They can stamp my passport, deny it, revoke it, shred it, burn it to ash, but they will never erase me. Because the passport is paper, fragile, temporary, a mere bureaucratic bookmark in a much larger story. The mosaic is me carved from Mumbai streets colored with Botswana slang lit with [snorts] Costa Rican rhythms.I am fragments stitched together not flattened into one box. And here's the truth. If globalization keeps reducing us to paper, it will erase every unrecorded song, every unpronounced name, and ...

[Applause] I want to tell you a story, but more importantly, you want to hear a story. I know this because I've been writing and researching stories for a long time, and I've come to the conclusion that stories are a fundamental part of who we are. Stories offer two things that the human brain desires.The first of these is empathy. We are social creatures. We want to know and understand each other. And stories give us this opportunity with characters that we can get to know and understand.But more than this ...

Core Argument - Human beings are inherently pattern-seeking, a trait evolved for survival, now shaping identity [1] - Identity is a mosaic constructed from habits, beliefs, experiences, and stories [1] - Repeated habits and stories subconsciously build identity, tessellating reality [1][2] - Belief systems, often adopted from external sources, can be re-examined and rebuilt to shape one's mosaic [4][5] - Shared fictions, like the concept of money, enable complex societal structures [7][8][9] - Consciously building one's identity involves curating habits, stories, and beliefs [11][12] Key Components of Identity Formation - **Habits:** Consistent repetition of habits creates alignment and shapes identity [1][2] - **Stories:** Humans use stories to understand the world and express themselves; repeated stories become part of identity [1][10] - **Beliefs:** Belief systems act as the glue holding the mosaic of identity together, influencing actions and perceptions [2][11] Societal Impact - Individually shaped identities tessellate into a larger society, influencing shared beliefs and behaviors [6][7] - The ability to share fictions allows humans to cooperate on a large scale [7][9]

Main Argument - Science indicates a lack of hard evidence for the existence of ghosts, contrasting with Eastern cultures where ghosts are considered real and integrated into daily life [1] - Western cultures exhibit consistent "ghost tropes" like deathbed companions, warnings against danger, comforters in crisis, and crisis apparitions, suggesting a psychological or cultural phenomenon [1][2] - The study of death (thantology) reveals a cultural reluctance to discuss death, yet a deep human need to share stories and experiences related to it [2][3][4][5] Near-Death Awareness (NDA) - Dying individuals sometimes experience visions of people who are not present, a phenomenon known as nearing death awareness (NDA) [6] - Patterns in NDA include seeing strangers initially, progressing to old friends and family as death approaches, with the appearance of a spouse often indicating imminent death [9] - The dying often use metaphors to express their impending departure, drawing on concepts like passports, airport gates, and hotels [8][10] Regrets of the Dying - Regret, rather than death itself, is what often haunts dying individuals [14] - Common regrets include working too hard, lacking the courage to express true feelings, and maintaining inauthentic relationships [16][17] - The speaker encourages listeners to live authentically, make plans, and create space for sharing stories, even uncomfortable ones [18][19] - 15% of men and 10% of women never reach retirement age [17]

Core Argument - The speaker advocates for sharing stories about death to foster connection and understanding, arguing that it's a universal human experience often avoided in conversation [10][11] - Sharing death stories can bring order to chaos and facilitate bilateral integration in the brain, connecting logic and emotion [8] - The speaker emphasizes the importance of honest and clear communication about death, especially with children, to avoid misconceptions [8] Personal Experience & Impact - The speaker shares personal experiences of loss, including the death of her sister, grandmother, and father, highlighting the profound impact these events had on her life [4] - The speaker contrasts the ease of sharing birth stories with the difficulty of discussing death, questioning why death is such a taboo subject [6] - The speaker describes the transformative experience of witnessing her sister's death, emphasizing the presence of love, connection, and peace amidst heartbreak [9] Societal Implications - The speaker notes that societal discomfort with death leads to awkwardness and hesitance when supporting those who are grieving [9] - The speaker suggests that sharing death stories can combat loneliness in grief and remind us of our shared humanity [10][11] - The speaker believes that these stories connect us with something greater than ourselves and invite us to live with more meaning [9]

Core Message - The industry emphasizes the power of personal narratives in shaping identity and influencing the present and future [1][22][29] - The industry highlights the fluidity of the past and the ability to rewrite personal stories to reshape one's life [22][26][27] - The industry encourages embracing all versions of one's stories, including the messy and complicated ones, to foster genuine connections [23][24][25] Personal Growth & Self-Reflection - The industry suggests reflecting on the origins and truth of personal stories to consider alternative interpretations and potential for evolution [27][28] - The industry promotes sharing authentic truths to deepen relationships and move beyond polished accomplishments [25][26] - The industry advocates for giving oneself permission to reimagine painful stories to reshape one's life [26][27] Societal Impact - The industry implies that reimagined personal stories can create a new impression on others and future generations [28][29] - The industry suggests that embracing diverse narratives is essential to understanding the human experience [5][23]

Core Idea - Curiosity is presented as a superpower that can bring joy, love, and adventure into life [3][10][11] - The speaker advocates for asking questions to create new stories, deepen relationships, and engage with different perspectives [8][9][11] Three Gifts of Curiosity - **Brand New Stories:** Curiosity enables individuals to create unique and personal stories from everyday interactions [8][14] - **Deepest Love:** Curiosity fosters deeper connections by making others feel needed and valued [8][9][14] - **Incredible Adventure:** Curiosity opens doors to new experiences and perspectives, even with those who hold opposing views [10][11][13] Practical Application - The audience is encouraged to ask one new question to each person they encounter to cultivate curiosity [16] - The speaker shares personal anecdotes to illustrate the transformative power of curiosity in their own life [1][2][4]

[Applause] [Music] Hello everyone. I think it's important to start a little bit about who I am. So I'm currently a film student here at DC and so something like a story is really valuable to me. And so today I kind of want to start start talking a little bit about an original story.However, this is not quite where my this story begins. This story actually began last year when I first wanted to make a TEDex speech and I didn't quite meet the deadline because I felt like I didn't come up with something creati ...

[Music] The world doesn't need change. It needs people who do. That line didn't come to me while meditating on a mountain or journaling in a fancy cafe. Well, you will find me there most of the times. But this line came to me while I was sitting across someone who was breaking down. Not because what happened with her. No. But no one stayed to listen. She was surrounded by friends, family. She had a large circle yet truly alone. I am Kapal Raj and I work with Fortune50 organization where I lead sales enablem ...

Core Argument - Stories act as a mirror, reflecting our moral judgment processes and revealing insights about ourselves [35][36] - Character morality is a significant predictor of story and character liking [12][13] - Moral judgments are often based on emotional responses rather than careful deliberation [14][15] Moral Foundations Theory - Moral foundations theory posits five domains of morality: care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity [15] - Characters can exhibit varying degrees of these moral foundations, influencing audience perception [16] Character Interdependence - Character liking is often determined by comparing characters within a story, rather than objective morality [22][23] - Antagonists can influence the perceived morality of protagonists, as seen in "Breaking Bad" [24][25][26][27] Real-World Applications - Contextually dependent morality is observed in sports, where rivalries influence moral alignment [28][29][30] - Interpersonal relationships, such as friendships after a breakup, also demonstrate contextually dependent morality [30][31] - Conflicts between liked characters, like in "Captain America: Civil War," force audiences to choose sides based on perceived morality [31][32][33]