A really good listen - my current TED talk recommendations
I know I say in the headline that these TED Talk selections are really good to listen to, which, they absolutely are. But if you can watch them, that would be even better. You’ll see why when/if you do.
If you don’t know what TED Talks are -briefly they’re stage talks filmed at TED events, that range in length from 5-20 minutes, on subjects from technology, education and design (hence TED), to business, science, creativity and human behaviour - then you have a whole new world of fascinating, insightful, educational, moving, funny, thought-provoking and surprising experiences to discover.
If, like me, you’re already a TED devotee, you’ll know just how amazingly broad the range of powerfully mind-expanding talks there are to choose from, and how rich the learnings - educationally and emotionally - are to be had from them.
Either way, I hope this foursome that make up my current favourites will entertain, inform and move you as much as they have me. Although they seem quite disparate at first glance, I realise now they all have to do with human connection and gaining a deeper understanding of the way we think and feel. Hmm…..
The transformative power of classical music
20.43 mins
Benjamin Zander’s is as much of a captivating master with music as he is with words
If you can watch rather than just listen to this talk I really recommend you do. Benjamin Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra for forty years and he is bewitchingly passionate about two things: classical music and the appreciation, no, love, for it he believes we all have. He is a wonderfully flamboyant, engaging, energetic and frequently funny speaker whose fervour for his subject is impossible to resist. I guarantee you won’t watch this talk without changing your view of classical music. I also guarantee that what he does in his explanation, and demonstration, of its power will move you to tears. Click here to see Benjamin’s talk
The dementia village that’s redefining elder care
10.30 mins
The nursing home created by Yvonne van Amerongen has revolutionised the care of people with dementia
Working as a young woman in a nursing home in her native Holland was enough to convince Yvonne van Amerongen that this wasn’t the sort of care she believed people with dementia needed or deserved. She was sure there must be an environment and a regime that would be more suited to their needs and provide them, not just with the medical and supervisory care they required, but a setting that would ease their confusion and that they would enjoy at the same time. 25 years on she runs a revolutionary nursing home that has redefined the care of people with dementia. And as if that isn’t remarkable enough, wait until you hear about how much it costs. Click here to see Yvonne’s talk
The power of vulnerability
20.13 mins
Over 40 million people have viewed Brene Brown’s powerful talk on vulnerability
There’s a reason research professor Brené Brown’s TED talk has been viewed over 40 million times and it’s not just because she’s such a captivatingly natural, entertaining speaker. It’s also because her career-long research into human behaviour and relationships has given her the sort of powerful insight she brings to this fascinating, absorbing, at times uncomfortable call for us all to not only recognise our innate vulnerability, but to embrace and learn from it. Click here to see Brene’s talk
A rite of passage for late life
5.30 mins
Bob Stein has used the process of clearing his accumulated possessions to make rewarding new connections
I came across this thoughtful, though-provoking talk when I was scrolling through looking for something to fill a few minutes whilst I waited for an appointment. Bob Stein starts off talking about rituals familiar to us all - birthdays, graduations - but then goes on to explain about some of the customs in his own family and particularly one he has introduced in recent years as he has faced the task of sorting and clearing boxes of possessions he has accumulated throughout his life. Click here to see Bob’s talk
Do you have any TED Talk recommendations? I’d love to hear them if you do!
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