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What are 10 things YOU know to be true?
I was interested and intrigued by Sarah's '10 things you know to be true' list exercise, particularly with the pattern she observed in hearing others; that you would continuously see items exact and opposite to your own, items you've never heard of, or thought about before in exactly that light.
I'm fascinated by our definitions of what we consider to be 'truth', and the disputes between our definitions.
So I propose we post a couple lists of our own here, and experience our agreements (and disagreements), learn some new ideas and lines of thought. Personally, I think it best to write your own list BEFORE reading the ones posted here to avoid influence ;)
I hope a couple people will be interested in participating in this miniature project. And, hey, if you see something in someone's list you'd like to ask about, or learn more about, or debate. . .we now have the TED conversation platform to make that possible.
My list:
1. These are the most exciting times in which we could ever hope to be alive which have already occurred.
2. Too often, we allow inertia to control our actions.
3. Everyone should travel.
4. 'Because that's the way things are' is not a valid reason.
5. Whenever you say 'I had no choice', you're lying.
6. It is possible to have an honest and even pleasant relationship with someone you do not like.
7. Loving someone or something heart and soul does not necessarily make it good for you, or them, or it.
8. There are ideas and inventions yet to come which will make into reality what we consider to be fantasy today.
9. Everyone has at least one story worth hearing.
10. My truth is not final.
Bryan Hart
1. When life seems unfair I just remember that God has a plan for everything.
2. Often times, I'd wish She'd fill me in, because sometimes I'm more lost than a blind air controller.
3. I don't think I'll ever understand women, but I know I won't stop trying.
4. Mothers are the strongest people in the world.
5. Not often enough do people slow down.
6. I know that I can't please everybody, but I can try.
7. There is a chance that I will die, but that will not stop me from becoming a Marine.
8. Children need beatings. It's the only way the circle of life can continue its proper rotation.
9. Sometimes the best thing to do is to let go.
10. Communication is key. In EVERY and ALL situations.
Amy Prokopetz
Here it goes ....
1. Words are a weapon and a tool. They can kill people's spirit or save it.
2. Having the courage to change, changes everything.
3. Greater possibilities exist than we can envision in our own minds.
4. Coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous.
5. Relationships are mirrors to ourselves.
6. One need not be born royal to become a princess.
7. Stubbornness/persistence is a blessed curse.
8. Everything has an opposite, living fast is finding the extremes, living well is finding the balance.
9. Our physical state parallels our spiritual.
10. Reality is funnier an more unbelievable than fiction.
Linda Wright
1. I can never find a pen when I need one.
2. The days are long, but the years are short. By the time we get to our end of this thing we agree to call "life", we won't believe how blink-of-an-eye short it was afterall.
3. I am terrified of not being as good of a mother to my boys as they deserve.
4. I just turned 40 ...and I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. But I really want to make a difference in people's lives and be a positive inspiration.
5. I am not as good of a person as I aspire to be.
6. It feels so good to just sit and "BE". Most of us don't do it near as often as we should and need to, or even know how to be comfortable in the quiet and stillness of our minds & skin.
7. I'm turning out to be a much better gardener than I ever thought possible.
8. There are some truly amazing people in this world, and in my very own life...I would like to learn from them.
9. My husband Chris is truly a gift in my life.
10. For all their imperfections and downright exasperating qualities, my parents did the best they were capable of doing for me, and they truly love me as best they can. For that I am grateful.
C Klen
2. Good friends are priceless
3. I do not know it all
4. Luck is when you do something with opportunity.
5. All children should be taught to work for what they want
6. The US Government is spending too much money and needs to learn the meaning of "ROI"
7. I am lucky to live in America
8. We need to learn to listen, to hear what someone is saying, not to think about what we are going to say when they are done
9. A glass of red wine accomplishes many things
10. Everyone should contribute to society
Karen Labsan
2. Poetry is about feelings.
3. James Dean is a god.
4. Not only writing is a skill, it can also be a 'need' for some people.
5. It's hard to overcome the initial lack of care to know people you already have the impression to be so different from you but it's definitely not impossible to.
6. Neruda wrote the sweetest lines.
7. Pets are lovely.
8. When in doubt, don't doubt.
9. A hug works a lot like laughter.
10. Everybody wants and needs love.
Sam Austin
2) I am so scared I will never live up to my dreams
3) Extreme optimisium and pessimisium is possible to exist in the same person
4) I am a planner
5) I don't achieve enough of these plans to make me content
6) If the next couple of years don't go as planned I don't know what I will do
7) The world needs more focus on what people can do than what they can't
8) I feel like I'm waiting for my life to start
9) Money isn't everything but it is important
10) I have and will have to struggle in life because I am different - just a simple fact.
Debra Smith 200+
inthegarden beyondthecave
I like your very reflective list. I feel some connection to you.
About # 4, I have been thinking maybe we should rename the species "homo plannericus". Planning, and following plans, really is what sets us apart.
About # 8, I remember saying that when I was about 40. I do not feel that way any more. (1) To busy raising kids which involves making big decisions (Clearly this is not just preparation any more). (2) Every once in a while now I get concrete reminders that this life won't last forever.
About #6. I suggest that if that happens, be willing to reinvent yourself. There are infinite ways of living a meaningful life. I spent one of the more painful years of my life learning that lesson.
About # 5. 99% of life is the climb. Less than 1% is spent on the summit. Enjoy the climb even if you never reach the summit. It is the climbing that makes you beautiful. We love you because you care. We love you because you try. Love those two aspects of yourself. That is my recipe for happiness. Making self love conditional upon success as an allstar is a recipe for unhappiness and it does not really make it more likely that you will become an allstar.
About #10: I do not know what your difference is, but many of us know about living with some difference. It is what makes your mountain special. I sometimes imagine that if there is a heaven, we will share memories (more concretely than we do now). Your difference will be what will make your memories especially precious.
Mandy Olorenshaw
1. TV is a waste of time
2. Homework needs to be done right now
3. My mother and I disagree more often then she realises
4. When I try to be poetic and philosophical I always sound silly
5. Writing poetry late at night is never a good idea
6. Knitting is more fun then most people think
7. Church camp is more fun then most people think
8. The majority of yarn I own is blue
9. My brother deliberately annoys me sometimes
10. I can confide in some people not because I'm close to them, but because of the exact opposite
James Walker 30+
For example.
1. Socialism
2. Religion
3. Hope (as opposed to Action)
4. The World is flat
5. It’s somebody else’s fault
6. There’s no such thing as a bad idea
7. Revenge is best served cold
8. An ugly building is more acceptable than an ugly person
9. Oysters make you want sex
10. Driving drunk is a good idea
Jason Kather 10+
1. Losing most of my ego and that huge chip on my shoulder sure has made life's journey more enjoyable
2. Alcohol has the power to turn each of us into really bad decision makers. I have never woken up and regretted staying sober the previous night, but I can't say the same about the opposite.
3. There is no such thing as a bad child, but there are far too many bad parents in the world.
4. Racism is the epitome of "ugly",
5. It appears that in many cases "Blind Faith" causes people to also lose sight of tolerance, humanity, wisdom, empathy, and the ability to learn.
6. Coffee should get a "thank you" or at least a "shout out" at most awards acceptance speeches. ...Ahhh it is such a wonderful thing.
7. Obesity is the plague of the 21st Century in this country.
8. Way too many people take themselves far too seriously.
9. Ralph Waldo Emerson kicked way more ass than Arnold Schwarzenegger could ever hope to.
10. Reading my #'s 2 through 9 tells me I need to keep working on that ego and chip on my shoulder. That was quite an unexpected outcome!!
Skanda Shridhar
Out in the field I find it's hard to actually do though. Let's say for instance, someone slights me. I don't respond. Is it because I'm letting go of my ego? Or is it because I simply couldn't think of a "comeback"
How do you reconcile "losing ego" with the pressures society exerts on all of us to "stick up for ourselves"?
Debra Smith 200+
Joseph Mutter
1.It's difficult moving on without telling the ones you love the most you love them.
2.Being tall isn't that bad, sometimes.
3.Art is beautiful no matter how grotesque it may appear.
4.Everyone should risk their life by overcoming a fear.
5.Calculus and architecture are languages and we need to familiarize ourselves with abstract equations and minimalistic mundane ideas derived from the human mind, our mind.
6.Self-pity is the worst guilt.
7.Loneliness is inevitable for someone like me.
8.Some of the most talented individuals are held hostage by the ones closest to them.
9.Breaking the law is lawful.
10.The brain is the deadliest weapon.
Debra Smith 200+
I concur with #10 but I used to frame it that "your brain is your strongest muscle' when my own boys were little.
Roni Ramirez
Michael M 30+
Roni Ramirez
1) The truth is the best source of happiness, and the worst at destroying lives.
2) Trust is more difficult to obtain than love.
3) Everyone should hear both sides of the story.
4) No one should be denied the freedom to see beyond their front yard.
5) Forgiving is the ultimate act of love.
6) Not everything has to be justified.
7) We all share a common goal.
8) There is someone who just said the same thing you just said.
9) No one has to over analyze love, just enjoy it.
10) The reason this list took two hours to write was because I could not find my glasses.
Debra Smith 200+
Adriana B
1. every human being needs and should be valued
2. love is the never-ending root source of humanity
3. life is a gift, for each of us
4. we are ultimately alone
5. we can't do much about time passing, but we can befriend time
6. not everything should be explained
7. each of a us can be a change the world needs
8. we do need others
9. never stop learning
10. we should be grateful more often
Debra Smith 200+
inthegarden beyondthecave
2) The only thing that experience alone proves is that an instantaneous experince exists. Since evey instant of experience is appearance to a cconsciousness, each instant of experience proves that for one instant, there is an instant of appearance and an instant of consciousness.
3) Tosay that we "know" more, we must define "knowledge" so as to allow a second basis for knowledge beyond mere experience.
4) Second basis: I am responsible, therefore I am. If I assume that I am merely insantaneous consciousness then I conclude that I am not responsible. If I am wrong I fail to satisfy my responsibility. Hence, the only responsible assumption is that I am responsible.
5) All other "knowledge" is based upon experience and the assumption that I am responsible.
6) Since I am responsible, (a) I exist not just instantaneously, but long enough to make a difference by choosing and engaging in good acions, (b) there is a true difference between good and bad, (c) at least sometimes, I have the capacity to distinguish good action from bad action, (d) at least sometimes, I am capable of using that evaluative capacity to correctly choose how I should act, and (e) at least sometimes, I have the capacity to carry out a correctly chosen action.
7) Experience suggests that the Golden Rule is the ultimate rule of evaluation.
8) Reason (including logic, and scientific method) is that set of thougth processes that is justified by the application of the golden rule to the infinite set of experiences of conscious beings who have cares and concerns,
9) Thus, empathy is the true seed of wisdom.
Debra Smith 200+
inthegarden beyondthecave
It is fun to get the chance to share ideas that have taken decades to formulate.
Michael M 30+
inthegarden beyondthecave
2) Reason is not final for you. I could take this two ways. Reason (the ideal of reason) is not final for you, or Reason as we experience it (something considerably less than the ideal) is not final for you. I can understand why the latter is not final for you. It is not final for me. But the ideal of reason, an ideal which we as yet see only dimly, I think we should define that ideal as the kind of thinking that is bound up with whatever it is that is final (The Good) which again, is something we only see dimly.Thanks again for reading and thinking about my post.
Stephen Goldin
2. When we use big words like god, consciousness, truth, freedom we are seldom talking about the same thing
3. Evolution.
4. We think we are a lot more special than we actually are.
5. Life has no purpose. My life and your life might.
6. Our differences are a very small part of who we are
7. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission
8. Dogs exhibit human traits like guilt, remorse and worry*
9. People exhibit canine traits like loyalty, dignity and cheerfulness*
10. There is a difference between judgment and discrimination
11. I don’t really know
* Robert Anton Wilson
Debra Smith 200+
Seijo Kang
2. I somehow learn much better and faster when I humble my mind and position myself as a student.
3. Respecting, appreciating, and valuing each other as potential ideal beings helps deepen my understanding of ourselves and purpose of life.
4. The earth is mysteriously structured like the human body.
5. Many of us require education to build mental tools to effectively deal with our daily problems.
6. Love blended with commitment builds trust and bonding experiences.
7. There are tons of more universal laws present but that we are not fully aware of or knowledgeable of YET.
8. I'm not in any form of religion, but I'm still fascinated by how many of the major world events today were PREDICTED by religionists in past ages where those religions were developed from very different ideological roots.
9. Mistakes are forgivable at first but not from the second time.
10. Everybody talks and dreams of a peaceful world.
Debra Smith 200+
Austin R 20+
2. Nothing is certain, except #1
That is all.
Here is a list of things I believe to be true though.
1. I love my friends and family.
2. I'm extremely lucky to be alive!
3. Basketball is my favorite sport.
4. I love philosophy.
5. I am not afraid to stand up for my beliefs.
6. Empathy is underrated.
7. Hope goes a long way.
8. Patience is a virtue.
9. I love my pet dog.
10. TED RULES!!! =]
Debra Smith 200+
I enjoyed reading your list especially #1 (I'm a mom and can't help it!)As another person who is not afraid to stand up for my beliefs I wonder if you find that you are becoming just a little slower at standing up and speaking. I find that the many good points and perspectives as demonstrated here at TED -make me do a new and stronger kind of listening, pausing and thinking before I stand up and then I often ask a question (or several) first.
I am wondering what your experience of it is?
Brianne Whyte
2. I am a very lucky person.
3. We have the capacity for infinite growth and change.
4. It is hard to take the ego out of things.
5. Conviction that we can change things for the better is what most of us are fundamentally lacking.
6. Dogs help us be better people.
7. Being honest with yourself is the most important thing.
8. Connection is the key to a meaningful life.
9. What I do affects others.
10. One person can make a huge difference.
Debra Smith 200+
lynn eschbach 30+
1) I am going to die.
2) Talent is remarkable.
3) A mother's love is the key to existence.
4) After that it is adaptability.
5) Don't complain . . . it could be the best thing to have happened.
6) Faith is not reasonable.
7) Scientific discoveries are no less than wonderful miracles.
8) There will always be war.
9) Passion is the stuff of fulfillment.
10) Good food is glorious.
Debra Smith 200+
I utterly hate 8 and I hope there comes a time without war.
lynn eschbach 30+
Kyra deGruy
2. love is the most powerful energy
3.practice makes perfect
4. nothing is impossible
5. changing lanes in traffic guarantees a frusturating ride
6. unconditional love is hard to come by
7. in stillness, rests truth
8. honesty is the cornerstone to any relationship
9. obsession breeds self deception
10. sex complicates everything.
Debra Smith 200+
Christian Larrea
1. The body can be healed and nurtured through touch that carries the right intention
2. Most people that have synesthesia live without noticing it and/or giving it a practical use
3. Smiles open huge doors
4. Low self-steem is the key to Pandora's box of egotistic nightmares
5. Nature is trying to tell us something
6. Common-Sense is the new Shangri-La trip no one wants to engage in
7. Seems that most humans die early and they re-encarnate in adults
8. While there is oil, there is greed. While there is greed, there is not true sustainability.
9. TED videos should replace most TV programing
10. Place yourself in the place of others, so you can judge accordingly
Debra Smith 200+
We are discussing synethsias in another thread "What is it you think that the person who holds opposite views from yours is thinking/" (or something like that). I hope that you will join us and give us your insights into it so that we can understand it better!
Michael M 30+
Andrew O'Sullivan
Debra Smith 200+
Akin Afere
2. Love has the power to change things.
3. Ideas can change a nation! (Just ask the people of Lagos State in Nigeria)
4. People are largely the same no matter where you go. We tend to want the same things and have similar needs
5. I love my wife so much, it scares me
6. Kids today are more tech savvy than those from previous decades
7. Music from the 70s, 80s and 90s is a lot deeper than what we have today
8. Women are from Mars and Men are from Jupiter!
9. What is true today, may turn out to be false tomorrow. E.g. Pluto is no longer a Planet
10. I cant seem to live without my blackberry
Debra Smith 200+
Akin Afere
Good to know.
Skanda Shridhar
Akin Afere
We hope for the best.
Justin Chong
2. Human rights are a universal law regardless of region in the world.
3. Body language is universal amongst all cultures and languages.
4. People are becoming increasingly/disgustingly lazier day by day.
5. We control our emotions, so in a sense, we make ourselves feel however we are feeling at that present moment. I know it's a mental thing but people allow themselves to be swayed into anger or other unnerving emotions. I know it's possible to prevent this and to "self-correct" these emotions that get out of check.
6. Most people are good people.
7. Girls in even early High School grades look like they're at least 20 more-so than when I was in High School.
8. The only certain thing in the course of your life is death.
9. Nothing is free in life.
10. The meaning of life is to find true, unadulterated, blissful happiness. Think back to when you were 6 years old, (or recount events). Right before you started getting mischievous
Michael M 30+
Thomas Pisarchick 10+
Alex Sanzo
2. Music let's me know there is something bigger than us "out there"
3. Pain is neccessary to grow
4. No one is truly happy
5. Love is the most important thing we can experience as humans
6. There are evil people/forces in this world
7. We all have complete abundance in ourselves to be great.
8. Not enough people understand they can be great.
9. Thoughts are not truths and if that is the case, then whatever we think, we really don't know
10. One day we will understand, life, the universe, the meaning of life, I think that day will come and those question will be answered when we die, by an incredible feeling that overcomes us, that will tell us that everything will be ok. But for now all we can do is keep moving forward.
Life is beautiful, it is hard for me to see this everyday. When I take a step back and quiet my mind I am reminded of how blessed we are to be alive and how much of a gift it is to be awake and concsious.
P.S. Everybody wants to make love!!
Michael M 30+
Thomas Pisarchick 10+
Skanda Shridhar
2. Almost everything is cyclic. Seasons cycle through winters and summers. Moods cycle through joys and sorrows. Economies cycle through recessions and booms, states through war and peace.
3. People are very complex.
4. We all sit on gigantic hoards of memories. Random stimuli in the environment cause random memories to surface.
5. Everyone develops some sort of "philosophy" based on what life throws at them. This forms the basis of every decision they make.
6. Most people have suffered.
7. Cynicism is for cowards who won't dare hope.
8. Consistency is very difficult.
9. Habits are tough to kill.
10. Nobody seems to know where happiness hides. But some theories seem likelier than others.
Debra Smith 200+
I like the feistiness of #7!
Michael M 30+
Skanda Shridhar
Michael M 30+
Sofia U
2.we are ultimately alone in this world
3.everyone is a hypocrite
4. you dont not like/hate the person, youre just jealous
5.if you dont have your own opinion , you take someone elses and adopt it
6. having someone who cares is nice
7. you can never be good enough to please yourself
8.if you say it, you thought it, therefore you meant it, you werent "kidding"
9.someone elses opinion will always matter
10.you'd rather hear a lie then be devestated by the truth
Debra Smith 200+
Kris Korpi
2. one's mindset is a significant factor in the enjoyability of everything one does.
3. revenge increases damage
4. people judge
5. sometimes things don't go as expected, regardless of certainty
6. everyone has preferences
7. it is the nature - the definition - of love to overcome all else
8. (insert almost any elementary mathematical equation)
9. it is human nature to want what you don't have
10. some people lie
Debra Smith 200+
Stephen Goldin
Therese Curran
2. "I" find I am my own worst critic
3. I know that I am and I know I don't end
4. All Beings need other Beings (and farmers know plants as such)
5. Music does more to me than pharmocology
6. Humor, laughter, and our memory helps deliver us from great pain
7. All people have equal spiritual "cred", some just get a bad "meat suit" to hold the soul
8. Disability is a state that should be respected. Bad meat suits- good resilient special souls!
9. All people have the spark, all people need the Earth to be healthy
10. God rocks even from a scientific perspective
Debra Smith 200+