TED Talk Tuesday #227: Be nice – to yourself

TED continues to spread ideas and help us all be better critical thinkers. Watching, listening and talking about TED Talks is a popular pastime for many in the CN&CO community. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh, learn or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations and business opportunities. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. It’s also a way that the CN&CO team play their part in spreading ideas and helping to make the world a better place.

This talk is chosen by Carel.

I haven’t been on TED.com for a while and so, looking for a talk to feature, I logged on and – voila! – the first talk is one about being a nice person. With a friend celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary yesterday stating that “kindness” is a big part of her marriage’s success and my ongoing belief that one really must try to not be a d**s, the talk immediately spoke to me. I hope it does to you also. In a world where there is so much anger, hurt, despair and fear, being kind to yourself and others goes a long way to making things better.

“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 anonymous survey of his family, friends and colleagues turned up some brutal feedback — he was still kind of a jerk. In a wise, funny talk, he shares his years-long quest to improve his relationships with everyone (starting with himself) and explains the science behind loving-kindness meditation, and how it can boost your resiliency, quiet your inner critic and simply make you more pleasant to be around.”