How to hope in dark times
10,186 views |
Thomas Coombes |
TEDxMagdeburg
• May 2021
In his emotional Talk Thomas Coombes tells a story of hope.
Social change activists are very good at talking about what they are against, but less good at selling the change they want to see to the wider public. Their emotional tools tend to be fear, outrage and disgust, but neuroscience shows us that if we want more empathy in the world - we need people to feel more hope and joy and even humour! Thomas Coombes idea, hope-based communications, involves five simple shifts in the way we think and speak that anyone can apply in order to better promote the world we want. Using it, activists can change the narrative in debates to make their proposals “common sense” and create the passionate public support without which big change cannot happen. To that end, Progressives need to be as effective in using modern communications to trigger hope as populists are at triggering fear.