we want you to speak on tessellation. I was like, yeah, cool. Where does that sounded very out of space to me? And then they said, no, it's patterns. It's finding patterns in most random things that form a bigger picture in a tree. And I was like, that's easy. But where do I go to look for patterns now? let alone in random things. But the more I looked and the more I thought about it quite seriously. I realized that human beings are obsessed with patterns. Now what is this obsession that human beings have w ...

So, science tells us that there is no such thing as ghosts. I know some of you will be very relieved to hear this. Others will take issue with it. I know this because every time I talk about this, every time I lecture about it, somebody will come up to me afterwards and swear they have seen a ghost or talked to a ghost. But in an academic environment, we have to bow to the absence or presence of scientific data. And despite all the years of looking by researchers, by ghost hunters, there is no hard evidence ...

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]

Storytelling & Interpretation - The core idea revolves around interpreting life events as stories, emphasizing that the way these stories are told shapes their meaning and impact [2][3] - The talk introduces a method of story interpretation, referencing Kwanigot's work at the University of Chicago in 1946, suggesting stories reflect societal values [4] - It highlights that while living life, the narrative is a straight line, as the meaning of events can change over time [7] - Interpretation is presented as a crucial skill, influencing how individuals perceive and react to events, whether positive or negative [9] Meaning & Purpose - The importance of having a "why" to live is emphasized, drawing from Victor Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps, where purpose correlated with survival [13][14] - Modern society is critiqued for a potential lack of purpose, with individuals potentially driven by conformism or totalitarianism [15][16] - The talk encourages individuals to view themselves as the narrators of their own lives, controlling the interpretation of events [17][18] Perspective & Impact - Personal narrative and background significantly influence well-being, as demonstrated by an experiment involving adults from diverse backgrounds [23] - The same event can be interpreted in vastly different ways, highlighting the power of perspective in shaping meaning [24][25][26]

Core Argument - Memory is not solely personal but also a societal issue, influencing who is remembered and who is erased [6] - Preserving the meaning behind memories is crucial because memory loss can lead to identity loss and epistemic injustice, especially for marginalized groups [12][24] - Actively protecting and sharing stories combats the devaluation of individuals experiencing memory loss [25] Practical Implications - Individuals should proactively preserve meaningful memories by documenting them with personal context, such as through private archives [20][21] - When interacting with individuals experiencing memory loss, focus on sharing personal recollections and validating their experiences rather than testing their memory [23] - Society should normalize memory preservation as a regular practice to foster connection and understanding across generations [22]