TED Community » Ghina Zand Alhadid

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Humanity and all the issues related to its welfare.

An idea worth spreading

Life is quite fascinating, yet we somehow restrict ourselves to man-made beliefs that narrow our fields of vision. This results in an accumulating stress that leaves us crippled, unable to achieve our full potential. It drains the energy and makes life a matter of survival. Coming from a culture that highly values following the main and adhering to the customs and traditions, I could clearly see this ideology's impact on the individual and on the society. And through spectating, reasons behind adapting such mentality unfold slowly and gradually. As I grew up, and as I started meeting people from all over the world, I found that taking things for granted does exist in other cultures too. Even though the degree to which people follow their traditions varies, and the traditions themselves are variable as well. I am not against having an identity, but I look forwards stop taking beliefs for granted, especially when logic does not take place in forming them.

Talk to me about

The philosophy of existence, morality, religion, cultures, arts, education and biological sciences.

My TED Story

Still in the process of forming one.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +5.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: Should Talent Shows Be Allowed to Do this?

  Mar 30 2013: Thank you. Yes I agree, banning does not work. But are you suggesting to let people directly insult others because we can't control them?

• A reply on Conversation: Should Talent Shows Be Allowed to Do this?

  Mar 30 2013: Yeah, that is great to know.
  But sometimes the couple of millions views and thousands of comments are enough to fill someone's head with devastating thoughts.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Should Talent Shows Be Allowed to Do this?

  Mar 30 2013: Thank you for your comment.
  
  I believe that words generate thoughts which generate feelings and behaviors. If words were just words then emotional abuse would not exist and bullying would not be an important topic.
  
  I think people would not do something if they saw that their personal status would be on the line. They are seeing illusion, not reality.
• +2

  A comment on Conversation: How can we best engage college students in the idea of learning instead of just getting a degree?

  Mar 19 2013: Great questions!
  
  As a student, since my first year i discovered something. Acing exams was impossible UNLESS i start to LEARN and UNDERSTAND. The highschool type of studying was not working anymore, I had many chapters to study in a week or so. So I started to look for other ways to gain this knowledge. And here i became engaged in education and it stopped being a matter of acing the exam. When I LIVED what I am learning, seriously things started to be much easier.
  
  But it was not all me, it was my biology 101 professor who ignited that in us with his excellent way of conveying science. Almost all professors are highly intellectual, smart people, however, few the ones who are good at teaching.
  
  So as an answer to your question i would suggest:
  - Make exams and assignments impossible for those who just cram to pass and make it easy for those who are familiar with the material. This can happen by including analysis questions, general understanding questions from documentaries and movies... etc.
  - Find professors who are good at teaching, and not only with great researches and achievements.
  - Make students feel that their knowledge is useful. Allow internships, organize fairs....etc. And create a culture in the university that values any effort the student makes towards their understanding of their courses.
  
  Thank you
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: How can we help to prevent bullying?

  Mar 15 2013: Oh yes, I agree with you. Your the most welcome, you got a great question out there!
  And i want to invite you to explore other cultures, not mine or any other in particular, just other places where they don't have terms as weird and where you are highly valued just for being a human.

• A comment on Conversation: What Are the Ethics of Spending OUR Money? Are we Dependent on it?

  Mar 15 2013: You have opened interesting topics here, would like to read more about your point of view!
  And yes, you have answered the question just fine, thank you for your contribution!

• A reply on Conversation: What Are the Ethics of Spending OUR Money? Are we Dependent on it?

  Mar 15 2013: Very well said. I think the culture which is shaped by the financially powerful parties are the ones who are benefiting from creating this relative deprivation. By always presenting models for people to follow as social scripts, there is a man made feeling of dissatisfaction.
  
  What a simple life you are trying to lead there, go for it! Would like to hear from you about your experience!
  
  And do you have suggestions on how we can develop wisdom? Who is responsible for that?

• A reply on Conversation: What Are the Ethics of Spending OUR Money? Are we Dependent on it?

  Mar 15 2013: Oh, it is interesting to see the difference in the ideology.
  
  Here it is a wide spread belief that if we had money, we would have a better region. A lot of money is being wasted, in my opinion, to replace human effort and time. And wasting money like that means wasting the earth resources that, i dont think, we own in the first place!

• A reply on Conversation: What Are the Ethics of Spending OUR Money? Are we Dependent on it?

  Mar 15 2013: Thank you for your warm words. You are not alone either. I don't think much of how the world perceives me, it does not effect me what "they" see. It is their own matter :)
  
  I just think that money is overrated. It is given more value than what it really can do.
  
  Agree with what you said about the society. I believe we need more empathy to encourage people to give more. I give more when I love the society, not to avoid the shame!

• A reply on Conversation: What Are the Ethics of Spending OUR Money? Are we Dependent on it?

  Mar 15 2013: Thank you! Yes, I heard about this before.
  
  Well what I meant in my debate is that, are we depending too much on consumption to solve our problems?