By now it is very likely that you’ve heard of TED Talks and maybe you’ve even listened to a few that you’ve stumbled upon, but did you know they actually began in 1984? Shocking, I know.
TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, typically in the form of short, powerful talks. It was originally a conference where Technology, Entertainment, and Design converged, thus T.E.D. TED began posting videos online of those presentations in 2006. Today, TED covers almost any topic you can name from science to business to global issues.
In this article, we will list seven of our favorite TED Talks along with the most captivating quote from each. If you are reading this on our print newsletter, head on over to our website www.aiprops.com/top-topic-ted-talks/ for the digital version containing clickable links.
1. TED Talk: Where good ideas come from
By Steven Johnson
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from
Filmed July 2010
Total Views: 3,505,130
Our favorite quote:
“We take ideas from other people, from people we’ve learned from, from people we run into in the coffee shop, and we stitch them together into new forms and we create something new. That’s really where innovation happens.”
2. TED Talk: Got a meeting? Take a walk
By Nilofer Merchant
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk
Filmed February 2013
Total Views: 2,310,841
Our favorite quote:
“First, there’s this amazing thing about actually getting out of the box that leads to out-of-the-box thinking. Whether it’s nature or the exercise itself, it certainly works.”
3. TED Talk: How to make stress your friend
By Kelly McGonigal
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend
Filmed June 2013
Total Views: 11,540,837
Our favorite quote:
“People who experienced a lot of stress but did not view stress as harmful were no more likely to die. In fact, they had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study, including people who had relatively little stress.”
4. TED Talk: The happy secret to better work
By Shawn Achor
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work
Filmed May 2011
Total Views: 13,679,451
Our favorite quote:
“We’re finding it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”
5. TED Talk: The puzzle of motivation
By Dan Pink
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation
Filmed June 2009
Total Views: 16,162,097
Our favorite quote:
“The good news is that the scientists who’ve been studying motivation have given us this new approach. It’s built much more around intrinsic motivation. Around the desire to do things because they matter, because we like it, they’re interesting, or part of something important. And to my mind, that new operating system for our businesses revolves around three elements: autonomy, mastery and purpose.”
6. TED Talk: How to speak so that people want to listen
By Julian Treasure
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen
Filmed February 2013
Total Views: 13,209,498
Our favorite quote:
“The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world, probably. It’s the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak, people don’t listen to them. And why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”
7. TED Talk: Why we do what we do
By Tony Robbins
Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_do_what_we_do
Filmed June 2006
Total Views: 17,385,483
Our favorite quote:
“What is your motive for action? What is it that drives you in your life today? Not 10 years ago. Are you running the same pattern? Because I believe that the invisible force of internal drive, activated, is the most important thing. I’m here because I believe emotion is the force of life. All of us here have great minds. Most of us here have great minds, right? We all know how to think. With our minds we can rationalize anything. We can make anything happen.”
