left a big enough impression on me to say that I 'took it away' from the talk.
2. Clay Shirky's effective speaking techniques- hmmm. I am not sure what to say. He was very fluent, he had done his research, and I felt like he had some of the good elements that we saw in other TED talks. The visual aids- lol catz, and the interesting story about the woman at the very beginning of his talk. I felt like he intended the cat pictures to be funny, but they weren't- and they could have been had he presented them differently. I kind of felt like his presentation was monotone- nothing changed, the entire talk. He should have found ways to break it up, to make it more attention grabbing. And a final thing. I didn't know what he was trying to talk about until the very end. I kept waiting for him to announce it, but the announcement never came. At the end, i didn't know what he expected from me. His he want me to get out there and start collaborating, or something else entirely. I just wasn't sure about anything.
3. Very monotone, very fast. I felt like Clay Shirky almost rushed through his talk, and he didn't change his tone, or pause in talking ever. Like he was too nervous, and he thought no one would laugh. Like he just wanted to get everything over with. As far as presentation styles go, this is not one I would recommend.
4. I think the thing that matters that Clay Shirky talked about was that we can collaborate and do almost anything. I think that if enough people work together, we can solve all the world's problems. It is important for people to realize that we all can and should collaborate. Hopefully, when they do realize it, it will make the world a better place.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Daniel Pink's TED Talk
The right brained way is the way to go, says Daniel Pink in his TED Talk. It's not that the left brained way is bad- it's just that the right brained way should be used more. Daniel Pink's basic message was that the left brain is more narrow minded- it focuses on one solution, while it may not be the only solution or the best solution. However, the right brain is open minded. It analyzes all the solutions. It is more creative, less quick to judge. It is ideal for situations when people are under pressure. It works better in places that are less structured.
This is another part of Daniel Pink's talk. The right brain works better, and having free time, to do what they want, people unknowingly activate that part of the brain. In an unstructured work space, productivity often goes up. Another thing- if there is a reward for a person, for accomplishing a task, then (as weird as it may seem), it often takes them longer to finish the task. This is because in some way, the idea of a reward is connecting with the person's left brain.
1. Of the TED Talks I have watched so far, I liked this one the best. It may be the topic. This whole topic, about motivation, made me think. It's important to make the audience think, even if they aren't thinking good things. What stuck with me the most was his example of the candle problem- where the people have to take a candle and a box of thumb tacks and attach the candle to the wall so it doesn't drip on the table. It made me wonder what I would have done if I had been given the task- once he revealed the solution, it seemed so obvious, but it hadn't actually occurred yet. I also liked his talk about how productive an unstructured workspace could be. His wikipedia references stuck with me also.
2. Daniel Pink was very effective in having the audience connect with him- he talked about something so rudimentary, that applies to everyone. Motivation. Everyone has some, even if it's only motivation to get a reward. He put it in a way that people had to think about. He also referenced stuff that almost everyone has experience with- by that I mean wikipedia. He mentioned how successful it was, and it was easy to understand what he was saying because I could relate. When I want to see how many times Elizabeth Taylor has been married, I look it up on wikipedia, not encarta. (Oh, and she was married 8 times to 7 different guys, if you were wondering).
3. Daniel Pink's presentation style was hard thinking, broken up by humor. It also involves the audience- it makes them think, but about themselves. It makes them compare themselves with what he is saying. And then he breaks up the thinking with humor. However, he kept the humor intellectual, in my opinion, which fit with the rest of his presentation very well.
4. I think the things Daniel Pink talked about in his TED Talk are things everyone should think about. What motivates them? Should they try to change it? Also, how are they trying to motivate others? I think that the world (or at least some people) would be much happier if people followed a structure where people were required to motivate themselves. I can connect with it because, although I do not have a technical job yet, and I cannot change the structure of school, it makes me think about whether or not I would want an unstructured job when I get older.
This is another part of Daniel Pink's talk. The right brain works better, and having free time, to do what they want, people unknowingly activate that part of the brain. In an unstructured work space, productivity often goes up. Another thing- if there is a reward for a person, for accomplishing a task, then (as weird as it may seem), it often takes them longer to finish the task. This is because in some way, the idea of a reward is connecting with the person's left brain.
1. Of the TED Talks I have watched so far, I liked this one the best. It may be the topic. This whole topic, about motivation, made me think. It's important to make the audience think, even if they aren't thinking good things. What stuck with me the most was his example of the candle problem- where the people have to take a candle and a box of thumb tacks and attach the candle to the wall so it doesn't drip on the table. It made me wonder what I would have done if I had been given the task- once he revealed the solution, it seemed so obvious, but it hadn't actually occurred yet. I also liked his talk about how productive an unstructured workspace could be. His wikipedia references stuck with me also.
2. Daniel Pink was very effective in having the audience connect with him- he talked about something so rudimentary, that applies to everyone. Motivation. Everyone has some, even if it's only motivation to get a reward. He put it in a way that people had to think about. He also referenced stuff that almost everyone has experience with- by that I mean wikipedia. He mentioned how successful it was, and it was easy to understand what he was saying because I could relate. When I want to see how many times Elizabeth Taylor has been married, I look it up on wikipedia, not encarta. (Oh, and she was married 8 times to 7 different guys, if you were wondering).
3. Daniel Pink's presentation style was hard thinking, broken up by humor. It also involves the audience- it makes them think, but about themselves. It makes them compare themselves with what he is saying. And then he breaks up the thinking with humor. However, he kept the humor intellectual, in my opinion, which fit with the rest of his presentation very well.
4. I think the things Daniel Pink talked about in his TED Talk are things everyone should think about. What motivates them? Should they try to change it? Also, how are they trying to motivate others? I think that the world (or at least some people) would be much happier if people followed a structure where people were required to motivate themselves. I can connect with it because, although I do not have a technical job yet, and I cannot change the structure of school, it makes me think about whether or not I would want an unstructured job when I get older.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Jonathan Haidt's Ted Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_humanity_s_stairway_to_self_transcendence.html
Religion is a thing that everyone has, reasons Jonathan Haidt in his TED Talk. Even the people who don't believe in a god, or a practice. Everyone follows something- self-transcendence. Self-transcendence is when a person tries to lose themselves in something, whether it be religion, nature, or dance. But most often, people lose themselves when the work in a group.
There is something about being a part of a group that makes people happy. It makes them give up their own selfish wants and needs, and lets them experience true happiness. People evolved through group selection, Jonathan Haidt says. It is one of Darwin's laws that groups are stronger than individual people. Jonathan Haidt points out that when people are on the same team, working for the same goals, they cooperate, even if they may have individual goals of their own. He uses the example of a rowing team- the individual members of the rowing team are competing, because the slowest rower might be replaced or kicked off the team. But when they are in a race, against another team in another boat they work together. Because "they are all in the same boat". While some people may ask if it is a good idea to lose yourself, to lose all your individual ambition and goals, Jonathan Haigt says that it isn't a bad idea. People are stronger in groups. People radiate naturally towards groups- nobody wants to be the odd man out. And in a way, that is their religion.
1. I agree with Jonathan Haidt that everyone is spiritual in some way, whether they are aware of it or not. The idea that working together in a group is spiritual is something that I never thought about before, but I can certainly agree with him. When people work together, there is really a sense of community, especially if it goes well. The idea that we evolved this way I followed a little less. I'm not particularly religious, but in my mind, science and spirituality don't exactly mix. I accept evolution as fact, but religion, and stories about how we humans came to be, seem to exist almost on a different plane. They are separate, even though they are talking about the same basic thing. This is why, when he talked about religion, but he also started talking about evolution, it was hard for me to connect the two. In my mind, there's a difference between having evolved into beings with morals, who want to achieve self-transcendence, and spiritual humans who want to achieve the same thing. I'm not really sure why my mind works this way.
2. Throughout his TED talk, Jonathan Haidt used a lot of visual aids. Pictures, videos, dioramas. He also used audio, when he was talking about excerpts from books. This kept it interesting, because you never knew when he would use and interesting diorama or picture. He also used a lot of facts and stories- not stories of his own personal experience, but of other's experiences. He talked about psychological things that people could relate to, but only if they thought about it. I think this made me pay more attention.
3. Jonathan Haidt's TED talk wasn't particularly funny, but it did keep me interested. This was mainly because he provided so many pictures for the audience to look at. It appealed to most styles of learning, because it was both visual and audio.
4. This topic, religion and why we have it, is important to me because I don't exactly have a religion- but I would like to. I currently am very interested in Buddhism. I think it's good to think about why we have religion, instead of just... having it. This is something I can apply to all religions, not just necessarily my own. I think that this is something the entire world should think about, because it kind of groups all religions together- religions may be different, but they all have the same basis. People shouldn't discriminate.
Religion is a thing that everyone has, reasons Jonathan Haidt in his TED Talk. Even the people who don't believe in a god, or a practice. Everyone follows something- self-transcendence. Self-transcendence is when a person tries to lose themselves in something, whether it be religion, nature, or dance. But most often, people lose themselves when the work in a group.
There is something about being a part of a group that makes people happy. It makes them give up their own selfish wants and needs, and lets them experience true happiness. People evolved through group selection, Jonathan Haidt says. It is one of Darwin's laws that groups are stronger than individual people. Jonathan Haidt points out that when people are on the same team, working for the same goals, they cooperate, even if they may have individual goals of their own. He uses the example of a rowing team- the individual members of the rowing team are competing, because the slowest rower might be replaced or kicked off the team. But when they are in a race, against another team in another boat they work together. Because "they are all in the same boat". While some people may ask if it is a good idea to lose yourself, to lose all your individual ambition and goals, Jonathan Haigt says that it isn't a bad idea. People are stronger in groups. People radiate naturally towards groups- nobody wants to be the odd man out. And in a way, that is their religion.
1. I agree with Jonathan Haidt that everyone is spiritual in some way, whether they are aware of it or not. The idea that working together in a group is spiritual is something that I never thought about before, but I can certainly agree with him. When people work together, there is really a sense of community, especially if it goes well. The idea that we evolved this way I followed a little less. I'm not particularly religious, but in my mind, science and spirituality don't exactly mix. I accept evolution as fact, but religion, and stories about how we humans came to be, seem to exist almost on a different plane. They are separate, even though they are talking about the same basic thing. This is why, when he talked about religion, but he also started talking about evolution, it was hard for me to connect the two. In my mind, there's a difference between having evolved into beings with morals, who want to achieve self-transcendence, and spiritual humans who want to achieve the same thing. I'm not really sure why my mind works this way.
2. Throughout his TED talk, Jonathan Haidt used a lot of visual aids. Pictures, videos, dioramas. He also used audio, when he was talking about excerpts from books. This kept it interesting, because you never knew when he would use and interesting diorama or picture. He also used a lot of facts and stories- not stories of his own personal experience, but of other's experiences. He talked about psychological things that people could relate to, but only if they thought about it. I think this made me pay more attention.
3. Jonathan Haidt's TED talk wasn't particularly funny, but it did keep me interested. This was mainly because he provided so many pictures for the audience to look at. It appealed to most styles of learning, because it was both visual and audio.
4. This topic, religion and why we have it, is important to me because I don't exactly have a religion- but I would like to. I currently am very interested in Buddhism. I think it's good to think about why we have religion, instead of just... having it. This is something I can apply to all religions, not just necessarily my own. I think that this is something the entire world should think about, because it kind of groups all religions together- religions may be different, but they all have the same basis. People shouldn't discriminate.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)