Best of 2020: The Top 5 Ted Talks of the Year
Ted Talks have been successfully expanding the minds of any willing listeners since the 1980’s, and this year they didn’t disappoint. Anyone with internet access can explore concepts directly from a multitude of experts. These are a few impactful speakers who offered their life lessons and knowledge to help guide others.
After surviving cancer, Shekinah Elmore became an oncologist to help others dealing with the same disease. She explains that worse than having the illness is missing out on life because of fear and being robbed of opportunity. Her positive outlook and courage is inspiring as she explores why the fear of future suffering shouldn’t hold anyone back, and to pursue what makes you happy.
Tracy Edwards recaps her eventful youth that led her to become a trailblazing woman in competitive sailing. The storyline explains her career path that took many turns and inspired her advice to “stop looking at what you’re doing and start taking part.” She entertainingly presents her lessons, which focus on how life is messy and the importance of getting involved in it.
Primatologist Sarah Brosnan compares the behavior of monkeys to humans when faced with the dilemma of unfairness. The speech dives into whether our constant strive for equality is helpful or damaging. The discussion surprisingly changes our views on fairness in society as she explains why it’s necessary.
Belarusian politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya describes how fighting authoritarianism in her home country resulted in her running for president. She encourages teamwork as she explains how there’s strength in numbers. When everyone comes together to fight for change, she says, they’re fearless. She shares an incredible narrative of her country fearlessly working as a whole for freedom.
Actor Ethan Hawke illustrates his personal experience with the power of ridding yourself from shame to free your creative side. He suggests that liberating yourself from caring about being judged permits the flow of creativity, which ultimately allows us to find ourselves and form deeper connections. His delivery of the speech urges us to find a driving passion and develop our creative side.