As authoritarian leaders challenge democratic institutions around the world, some people are questioning whether democracy is even the best political system. In a wide-ranging conversation, writer Bret Stephens and social entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel discuss why democracy is still our best hope — and offer ways we can learn to disagree more effec...

Facilitator Jason Jay dissects how conversations sour, offering ways to move past the discomfort and even harness the creative energy of disagreement.

Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers -- and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.

Why do we argue? To out-reason our opponents, prove them wrong, and, most of all, to win! Right? Philosopher Daniel H. Cohen shows how our most common form of argument -- a war in which one person must win and the other must lose -- misses out on the real benefits of engaging in active disagreement.

The clash of ideas is fundamental to creativity and progress, but it can also be deeply destructive and create divisions within companies, communities and families. How do you foster productive debate while protecting against harmful speech and misinformation? Constitutional lawyer Ishan Bhabha lays out structures that organizations can use to n...

A supportive community is the key to cultivating resilience and unlocking healing. Sharing the story of a transformative recovery program for survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, human rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver details how her team at City of Joy empowers people to reclaim their lives after tra...

Even with public trust at an all-time low, Wikipedia continues to maintain people's confidence. How do they do it? Former CEO of Wikimedia Foundation Katherine Maher delves into the transparent, adaptable and community-building ways the online encyclopedia brings free and reliable information to the public -- while also accounting for bias and d...

One day a pair of brothers working together as shoemakers had an explosive fight that split the family business in two. Over the coming years, this disagreement divided their town— residents and businesses chose sides. Could such a serious divide really be about shoes? Doesn't it take more significant differences to produce this degree of confli...

In the city of Alexandria in 415 CE, the bishop and the governor were in a fight. It started with a disagreement over the behavior of a militia of monks, and ended with an accusation of witchcraft leveled against one of the most powerful figures in the city: Hypatia, philosopher and advisor to the city's leaders. Who was Hypatia and why was she ...

In June 2022, TED's climate initiative, Countdown, launched its Dilemma Series: events designed to look at some of the "knots" in the climate change space, where diverging positions have stalled progress and solidified into an inability to collaborate across differences. The event focused on the question: Is there a role for carbon credits in th...

After her best friend was murdered in 1998, Christine Schuler Deschryver dedicated herself to healing and empowering women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

BCG's Julia Dhar is a champion of ideas, facts and productive disagreement.

Teresa Bejan writes about political theory, bringing historical perspectives to bear on contemporary questions.

Does humanity have a future as uploaded minds? In his work, Robin Hanson asks this and other extra-large questions.

About this event: Have you ever agreed to disagree ? It is easy to follow the masses but it takes real courage to express a disagreement and stand out of the mainstream. Don't let the spark get extinguished,rather turn it into a raging fire and show the world your Agreement to Disagree.

Even though some people and groups in society are setting us against each other, we can stand up to them by listening and by treating each other with respect and love, says social scientist Arthur Brooks. Political scientists find that the US is more polarized than it has been at any time since the Civil War. And as much as we’d like to, we can...

About this event: Why do we argue? To out-reason our opponents, prove them wrong, and, most of all, to win! ... Right? Philosopher Daniel H. Cohen shows how our most common form of argument -- a war in which one person must win and the other must lose -- misses out on the real benefits of engaging in active disagreement. 我们为什么辩论？为了用理论超越敌方，证明对方错误，还有更重要的是辩赢对方？是吗？...

Children could definitely give the adults in their lives some lessons in parenting. Here are a few, from writer Swati Lodha. This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. In 2016, author and coach Swati Lod...

Cities are a hot topic at the moment. As more and more of the world's population gravitates toward living in them, people from all professions are coming together to figure out how to create infrastructures and environments to suit human needs and desires in the 21st century. These are huge issues, and you can be sure that the conversation, ...

TED Talks often get 100 or more comments -- a mixed bag of kudos, critiques and questions. Looking back on the year, here are a few comments that wowed us. Our speakers want to hear from you! If something in the talk was unclear or you’re wondering where the research will go next, don’t be shy – ask about it. Many speakers check their tal...

How to Be a Better Human Why Kim Scott thinks you need to ask for feedback March 13, 2023 [00:00:00] Chris Duffy: You are listening to How to Be a Better Human. I'm your host, Chris Duffy. Today's guest is Kim Scott. Over the course of her career, Kim has worked at all sorts of big companies that you've heard of and had all these very fancy ti...

About this event: Do you remember Jurassic Park? When Dr. Malcom, the mathematician, shared his thoughts on why it’s unwise to have T-rex and friends romping around on an island, John Hammond promised that precautions were already taken to make sure that nothing will go wrong. Dr. Malcom replies with disagreement. “Life finds a way,” he said. What does it reall...

Written by the educators who created Cyber-Influence and Power, a brief look at the key facts, tough questions and big ideas in their field. Begin this TED Study with a fascinating read that gives context and clarity to the material. Each and every one of us has a vital part to play in building the kind of world in which government and technolog...

Want to persuade a friend or family member to open up to your perspective on a hot-button issue? A former debate coach tells you how. Families – they bring out the best in us and the worst in us. Which means gatherings for the holidays, anniversaries and other big events can sometimes be the scene for major arguments, ranging from the light (wh...

You’ve just watched a TED Talk, and now you have some thoughts -- about the subject, about the speaker, about life. In the world of TED ideas, those reflections and reactions are some of our most important resources. Yet, for every 1,000 views on TED.com, only 1 viewer writes a comment in the space below the video. Perhaps the other 999 v...

Margaret Levi is committed to promoting equity and equality by ensuring that political, economic and social arrangements enable the flourishing of all.

In December 2012, Planet Money co-host Adam Davidson stopped by the TED office to talk about the fiscal cliff. At the time, the U.S. Congress was weeks away from a deadline to set a course on federal debt, and head-butting was at a fever pitch. As Davidson explained, the disagreement was simple: Democrats see increasing taxes, especially on ...

Smart ways to handle your next heated situation, shared by Nadia Lopez. She should know -- she's a school principal. Nadia Lopez, founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, is no stranger to a challenge. When she opened the school in Brownsville, Brooklyn -- one of the most underserved and violent neighborhoods in New York City -- she did...

The term “fiscal cliff” is controversial. So Adam Davidson, the New York Times Magazine columnist and co-host of NPR’s Planet Money, prefers to call it “the self-imposed, self-destructive arbitrary deadline about resolving an inevitable problem.” In today’s talk, filmed in TED’s New York office on Monday, Davidson explains what the fiscal c...

Above and slightly behind your right ear, exists a part of your brain many scientists believe is specifically dedicated to thinking about other people’s thoughts – to predicting them, reading them, and empathizing with them. It’s called the temporoparietal junction, and this is the area cognitive neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe focuses on in her r...