TED Community » Alessandro Paulo Martinez

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Reading, Communicating and Leading. If there's anything I'd love to it's to build a better place around me.

An idea worth spreading

I quote Maxwell: "Everything rises and falls on leadership"

Talk to me about

-Books! I love reading :)

-Philosophical ideas. Sometimes I enjoy things that require deep thinking

-Humanitarian issues. I love people, and I try to think of the best for them.

People don't know that I'm good at

I'm not sure what I'm good at. I'd like to believe there's always someone more clever than I am and therefore I'm not keen on what's a standard for "good"

My TED Story

I started browsing TED when one of my literature professors asked me to blog about one of the videos being featured. Ever since then I've loved TED, the ideas, and the discourse about them. I sporadically visit the site depending on how I'm feeling and what I'm in the mood for but recently I've thought of making it a daily habit to at least make a few worthwhile posts in the TED Conversation section.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +1.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A reply on Conversation: What one question, which you have never been asked, would have the biggest impact on your future?

  Mar 13 2012: I'd like to believe in forging a good road that people can follow. Show them character and attitude worthy of admiration not because of superficial things but because there's truly something to see. My legacy is not one that's original-- I'd like to live John Maxwell's legacy of adding value to others. Nothing inspires people more than others who believe in them and what they can do. Adding value to others not only builds a good lasting relationship but it also creates a "pay forward cycle". Knowing that something like that can happen would be just heartwarming.

• A reply on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?

  Mar 7 2012: The question was "how do we harness the power of memes" and not necessarily control it. I guess it's a matter of how we take the question. If you'd rather take the point of harnessing the power of memes through education of the people or at least perspective then it doesn't fall under propaganda
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What is the purpose of life? 'Getting and Spending' or 'Loving and Serving'?

  Mar 7 2012: It's all a matter of perspective. You can ask one person and get "getting and spending" as the answer and you can ask another and they'd answer "Loving and Serving". I personally think that both choices are two sides of the same coin-- through loving and serving you can be getting and spending and through getting and spending you can get to serve and have people love you.

• A reply on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?

  Mar 7 2012: While that is a valid point I think it should be taken into consideration that memes are generally viral and uncontrollable in nature and propaganda is usually controlled at the beginning. Memes pop out anywhere and there are always multiple versions of it.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Why do we need religion? (in the traditional sense)

  Mar 7 2012: Religion is a cornerstone for spirituality which, in my opinion, helps develop a grasp of moral characters and ethics. We don't really need it as a necessity to survive but it does help us get along. Also, sometimes people feel lost and often it's religion that guides them towards a new understanding, insight, or perspective.
  
  Character can also be formed through religion. Often there are fundamental principles in religion that help us become more of a "holistic" person
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Why do you use your voice in TED conversations?

  Mar 7 2012: Nothing sharpens the mind more than having conversations with other people who have sharp minds and wits. Voicing out in TED Conversations opens discourse and a free exchange of good ideas. It's a great avenue for learning and I can't help but feel the need to contribute as well.

• A comment on Conversation: Why is it sometimes difficult to admit mistakes and say "I'm sorry"?

  Mar 7 2012: Pride. Guilt. Shame.
  
  Pride. Nobody wants to lose their dignity even though they don't really lose it. They fear the feeling of proving they're wrong because of the feeling that they get diminished.
  
  Guilt. I'd like to believe people are good and so the idea that they have wronged someone makes them feel bad-- bad enough to try to avoid the person and not apologize. It's very counter-productive but I guess sometimes it just works that way.
  
  Shame. Because people are somehow innately guided towards that self-survival instinct of theirs they refuse to display their vulnerability which shame brings.

• A comment on Conversation: What does Critical Thinking mean to young people?

  Mar 7 2012: Life is fairly complex because of how it's structured and so I think critical thinking is an essential life skill lest the people lose themselves in the complexity of their surroundings. Having this ability at a young age would open avenues towards effective teamwork and independent thought. The interaction between critical thinkers is what pushes us forward and creates minds who ask the right questions and move towards better changes.
  
  Although, I do have to agree that there is an aspect to this that might be bad instead of good. It really all depends on the individual and how his/her thought process flows.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What is death for you?

  Mar 7 2012: I think death is losing meaning in going through the motions of life. Nothing scares me more than having nothing more to live for even if it's for a few moments. The idea of having no meaning, having to do work or go around mechanically is one that has never appealed to me. There may be conversations and friends but in the end that could all be part of the mechanical life process. True meaning in what we do-- dreams and aspirations is what life is all about for me.
  
  Having this perspective drives me towards finding purpose and meaning in what I do. It helps me find inspiration and good things in pretty much everything I do.

• A comment on Conversation: Which TED talk affected you the most ?

  Mar 7 2012: I haven't been long enough to say but I think the one talk that affected me the most is Brené Brown's "The power of vulnerability".
  
  I've always been a protective(?) person when it comes to myself. I lacked the ability to trust and be uncertain about things and in a way that was making me worse off than how I wanted to be. Listening to that talk gave me the push I needed to start working towards a better self.