Why should you watch TED talks?
If you were to ask me if there is
something on the Internet that is fun, cool, educative, varied, and intriguing
all at once, my answer would be “Yes, TED talks!” It is such a beautiful thing
one could have thought of, that too in the 1980s! Internet has just amplified that
imagination in a stupendous way.
So for those of you who do not know
already, TED talks are small, 18 minute speeches by people who have excelled in
their lives. Excellence could be in anything and everything. Many a time, it is
not limited to just excellence. The talk could be about an Idea that could
impact a society or mankind at large. Infact, the mission of TED is to spread
Ideas. Also, the focus is more on content of the talk and less on delivery.
What is it that you stand to gain by
watching TED talks? What I felt is that it has the power to ALTER our perspective.
For instance, there is this talk called “The Price of Shame” by MonicaLewinski. It is astounding how this video makes us think of that incident in an
absolutely different way. You will never think of that lady in the way you might
have thought of her till that moment. These talks are powerful enough to
enhance/enrich our perspectives. This has a profound effect on the way in which
we approach situations, people or life at large.
Thanks to internet, there is a deluge
of information around us. To know which is true and which is just a ‘beautiful
presentation’ requires considerable effort. TED talks have built credibility
around them through years of consistent effort which makes these talks a
treasure trove of correct and thus valuable information. We get to learn A LOT
by listening to these talks. There is comfort in knowing that one doesn’t have
to go back and check the authenticity of information being given out on this
platform.
TED talks are a master class in
communication. Although the focus on delivery of speech is less and content is
given prime importance, there is still a lot to learn about speaking and communication
at large by observing the speakers. The pauses they make, the clarity with
which they speak, the details- how much they include and more importantly how
much they exclude in their speech, their body language are all worth noticing
and learning.
Many a time, we tend to think that
communication is only about speaking. I feel communication is equally about
listening too. Being surrounded by electronic gadgets, I think our ability to
listen effectively is reducing at the rate of pings. Taking an effort to listen to such
conversations of value and trying to understand them will help us a great deal
in becoming good listeners. Try being a good listener; your friend circle will
start to swell - not on Facebook, but in Life!
The best thing about TED is the fact
that this platform is like one of those non-preachy, cool, super intelligent
professors that the luckier ones among us would have had in college. May be
that is the reason why TED Stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design –
Yes, Entertainment! I rest my case.
Arun Babu
