This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
What's one lesson you find super compelling?
If you could put a megaphone to the ears of the world for just 5 mintues, what's the one lesson you would teach. It doesn't have to be serious, but it can be. It doesn't have to be about math, science, literature, or history, but it can be. It just needs to capture the minds of your audience.
Jose Blg
Ed Schulte 50+
observation from Kahlil Gibran
“I have learned silence from the talkative,
tolerance from the intolerant, and
kindness from the unkind;
yet strangely, I am ungrateful to these teachers”
Ethan Bull
To learn anything new we must suspend our own beliefs long enough to to allow ourselves time to fully consider this new idea. We must ask, what if my belief is wrong. Humans have the ability to cling to their beliefs, usually based on anecdotal evidence, subjective experience, and religious indoctrination, in spite of compelling evidence to the contrary.
This brought up the question: how are we to change our beliefs, if we can not believe, even for a moment, that everything we know is wrong? We have a faith in our beliefs, beliefs we are often convinced are knowledge, that limits our ability to move beyond those beliefs. Suspending the belief that everything we know is right, does not mean everything we believe is false, but we are unlikely to learn anything new if we are unwilling to ask ourselves, what if everything I believe I know is wrong.
How do we convince people to accept peer reviewed evidence that contradicts a belief, when the belief is not based on evidence? How do we convince those who have suspended reason to apply reason? How do we get people to pretend for even a moment that what they believe may be wrong, when their faith in those beliefs, how they believe in their beliefs, is the very thing impairing their cognitive function.
In other words, while some are defending their belief in their own free will, their unshakable faith in the validity of their own subjective experience, without independent evidence, is demonstrating free will is not only an illusion, but overcoming this illusion is possibly one of our most difficult challenges.
Colleen Steen 500+
I agree that what you observe is a very compelling lesson:>)
I totally agree that to take in new information, it is helpful to suspend our own beliefs long enough to allow ourselves to consider new information, and it is usual for humans to "cling" to their own beliefs because it is comfortable to feel secure with our own beliefs. Often, we/they will not consider new information because it may feel more comfortable to feel "right".
I suggest that we don't need to label information "right" or "wrong", but rather "different"? I absolutely agree with you..."suspending the belief that everything we know is right, does not mean everything we believe is false". It simply means that we may be open to new information? To listen, consider and evaluate new information does not mean we have to give up previous information or beliefs. It means that we are open to evaluating new information....yes?
How about also suspending our need to "convince people to accept...evidence that contradicts a belief..."? People will be open to new information when/if s/he is ready to take in new information for evaluation. I see folks on TED going round and round in conversations trying to prove him/herself right. Where do those conversations take us? Nowhere, in my perception. It becomes a competition.
I believe "free will" offers us the opportunity to stay "stuck" with beliefs, and argue those beliefs forever...OR...open the heart and mind to new information and try to understand other people's thoughts, feelings, ideas, perceptions and beliefs.
I agree with you that " things are the way they are because this is the only way they could be"...I will add...in any given moment. Our perceptions of things as they are in the moment, are based on the information we choose to accept at any given time...true? When we suspend our beliefs from the last moment, there's an opportunity to add to the information we already have in the heart and mind.
Ethan Bull
I love your writing style...it's…so…condescending? You go from sugary sweet to snarky in a few phrases. And what’s with the question marks at the end of statements? They make me feel like I’m allowed to disagree? Not.
Your suggestion to not label information right or wrong is absurd. Information is either right or wrong, oh I get it, being wrong is different from being right…true? Labeling information –different- without regard to accuracy sounds like the dream of every creationist. Labeling false information as different gives idiotic stuff, like creationism, the same validity as say ...evolution...true? Teach the difference...yes?
So, how about suspending our need to "convince people to accept…evidence that contradicts a belief..."? How about no, I won’t. People who base their actions on false beliefs are dangerous. They have caused the deaths of millions. Millions of people died from AIDS in Africa, because religious screwballs said god told them using a condom is wrong. Millions more may die because religious screwballs and tea baggers, mostly all religious screwballs, are willing to ignore science and pretend global warming is a lie designed to destroy the good ol’ U.S.A.
No, information is not merely different. Information is right or wrong and people’s belief’s, while ignoring evidence and demanding equal consideration for their stupidity, can be deadly. Would you suspend your need to stop someone destroying your home or causing the deaths of your neighbors?
If you were honest, you would admit, you never gave the proposition that free will is an illusion even the slightest consideration or given up trying to convince me I am wrong. Pot, meet kettle.
Colleen Steen 500+
In my perception, I was adding to, building on, and reinforcing your insightful comment. The question marks are to genuinely ask questions...that's how I communicate to build on a topic.
I'm truly sorry the question marks make you feel bad...it is a way to communicate, which often creates more communication...which you have done:>)
I don't generally like to label people's thoughts, feelings, and ideas good or bad. If you do, so be it. I believe in evolution. You can believe whatever you like Andrew, and I respect your choice.
I agree that millions of people have died because religious leaders told them not to use condoms. Millions of people in developing countries also died because US pharma companies were experimenting with AIDs medications while telling the people they were getting a "cure". There are a lot of things that happen in our world that are not useful....OK...."wrong" if you like. Those people who were experimenting with people and distributing drugs under the guise of "helping" were scientists. I also believe that there is indeed, global warming.
When I said information is often "different", I was refering to people's beliefs. No Andrew, I would not suspend my intent to stop someone from causing the death of my neighbors. In fact, if you've read so many of my comments on TED, you probably know that I challenged a toxic business that was threatening the health and safely of all those living in our community, and my life was threatened because I was the wistleblower.
I am honest Andrew, and I comment with respect and honesty. Honestly, I don't know where YOU are coming from, because my comment above was meant to agree with, and build on your previous comment! I am sorry you percieved otherwise. I was not in any way trying to convince you that you are wrong. Perhaps you could go back and read my comment with a little more open mind and heart? OOPS...there's another question mark....sorry!
Comment deleted
Derek Young 30+
Though I am curious and open to understanding your perspective, I am in no way attempting to denounce that you are incorrect. I guess that sometimes, it is all in the delivery of the message that can really drive the audience to misinterpret your meaning.
Going back to your comment, about comments taking a life of their own is absolutely correct! Isn't it amazing! I couldn't agree more. =)
Paul Palmer 10+
I deleted my comments. I think I skimmed the comments too quickly and thought they had all become responses to the first comment about parenting. I don't know if new ones came later but in any case, I see that people did tend to return to the original question in various ways. Sorry if my deleted comments caused unnecessary controversy.
Derek Young 30+
I think everyone has one of those days with blind bubbling emotions and it settles on the tip our thoughts, then the rest of that day seems bleak and meaningless at times. I feel that I have that happen a lot, but we all have the capacity for error. Although, it is the way we deal with these errors that will build the next path in life. =)
Avaneesh Thautam
Eric Moran
Fan Ding
This one is even deeper into the heart: learn to forgive.
Comment deleted
Colleen Steen 500+
Discussions CAN indeed take on a life of their own....welcome to TED:>)
Derek Young 30+
I believe most of the commenters included the description into their thoughtful responses, and that is possibly how other comments don't necessarily seem like they may be responding to the original question. I am not sure what I could have missed, but maybe you could bring it to everyone's attention of what they missed?
Mark Trent 10+
My answer to that would be taken from my experience with the success coach Anthony Robbins. What I learned from Tony's programs and technology can all be summed up in the concept of "understanding yourself FIRST in life." Translated, that means to me that you must spend time in your life learning what makes you do the things you do and what you really like and dislike. So many of us never spend any of their life learning to interpret our own mindset and abilities/limitations. For so many, they spend their entire life doing what they thought they liked to do and only at the end, reflect back and realize they wasted everything.
When I did this about 15 years ago, I changed my entire life. I stopped living my life in a cubicle as a number cruncher and broke out to later become a business owner in charge of my destiny. It has made me much more happy and wealthier. I has allowed me to achieve so much!
With that said, I wish our educational system would make self analysis and the process of "learning about ourselves" a fundamental part of our formal education. If we did this, imagine how many scientists might become artists, artists might become scientists, dreamers might become business leaders and so on and so on! I honestly believe it would make the world a much better place for all.
Colleen Steen 500+
I TOTALLY agree with you and Anthony Robbins...you're in good company...in my humble perception:>)
We have been taught, many times, that taking care of ouselves, giving ourselves time and space, knowing ourselves, etc. is selfish. If we don't take care of ourself and nurture ourself first, we don't honestly have anything to give to others. We cannot give to others, something we do not have in, and for our "self". The more we nurture ourselves, the more energy we have to give to others....and so......the cycle of flow continues:>)
If we incorporated the idea of knowing ourselves into each and every aspect of the human experience....just imagine........I LOVE IT! I agree Mark.....It might make our world a better place for all:>)
Hugh Gabrielson
İsmet Osman Mavuş
Stuart Woods 10+
**....and it's shaping the DETAIL of your passion which makes the difference.
Lawrence Carson
Boise's Meta Muser - author of "Navigating The Geography of Mind" an active research project in process.
metamusetatcentruylink.net
Andrej Suskavcevic
DW Nelson
Magne Matre Gåsland
Amedeo Agosti
AbdelRahman Siddig
Don Ruch
Since I have retired I have become 100 lbs overweight and this is largely due to inactivity, overdrinkind red wine in the evening... Which leads to the munchies, overeating. I know that a person has to reach a point where "Enough is quite enough" and that point is diffrent for all people, indeed some people never reach that point. I have not had a drink in 6 days now and this morning We (my wife and I) were invited to a wedding and reception. I knew that this would be a test of my weak will. Lots of food and as much alcohol as you could keep down. As I sat there with my miserable salad and self ,The hostess told me that there is some alcohol free red wine at the bar!!! novel idea. I tried the red wine with no alcohol and found that I could indeed have as much fun and inteligent conversation with out getting loaded and no hangover in the morning. I didnt even have or desire a peice of wedding cake. I danced with my granddaughter and for once noticed a sparkel in her eyes. I know this idea will not work for everyone but if it works for just one other it's worth writing this short peice.
Robert Winner 50+
The one thing that age has taught me is that I become more at peace with myself when I accepted who I am and what my place in the sceme of things is. So the message I would convey is to get to know youself. Once this is achieved then the other wishes that have been expressed will become possible. Jordan I hope that you can determine what is important to you and share it with others. All the best. Bob.
Hal Swyers
While we still debate whether such entities can truly have free will, the reality is that we have the science already to give them the ability to make their own decisions. This is not science fiction, and is already happening now.
We have to do a better job understanding that we are the ones that assign value to the world around us. This is a fundamental role that we play. In the context of machine free will, while we are endowing the ability for machines to make decisions, those decisions are still algorithmic and thus are not entirely independent.
The assignment of value is the last task we can still perform.
I agree with the observation that we as humans are not going to change any time soon, I find it troubling that just like children our machines will eventually take on the personalities of their parents. However, there are enough good people in the world to not lose sight of what is good, and that should give us some hope.
William Baldwin
Donna Lerman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/17-1
Sarina Hannon
The second part, about watching the kids with cancer may be explained by a difference in dealing with conflict. Perhaps they are more pragmatic, instead of empathetic. That doesn't necessarily mean they care less.
I'm not saying it isn't accurate, but I'm not totally convinced by this. It is interesting though :)
Mitch SMith 50+
I think one has to have a finer definition of the word "wealth".
The way I see wealth is a measure of personal "potential agency".
Humans naturally expand their personal potential agency via the expanded perceptive field granted by communication. It is all win/win.
But when personal advantage is extorted or defrauded from others, you are then looking at unballanced wealth (personal potential agency).
Money/usury is such a fraud, slavery is such an extortion.
To indulge in fraud or extortion is to be devoid of empathy.
Thre is good evidence that most of fraud and extortion is learned behaviour - i.e. the child is encouraged to sublimate empathetic responses. This produces the sociopath. There is another class that not only sublimates empathy, but inverts it - this is the psychopath .. the condition is traditionally ascribed to a genetic fault .. but there may be other causes.
Either way, when the balance of win/win drifts into win/lose, the loser's capacity to generate advantage is damaged, this has a negative cumulative affect on the total potential agency of society. I suspect that process is logrithmic and will cause massive, sudden, systematic collapse of any society that does not correct the balance.
My own personal studdy of this was conducted a few years ago in an online game called "tribal wars".
I established a tribe, and systematically weeded out all the socio/psychopathic members and encouraged the empathetic individuals.
We very quickly subsumed the game map to the limit of our tribal size. Neighboring tribes wanted to negotiate alliances and terms of peace as we were clearly a threat to them. SO I negotiated alliances and coalitions based on teh principles of "eating" the socio/psychopath. Within a few weeks our coalition dominated more than half of the game-space (100,000 players). Being a war game, it all got terribly peaceful and boring, so I broke-up the coalition and attacked everyone until the whole thing dissintegrated.
Terry O'Connor
A pleasure discussing it with you.
Pamela French
Brian R Light 10+
Anthony de Sigley
Derek Young 30+
Anthony de Sigley
Colleen Steen 500+
There certainly IS a hormonal change when pregnant for a child, and soon after the child is born, and I think in general, the hormones eventually regain balance again.
I agree with Anthony, that there is sometimes anxiety because parenting is a huge responsibility, and we often don't have the best "training" or parenting skills. It is common to repeat patterns we learn from our own parents, and the patterns we repeat are not always the most beneficial.
Derek Young 30+
I read on someones profile on ted that there should be a mandatory course that teaches parents basic skills for teaching their children and examining their proficiency as a parent with basic math, science, and english skills at the same time. I found this very intriguing and I thought that it sounds like a very good idea.
What do you percieve from this idea?
Colleen Steen 500+
Although I think math, science and english are very important, and it never hurts anyone to improve these skills, I don't percieve them as the most important for parenting, so I guess I wouldn't clump them all together.
Some parents need very basic skills, like how to care for another human being with respect, compassion, empathy and intent to learn, rather than dictate and/or abuse. True "parenting classes", or "parenting books", which there are plenty of, teach how to become more effective in the life experience as well as more effective parents:>)
Derek Young 30+
I think that maybe we could either omit or extremely briefly skimm the basic skills portion of math, science, and english, but maybe add more of an emphasis on parenting skills. It couldn't hurt to learn. As someone once said to me "Our whole lifetime involves some sort of schooling and we will never escape that fact", though they were being pessimistic. I took that idea of theirs and percieved it in a positive light and I highly agree with them because more understanding of knowledge couldn't hurt. =D
Colleen Steen 500+
I agree....it can never hurt to have more understanding and knowledge. I percieve us all as teachers and students in the earth school of life, so every moment is an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve. Trying to "escape" it would simply mean that I wasn't fully present in each and every moment to the best of my ability.
I'm not here to be complacent, which is why I liked your statement so much..."Try to never be complacent. =) "
It's a choice in every moment, and I would not deny myself the opportunity to be fully engaged in each moment of the life experience:>)
Comment deleted
Mary M. 100+
What is one lesson in parenting that needs to be taught?
Derek Young 30+