7/23/2019 Top 10 TED Talks That Could Change Your Life

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-10-ted-talks-that-could-change-your-life 1/4

Top 10 TED Talks That Could

Change Your Life

Melanie Pinola

Yesterday 8:00am · Filed to: WEEKEND ROUNDUP 170.7K 218 52

There’s no time like the present to grow or refine ourselves a little

 bit more, and few resources are as helpful as TED talks. In that vein, here are the top 10 TED talks we’ve featured on Lifehacker or

that have been popular on TED.

The summaries for all of the videos below are just quick 

introductions to the subject. They can’t really do these speakers’

talks justice, so hopefully you’ll have about 20 minutes to spare for

each video (or come back to watch the rest later).

10. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

7/23/2019 Top 10 TED Talks That Could Change Your Life

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-10-ted-talks-that-could-change-your-life 2/4

Change your posture, change your life. Amy Cuddy explains how 

even faking powerful body language can reduce stress and make

 you more confident. Adopting a power pose is such a small thing

 but could make all the difference when you’re in a high-stress

situation like a job interview or negotiating a raise.

9. The Power of Vulnerability

 We all feel vulnerable and fearful of uncertainty at times, but these

situations can be powerful paths to growth. Dr. Brene Brown’s

research on human connection finds that happier people tend to

accept the unknown and also that being vulnerable made them feel

 better and beautiful.

8. The Mathematics of Love

Still looking for that special someone? Mathematician Hannah Fry

dishes up several math-based tips to find the perfect partner,

including not using the perfect online dating photo.

7. Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid

Psychologist Guy Winch argues in his TED talk that too many of us

don’t care for our emotional and mental health with the same

diligence that we take care of our bodies (and things like brushing

our teeth). Loneliness, guilt, and other psychological “injuries”

could be even more dangerous than physical traumas. Try to think 

of emotional wounds as you would physical ones.

6. I Am the Son of a Terrorist. Here’s How I Chose Peace.

“It takes a lot of energy to hold hate inside you.” That’s the

message from Zak Ebrahim’s moving TED talk, his story of 

choosing a different path than the violence and bigotry he was

raised in. Though his story is about a very specific subject of 

terrorism and bullying, Ebrahim shares a few important lessons: You can use your experience to develop better empathy, actually

7/23/2019 Top 10 TED Talks That Could Change Your Life

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-10-ted-talks-that-could-change-your-life 3/4

getting to know people of different walks of life will expand your

own life, and whatever your environment or family’s ideology, you

are not them.

5. How to Speak So That People Want to Listen

Everybody wants to be heard when they speak—not just heard, but

listened to. Part of it is we could all use to become better listeners,

 but another part of it is changing how we communicate with others.

Sound consultant Julian Treasure offers the HAIL method of talking

to others so they’ll trust what you say and pay attention: Honesty,

 Authenticity, Integrity, and Love.

4. How to Make Hard Choices You can’t go through life without making difficult decisions.

Philosopher Ruth Change helps us make life-changing decisions by

looking within yourself—it’s an opportunity to decide who you

 want to be.

3. Why We Do What We Do

 What motivates you and makes you do the things that you do? What

drives you today? Tony Robbins says that “emotions are the

invisible force of internal drive.” We all have great minds and think 

intellectually, but it’s our emotions that makes the difference in the

quality of our lives. Fulfillment, Robbins says, is an art and it’s all

about appreciation and contribution. (Watch it at least 5:30-5:40

for the Al Gore high-five.)

2. You Can Grow New Brain Cells. Here’s How

 Who doesn’t want more active brain cells? Neurocscientist Sanrine

Thuret points out three things you can do to grow new brain cells

through neurogenesis: Learning, sex, and running. Sounds good to

us.

1. My Stroke of Insight

7/23/2019 Top 10 TED Talks That Could Change Your Life

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-10-ted-talks-that-could-change-your-life 4/4

Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor’s description of how the brain

 works and her experience after having a massive stroke is one of 

the most emotional TED talks you could watch. It’s about self-

awareness, a near-death experience, and, most importantly, that

 we are all energy beings connected to the energy all around us—

including each other. Whether or not you appreciate the spiritual

undertones, Dr. Taylor’s note that “we have the power to choose,

moment by moment, who and how we want to be in the world” is

powerful advice.