The Best TED Talks
20+ most popular TED Talks, as voted by our community.
TED Talks on Attention Economy
Want to be less distracted? Try this: Find the fun in tedious tasks
Most of us blame our phones as the reason we can’t get anything done. But the real culprit often isn’t those shiny devices, which means we can stay focused simply by switching our perspective…
Tristan Harris: How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day
A handful of people working at a handful of tech companies steer the thoughts of billions of people every day, says design thinker Tristan Harris. From Facebook notifications to Snapstreaks to YouTube…
TED Talks on Better Living
5 ways to show you can lead — even when you don’t have a leadership role
If you want to become a team leader or manager, you’ll have to demonstrate that you can lead without having an official role to point to. Here’s how you do that, from organizational psycholog…
«Too many people try to shift blame and make excuses, but great leaders take ownership of problems and work to find lessons and solutions.»
We all know people who seem to attract fun — here’s how you can do it too
It’s all about developing what journalist Catherine Price calls a “fun mindset.” Here, she shares four ways that you can create — or appreciate — moments of fun in you…
«You never feel judged by them. • They make everyone feel included. • They’re considerate of others’ feelings. • They get excited with you.»
TED Talks on Career
Tempted to take it easy on Fridays? Use them to set yourself up for success instead
Many of us try to get a head start on our weekends by working less on Friday, if not earlier. But here’s how to get more from them and make the rest of your week — and life — easi…
«weekends by Friday afternoon if not earlier. However, if you’re going to work on Fridays, there’s no reaso»
The 7 types of people you need in your life to be resilient
For most of us, a major cause of overwhelm at work is the small stuff, or what authors Rob Cross PhD and Karen Dillon call “microstresses.” Good news: Your relationships can actually he…
«microstresses” — those countless small moments that occur in every workday and drain you of time, energy and enthusiasm»
TED Talks on Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own decisions?
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions.
Mariano Sigman and Dan Ariely: How can groups make good decisions?
We all know that when we make decisions in groups, they don't always go right -- and sometimes they go very wrong. How can groups make good decisions? With his colleague Dan Ariely, neuroscientist…
TED Talks on Friendship
How many close friends do most people have? The answer is …
In this special excerpt from the TED podcast Am I Normal?, data journalist Mona Chalabi turns to renowned friendship researcher Robin Dunbar to tackle this question. Can you guess what it is?
«Mona Chalabi: According to Dunbar, our apple basket of relationships has an average of 150 people in it. This 150 figure is referred to as “Dunbar’s number“.»
Mona Chalabi: What makes a friendship last?
Sustaining friendships -- and making new friends -- can be challenging, even when we know it's important. So how can we make our friendships last without feeling overwhelmed? And is there a formula to…
TED Talks on Insurtech
James Veitch: This is what happens when you reply to spam email
Suspicious emails: unclaimed insurance bonds, diamond-encrusted safe deposit boxes, close friends marooned in a foreign country. They pop up in our inboxes, and standard procedure is to delete on sight. But what happens when you reply? Follow along as writer and comedian James Veitch narrates a hilarious, weeks-long exchange with a spammer who offered to cut him in on a hot deal.
Cathy O'Neil: The era of blind faith in big data must end
Algorithms decide who gets a loan, who gets a job interview, who gets insurance and much more -- but they don't automatically make things fair, and they're often far from scientific. Mathematician and…
TED Talks on Psychology
Ever say “I’ll be happy when …?” Here’s why you need to stop doing that — now
Every time you say that or its cousins “If I just had ____” or “When I get through ____”, what you’re really saying is “I can’t be happy now.” Author and designer Ingrid Fet…
«when I catch myself saying some version of “I’ll be happy when …” I try to imagine myself in the future, looking back on right now.»
A smart way to handle anxiety — courtesy of soccer great Lionel Messi
Being incredibly talented doesn’t immunize you against anxiety, but Lionel Messi has mastered a coping mechanism that’s also a tactical weapon, says social psychologist Adam Alter PhD.
«he followed the RAIN steps — recognize, allow, investigate, note — and if he moved his body, the clock would reset, and he’d have to start again.»
TED Talks on Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio: How to build a company where the best ideas win
What if you knew what your coworkers really thought about you and what they were really like? Ray Dalio makes the business case for using radical transparency and algorithmic decision-making to create…
9 common-sense rules for getting the most out of meetings
Veteran financier Ray Dalio has been in every kind of meeting: the good, the bad and the ugly. Here’s how he keeps his meetings focused and productive.
TED Talks on Relationships
Why does it hurt so much when we get ghosted? A psychologist explains
The uncertainty of ghosting is not really what causes us pain. Instead, it hits us at an even greater point of human vulnerability: Our desire to belong and be loved. Behavioral scientist Michelle …
«Caring about what people think is a protective process, designed to help us build a net of belongingness and safeguard us against the loss of love.»
Dan Harris: The benefits of not being a jerk to yourself
After more than two decades as an anchor for ABC News, an on-air panic attack sent Dan Harris's life in a new direction: he became a dedicated meditator and, to some, even a guru. But then an…
TED Talks on Stress
Here’s how you can handle stress like a lion, not a gazelle
It’s all about being able to see the daily nerve-racking events in your life as challenges — instead of threats — and stress expert Elissa Epel PhD explains how we can all start t…
«Because we have more of a “predicting brain” than a “reality brain,” that means we may be responding to something we predict or believe will happen, rather than what is happening.»
Under stress at work? Just remember: Don’t believe what you think.
Here’s how you can take control of your brain’s knee-jerk reactions to distressing situations, says psychology researcher Lisa Penney.
Popular
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6 strategies that will make you a better reader — and person
Simple advice to help you get more out of the books you read, from author Ryan Holiday.
«Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy reading. My rule is 100 pages minus your age — so if you’re 30 years old and a book hasn’t captivated you by page 70, stop reading it.»
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken.
The surprising science of happiness
Dan Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness," challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things…
There are 5 kinds of clutter — which one is filling your life?
Overwhelm. That word doesn’t feel very pleasant hanging there, does it? It brings up feelings of failure and isolation. I’m a professional organizer, and it’s the word that I hear the most from new…
«if you keep making decisions and don’t postpone them, you’ll ultimately move from overwhelm towards something that all of us want — peace.»
Can’t seem to meditate? 7 joyful activities for you to try instead
Meditation is great for some people but not for everyone — including author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee. Here, she shares some alternatives that can help expand your awareness, calm your m…
«The moral of this story isn’t “don’t meditate” but rather, that meditation is like many things — great for some people, but not necessarily for everyone.»
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