If you search your memory banks back to yesterday, I laid claim to the fact that I think I have a lot of general knowledge.
One thing about which I have almost zero knowledge is TED Talks.
I had never even heard of TED Talks until a colleague was mentioning it to me last year. He thought I was kidding when I said that I didn’t know what he was talking about.
wikipedia
I thought he was talking about that talking teddy bear from that movie that I never saw but heard it wasn’t a movie for kids. Shhhhh…….don’t tell him.
Talk about being clueless. But I checked it out because I was embarrassed that I knew nothing about this wildly popular phenomenon.
Yuck. I looked at a bunch of different ones on topics that interest me. Utterly boring. I found myself concentrating on the microphone/earbud thingy they were using. Then I saw you could read the scripts. So I did that.
But it isn’t like reading books or articles. Everyone has different tastes, and mine don’t run to TED talks. I feel guilty because as I researched, it was like, Barb, do you live under a rock? How do you not know of this?
Are you guys fans of TED talks? If yes, and you can pinpoint why, I’m really interested to know. I’m thinking the reason I don’t like them is my wildly short attention span.
Please let me know your opinion on TED talks.
saneteachers 
I never watch them. Don’t have the time (or, like you, the interest). I tend to read topics I’m interested in or get audiobooks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to listen to audiobooks a lot in the car. When I was having my eye surgery and was afraid that it would bother me to read at first, I got Audible and started listening to a book but then fell asleep, lol. Reading doesn’t usually put me to sleep. This was a nonfiction book “Mossad” and the voice actor was really monotone.
LikeLike
That’ll do it. Zzzzz… I just listened to Trevor Noah’s book on Audible. Soooo good. It’s about his life growing up in South African, half white, half black. It’s called Born a Crime. I love him on The Daily Show, and since he’s so good at accents, I decided to listen to the book instead of read it. So glad I did. He’s a terrific narrator.
LikeLiked by 1 person
*sigh* yet another thing to put on my list. I’ll have to quit my day job. I by-passed the list and bought it. I’ll let you know what I think.
LikeLike
Yay! You won’t be disappointed. Best audiobook I’ve ever listened to in terms of narrator and a great book as well. I’ve never seen a book on Goodreads have such a high average rating (not with that many reviews, anyway). Goodreads reviewers are notoriously tough. But they love this one. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My goal for Saturday is to organize my Goodreads account and figure out how to find other people’s lists. I’ll let you know when I’m up and running.
LikeLike
I think TED talks can be wonderful resource for those interested in a specific topic. I don’t go looking for them, but if someone recommended one to me, I’d check it out. If the presenter held my interest, I’d pay attention until the end (just like in college).
LikeLiked by 2 people
Which is kind of funny, because I’m a teacher. But I wouldn’t want to listen to myself for 40 minutes either. All of my friends just fainted in disbelief that I said that. Maybe if they were shorter. I really think it’s my attention span.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve watched one TED talk. It was by Monica Lewinsky, about shame and social media. It was very interesting–I probably should revisit it, as I think it’s even more relevant now.
That said, that was about two years ago, and I wasn’t so enthralled that I had a desire to watch more TED talks. So I can’t say I’m a huge fan–in general, I also prefer audiobooks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is really interesting. I hope a lot of people respond. Maybe someone did a TED talk about TED talks. Probably the first one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love some of them and have posted a couple to my blogs when they add to the subject which I am writing about. That said I can see how some could be boring if the topic is not of particular interest to you 🗣😴😬
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmmm…. never thought about posting them to a blog. I’m thinking I should try again. Are any of them only 5 or 10 minutes? I’m not being sarcastic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No haha not the ones I like Barb and have found but I didn’t notice as was enjoying the information – I realise my readers probably won’t even watch them and a lot of people don’t bother reading longer posts either but I blog for my own enjoyment as much as anyone else’s 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true! I put music videos on sometimes and while I’ll go back to that blog post and listen again and again, probably no one listened the first time, lol.
LikeLike
Maybe I could listen in the car without having to look at them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Try that👌
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never heard of Ted Talks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Google it. Definitely all over. You can go in person to some, but thousands,are taped.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve listened to a few and have not been impressed. Felt like shallow coverage of the subjects. Maybe I just demand deeper dives into the subjects I am interested in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s funny, I expected lots of comments from people who find them very interesting. I expected to be the lone wolf. Not too many comments yet, but I think there hasn’t been overwhelming enthusiasm. We’ll see.
LikeLike
I think you might find it a generational thing. I hear younger folk (20s, 30s) saying how much they like the talks. On a few of the talks I listened to, I felt like I could give a better talk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tonight I said that to my colleague, who is my kid’s age . You’re probably right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard of them but have never watched/listened to a whole one. I prefer the snippet version I get on NPR.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love NPR. Good point.
LikeLike
I first heard of them when they were mentioned in the book, “Where’d you go, Bernadette?” Since then, I watched one (or maybe an excerpt of one) that someone had posted on their blog, and it was actually rather good. That being said, I haven’t sought out any others…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Andrew Reynolds from http://andrewsviewoftheweek.wordpress.com/ thought that perhaps it’s a generational thing. Idk…my son doesn’t particularly like them either, but he’s an avid reader as I am.
LikeLike
And I don’t know that book. Did you like it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I thought it was very, very funny! And a little touching. It’s written by Maria Semple. She has written two other books, I think, but they are not nearly as good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m starting to regret (not really) asking for book suggestions. My books to read list is getting looooooong.
LikeLike
I tried watching them but couldn’t. There is something about TED Talks that speaks to confirmation bias…ie, we will tell you what you want to hear. I prefer things that I have struggle with to admit they are right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a really interesting perspective. What’s up with you being so super smart lately? If we were in class together, I’d move my seat to sit next to the “smart” kid.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re an excellent resource for adults in non English-speaking countries, who need to practise their English : for listening and to get them talking. I’ve been assigning them for years as “homework”: they can choose topics they’re interested in, and give summaries, both oral and written.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet. Awesome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ted and I used to have some talks a couple of years ago. I cherry picked which ones I wanted to listen to, specifically ones that sounded interested and were no longer than 12 minutes. After a while, they all just started to sound the same. Someone presenting a problem and then resolving it within 10 minutes and encouraging everyone listening to do what they did. Too preachy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel they are preachy, too. But you, blog son and Steve, biological son, are ruining the “it’s a generational thing” theory.
LikeLiked by 1 person
3-4 years ago my Facebook feed was full of TED Talk videos. I think college kids like them because it’s the first time they listen to a lecture and feel like they’re learning something. Or they just need something to procrastinate with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know people who love them. My supervisor showed one at a department meeting. And I know people who go in person to see them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a bit much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was part of one. Not a whole hour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One reason I like TED is because they are short and too the point. Presenters have to prepare and generally stay within a 20 minute time slot. There are tons and tons of boring ones, but there are some nuggets out there too. Some have even been life changing for the presenters. I really like Brene Brown’s talks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I could find them interesting and I don’t. And the ones I’ve been subjected to have been longer than that. Which is longer than my attention span, anyway, lol. What does Brene Brown talk about?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, she talks about being vulnerable… It’s hard to synopsize really.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll check her out. Thank you for the recommendation. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person