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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ค. 2018
- We get stronger, not weaker, by engaging with ideas and people we disagree with, says Zachary R. Wood. In an important talk about finding common ground, Wood makes the case that we can build empathy and gain understanding by engaging tactfully and thoughtfully with controversial ideas and unfamiliar perspectives. "Tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn't make them go away," Wood says. "To achieve progress in the face of adversity, we need a genuine commitment to gaining a deeper understanding of humanity."
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Sorry to sum this up in a sentence, but my grandfather raised me knowing A wise man will listen to a fool but a fool will listen to nobody
My grandmother taught me that if you argue with a fool, an observer won't know who the fool is.
What a breath of fresh air. Such a well spoken, confident young man. I commend him for standing in front of hundreds of people to speak his truth. Well done.
Well it was actually just ethics. He presented his axiom that it is mutually beneficial for opposing sides to listen to each others arguments. This is not necessarily "true" and we cannot say whether this brings us any benefit as a general rule.
Allow me one question, are you religious?
You can't say a black person is well spoken, that's racist.
Remy Lebeau That didn’t even make sense.
Myn It comes with the underlying assumption that black people are usually not very well spoken. Otherwise there would be no reason to exclaim "Hey, you speak English very well!"
It is like saying "Wow, you haven't robbed anyone today, good job!" It has an air of condescension, don't you think?
It is also racist to mention general trends and stereotypes in the black community like single motherhood, a disproportionate rate of abortion at 700 or more per day with more being aborted in NYC than were being born, and of the 12,000 gun homicides per year, 4,000 of the victims are young black men. It doesn't matter how truthful the trends and statistics are, it is racist.
Remy Lebeau Ive never thought of it like that. My first language isnt English so when people say it to me I just think of it as my English improving. You have a good point, Ill make sure I dont say it to other black people! Thank you!!
Him saying that his mom who was diagnosed to be having schizophrenia and she yet remained a strong influence to him is a good fact to learn from him.
How can you disgagree with someone if you did'nt listen to him in the first place ?
By listening to them without ever trying to understand why they are saying what they say.
Groupthink/Tribalism
When you identify as an opposing social group an adapt their beliefs because it was once an evolutionary advantage for our species to do so.
In other words, when you're guided by your biological nature because you lack the cognitive capacity to overcome it. When you're an average human with an average mind and predictable tendencies.
Libtards habit they're so desperate to stay in their little bubble.
GoldiorTM and conservatives aren’t? It’s not just one-sided
BTIsaac Ah, yes, because Thomas Aquinas never said anything intelligent. Gotcha.
A deep and emotionally intelligent man. I wish him well in his important work. The world needs more warm hearts like his
The single best talk ive seen on political anything ive seen in years
Love this. Calm and open to discussion, instead of irrational and violent trying to shut people down from even being able to open their mouth.
what makes a good debater is much less about having a winning argument, and more about "owning" or "taking to heart" what the other person has to say. You have to truly understand - or at least come close to understanding - the other side or else you will rarely break through. You only truly win a debate IMO if all people on all sides can empathize with your points. You don't come off as a rational person when you solely take one side or the other.
It depends on how you define "winning a debate".
I think that no matter what you are arguing about,it depends on the willingness of your oponent to understand you. It's a controversial question. Always pick your fights.
The world needs more people like him
Everyone who spent the time watching this are good candidates.
Get that information! Thank God someone in our generation is saying this.
I know, right? At least I know a couple of people that have some common sense.
@BTIsaac it may contradict your believes, but don't discriminate religion. Didn't you watch the video ?
Social media needs this sort of understanding urgently.
"A Journey of Uncomfortable Learning..."
No matter where you think you sit on the subject...listen to those with opposing thought. The world can be a better place, but it requires each to reach across to the other.
How funny! I have been fighting for this too since I visited Benin. My trip there really made me realize that you don't have to agree with everything someone says or does, but you should always listen respectfully and try your best to understand their point of view. The same way I always tell people "you don't have to love everyone you meet, but you should always love meeting everyone". Love, Audrey
Exactly even if someone disagrees with someone's choice he/she shouldn't disrespect their choice...People should understand that everyone has diff preference/opinion and move on
The title is something everyone should take in some consideration
Especially SJWs
As someone of conservative thought I'd discuss stuff with him any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
So often we only seem to get the regurgitated Party Line from liberals because the people who most often want to engage with a conservative are those who simply want someone from the Other Side to shout at. I am well aware that there are plenty of conservatives who seek out liberals to shout at too.
To thoughtful people on either side, the other side looks like a wasteland of people mindlessly repeating what their puppetmasters tell them to deeply believe this week. It's hard to remember that it really isn't true.
Thank You for sharing this insightful comment .. I agree. Love & Peace to All
i respect the way you handle opposing opinions thanks for sharing your point of view
Listen, debate, think, and at the end of all that.. take action, because otherwise it'd be a total waste.
I generally find more success in speaking to people who have drastically different povs on a one on one level. I also find asking WHY and empathizing is the best tactic. When you understand where someone is coming from you have the tools to dig deep and often point out flaws in ways of thinking. Normally when a persons beliefs are attacked they feel like their identity and entire being is being berated and threatened. Ive seen this from everyone. And its a hard habbit to break.
But it brings about self awareness and self awareness is so important. Am i arguing based on statistics and facts? Or bias and emotion? Its okay to be wrong and to have done or believed things that aren't positive in nature. It doesnt make you a bad person.
It makes you human which is exactly what we all are
Almost everybody faces this problem. For someone it can be rather difficult to admit to themselves that they have this habit. I've heard about the way to break it. It can be a good thing to keep a diary for 21 days and write down your thoughts on daily arguements. In the end you can analyse them and improve your communication.
I don't care what side you are on or what else you believe this is what I want, a conversation where we listen to each other and try to get to the best solution.
What a great speech!
Thank you, Mr. Wood. I firmly believe that it's important to listen and try to understand people of opposing viewpoints. Some of the best conversations I've had have been with people who are my ideological opposites -- provided we are both willing to approach the discussion with respect and politesse.
This TED talk brought tears into my eyes and I really admired his each and every word he has spoken there. Pleasant to learn it.
This is the best advice anybody can give someone - it’s how you gain a true understanding of any subject - and acquire the ability to articulate that understanding ......
I'm confident that you will improve your world. Thank you.
Please excuse me, but don't you mean, "Our" world? Love & Peace to All
At one point or another we've all listen to someone we disagreed with. The problem is not that we do not want to listen to them. People do not want to communicate with those who are rude, insulting and confrontational; that's where the friction is. As a society we have not been taught how to manage it.
So, it started from the get go with somebody inflicting pain, and the counter reaction was to return the pain to the sender.
What a very great speaker. I believe the future will be better if more people can listen, understand, the world opposite than they own.
First good ted talk in a long time.
Random Dude this is actually old , listened to this almost a month ago on their podcast
I love how this reiterates the importance of having an open mind about controversies. It really is the first step in binding our divided nation, and I feel like many people need to watch this video to cool their jets.
I love listening to people I disagree with, listening helps me understand why they are wrong and why I'm always ultimately right
(For those who haven't an education: It's a joke).
i 100% agree, and sometimes find it disappointing that everyone would rather share their perspective or point of view in a debate, but never give opportunity to understand or consider the other side's ideal or moral standings. It hurts deeply to consider that conversations around conflicting ideology can never make it past blaming and finger pointing, because no one ever takes the time out to get past their own personal level of discomfort or deepen their growth in and with empathy. How many different controversial arguments could we diminish or engage in if others were more willing to silently listen and not feel that listening concedes agreement or defeat with a view they disagree with?
That is because in the age of social media debates are fought for the audience, not for the cause. And the practice of listening to you opponent will just weaken you for that audience and allow them to present their points. The dumber, the better they stick. That is why you can never win a debate against an unreasonable person.
I'm still confused at how many people are capable of win this "popularity contest"-game without offering any substance or dimension. But as i type that, i'm reminded of that generic cartoon skit where a public figure has to debate in front of an audience but the one that wins the crowd favor isn't the one with meaningful content, but rather the voice that shouts pretty words and favorable subject headers. (hahaha, buzzfeed anyone?)
Thank You Herbert Milhomme, for taking the time, to point out these aspects of truth. Please excuse my way long response and any misunderstanding I may cause due to not taking the time to grammatically correct all my inserts. : ) You are so correct in mentioning the need to ... Take the Time ... (and to get past their own personal level of discomfort). The question you end with is an important one. So many of us can (and do) get so obsessed in the insignificant details that they loose track of what is really being discussed. And so many people do not care as much about understanding a problem and resolving it as wanting to remain as someone who is considered intelligent or they want to become or remain ...hum ..popular (manifest in so many different ways these days with social media providing such a strange way of being considered "popular". I appreciate that you mention that "it" hurts you deeply ("it" being the fact that many conversations never make it has far has is required (my addition here ... The conversations that are required to resolve important social problems such as poverty and war). You say what you say well ... I'm just saying it in my own way sorta ... and letting you know I appreciate you saying it. I have read many of the comments to this important talk ... so many people do not bother to really take the time to listen and then the extra time required to understand ... and so many people want to believe (or do believe) that anyone who does not agree with them is unable to do so because they are somehow less ... less intelligent ... less updated in valid information (which many will only feel is provided through scientific research alone) ... less enlightened ... less period. So many people want to simply (and quickly) with no taking of the time required, invalidate ... anything or anyone, who does not immediately support their own personal view. Those among us who are able to see this, very disturbing trend, and see, the trend itself as a problem that needs to be resolved ... needs to take every opportunity to point it out and at least attempt to explain it. One more thing I want to address ... someone (in comments here) mentioned that it would be a waste of time to listen to everyone's view, due to 98% of people having no clue as to what they are hearing or saying .... Every single person is at different levels of development (not just according to their age which has it's own limitations ...so well just as we would not place a 5 year old in charge of anything (not due to them being unintelligent but due to lack of experience and we might not invite them to the table of resolving the problem of war ... a 5 year old still needs to be heard and understood and have questions answered, other wise they may form some very strange ideas and solutions .... ) ... fact is until someone takes the time to fully listen to anything anyone is saying ... there will be misunderstandings ...galore (which there is) ... Naturally no one has the time to fully listen to what everyone has to say ... BUT ... this is where we get messed up ... within Our individual small circle of friends or family or group ... (or even when reading and responding to something here on YT) ... we can take the time to fully "listen and then at least attempt further clarification that can lead to better understanding ... of anything we are presented with ... But most important is, that, along the way ... we see and recognize ideas, plans, pathways, solutions which can be implemented and Implement them ... so as to truly make change that benefits not just some but All of us. Thank You again. Love & Peace to All
I definitely had to re-read a few times to make sense of all it. But we are in agreement, at the core of everything, everyone's opinion or thought should at least be heard/understood, even if we don't value or utilize it. "Ignorance breeds ignorance" and i suppose, ignoring others will always feed into the cycle of never considering what anyone would have to say.
Thank-you for your perspective. I believe you are right, we do need to listen to each other more, despite fear, and despite misunderstanding.
How do I know it's worth listening to people I disagree with? Literally everything I agree with now, from specific politics to morals and life choices and little things I say and do, I used to disagree with. Agreement doesn't always come from conscious critical thought, in my experience it's a slow burn and what rises from the embers is the truth.
An extremely important video, I hope this goes trending. Thank you TED! Another TED video this reminded me of was when the former member of the Westboro baptist church talked about how she left the church after those who disagreed with her views listened to her views and then talked to her, rather than those who just insulted her for her beliefs.
Really great talk... Not only best TED talk I have seen in awhile but also a very thought provoking and honest discussion...
Bravo! Thank You so very much Mr. Zachary R. Wood for such an important message. You are right ... it is required for us to listen to opposing views in order to resolve Our problems. Love & Peace to All
While listening to opposing viewpoints is a step in the right direction, it still falls short of actual respect and considering the other person's point of view as a viable one. He never mentioned how listening to an opposing viewpoint had changed his own perspective on something. Rather, his message was more of an "understand the enemy" approach. Why is it that the opposing viewpoint was considered the contoversial one? He is not listening to actually learn something with the goal of progress or greater understanding or pursuit of universal truth, but to further support and bolster his own staunch opinions and attitudes.
This is not openmindedness or true progress.
KnightErrant Music Not all opposite ideas will change us, but this doesn't mean we are not listening. The only prove of deep listening is to be changed by others' ideas? If so, I think you are confusing validation with agreement. He can validate others' ideas, understand where they come from and the rationale behind them, and still disagree. Just because we validate others' ideas doesn't mean we have to agree with them, otherwise we weren't truly listening nor willing to understand.
Also, the talk was not about discussing if the perceived controversial view was valid or not, right or wrong. There are many talks about this already.
D. N. Thank you for your comments. I agree with everything you said. Again, my issue is that he is not coming from a truly openminded approach to the other person. I would NOT suggest that anybody has to agree with anybody else for them to be listening. I'm saying that he already seems to have his mind made up and he does not seem to be willing to TRULY CONSIDER the other perspective as POSSIBLY more viable than his own. His underlying motive for listening seems to be more defensive and self-serving than openminded and truthseeking.
D. N. And I still applaud that he is willing to listen, for whatever reason. Many will not, but will instead label the other opinion as hate without any serious consideration or attempt to understand them.
Please get on the Rubin Report. I'd love a left leaning thinker like you having a good interview with someone from the IDW.
Sam Adriaensen Amen to that.
I believe in this. Always learning, always growing. Thank you sir for sharing.
How to win friends and influence people 101 !!!
Excellent talk and made me feel less alone as a thinker in a community that overall is against anything new or any differing viewpoints than what their forefathers had hundreds of years ago. I am an outsider in a community where my own family has been for 300 years.
Finally, someone who understands the importance of free dialogue
Great speech and i absolutely agree.We learn by being in situations we are not used to be,listening to the things we do not know yet.
I wish everyone a great weekend :)
Someone rightly said "You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation".Kudos to his mother for raising such a person.
This ones going viral 🙌🏼 Phenomenal speech !
"It’s always worth establishing first principles. It’s always worth saying, what would you do if you met a Flat Earth Society member? Come to think of it, how can I prove the earth is round?.....How sure am I of my own views? Don’t take refuge in the false security of consensus, and the feeling that whatever you think you’re bound to be okay, because you’re in the safely moral majority."- Christopher Hitchens
Amazing, TED needs to do more to uphold it’s supposed beliefs. Everyone needs to hear this talk!!
He is in the spirit of John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty", chapter 2. You need to know thoroughly the arguments on the other side before you can espouse your own opinions (on any subject). Also, the best argumentation is one which leaves out personal attacks, addresses the arguments of your opponent with evidence, and uses civility. Good job on this talk.
Well spoken Zachary. Polarity is always a matter of degree. Degree is the point we are at. Knowing and understanding the other degree's gives perspective. Perspective give us the opportunity to Choose a degree of our wanting/liking. It's a dynamic process, ever fluid toward our becoming. We have 7b degrees of polarity to choose _our individual_ degree (if we want) as wisely and considerately as we can and change it to move into our individual/collective becoming. Or, perhaps just stand in our own degree and be clear about it and let if flow individually. Dichotomy is a human condition that gives us choice.
Well said, Thank You. Love & Peace to All
Zachary R. Wood Congratulations great Speech. I just hope that the organizers of TED Talks take It under consideration when booking their Speakers.
Social media algorithms certainly make this difficult as they are engineering us to only see posts that agree with is. Very good talk.
Absolutely!
Touch The Coolwing q
Touch The Coolwing абсолютно
Your being that smart and resilient in the face of all these traumatic experiences makes you really sound courageous.
I love Brother Zachary Wood from the bottom of my heart and what he just spoke on today.
oh look, TED finally catching up.
Yes you are so right and your open heartedness is the way for a better future.
We will never be free as the human race till we understand and deal with the underlying issue that everyone seems to ignore human nature. We keep Changing the system over and over again without addressing the underlying problems of our nature until we come to terms with this we will never truly understand each other.
Well said, Thank You. Love & Peace to All
And now we see what NOT to do, featuring TH-cam's comment section.
Except I think that even youtubers will be in agreement here so this comment section will likely not be so bad.
Y’know I was expecting this comment section to be pretty good in comparison to most.
I was wrong.
I'm looking at the comments and, actually, in the first page of comments there is only one that seems at all hateful. Basically, everyone is just saying how great this concept is.
MaddeningFly lol
A brilliant speaker and a truly intelligent young man with an idea worth sharing. Used his speech to create an exercise for my English lesson.
I found that people have more things in common then not. It's the tribalism and how we get there that's different. We need to look for the commonalities in all before we can move forward.
Listening to others is an important communication skill.
Spend all of your time listening to them, because as soon as you share your opinion, many will not understand or care. People are increasingly selfish and one sided.
10:12 "And I found that his understanding of issues like welfare and affirmative action was tied and deeply rooted in his understanding of various libertarian and conservative beliefs, what diminishes and increases their presence in our society. While he expressed his viewpoints eloquently, I remained thoroughly unconvinced, but I did walk away with a deeper understanding." I'd be happy to hear the reasons for Zachary's disagreement on these points.
Same. I typically agree with Douglas Murray so I would like to hear Zachary's counterpoints.
This 100% accurate. You can gain knowledge and wisdom from anywhere.
Playing devil's advocate: Why not listen to opposite opinions: it generates stress/anxiety. If you're already too stressed, that will generate in you temporary or permanent emotional afflictions
Fantastic speech, i actually already approach our world this way.
He just told the recipe to world peace, think about it
Keep moving forward! ..... the world need this iin this polarize world we are living in now
its really sad that something like thisneeds saying, thank you for your talk, hopefully at least some people will listen
Thanks for your words! Beautiful speech
Well done, i love open minded critic, people being able to question and investigate.
A listener but not a good speaker here. This is way to close to my philosophy. Good to know that someone still thinks like this!
I enjoyed this talk and I know first hand the resistance to this idea in academia...which is baffling...(?) Gadamer famously said 'we all come from somewhere.' It's come to the point where I'll argue against anyone who makes a strong truth claim relative to any position; but, I come from the world of Philosophy, and it is our duty to be dreaded by the vast majority...
OUTSTANDING! Thank you!
1) Brilliant! Very eloquently argued. 2) I wanna steal his sweater. I hate most sweaters but this one rocks!
What a great Ted Talk. I would only add that he left the impression that the topic of IQ is simply a view point when we do have a century of date that indicates a few things, one being that IQ testing does in fact predict a measure intelligence. If not they would have been discarded long ago. When the military takes in raw recruits they use a Sort of IQ test (avab) to understand the best placement. So we know they do predict very well. They other thing we know us, just like height, groups have different averages, not to be confused with individual ability. No one yet has (for the sake of experiment) produced a test in which group averages change. Not such test can result in Asians scoring lower than say whites. Accepting group averages helps us to better serve unique challenges various groups have. Knowledge clarifies.
Why it's worth watching TED.
One of the best ted talks
Of of the best talks ever! Thank you
Hey truly outstanding young men. I can see him as one of the true leaders of the future.
Agreed, different views should not be excluded from public debate because that only leads to polarization and radicalization.
Good concept, the same one espoused by honest thinkers for a long time. Hopefully it can get some more traction this time.
so glad to hear this
Its important to not get trapped into an echo chamber. Thank you!
SUPER INSPIRATIONAL. THANKS
Wow - what a wonderful speaker - these are the leaders
Its importen to be open minded and respectful, even if someone is diffrent from us
I strongly agree
So you are saying that you strongly disagree?
General S. Patton Nope.
Beautiful words
Today, decades after the publication of the Bell Curve, the research in the book still holds firm.
In fact IQ is one of the most replicable findings in Psychology.
Reminds me of the Nartuo vs Pein fight where they agree that they want the same thing, but to get there in different ways.
spread the word!
Excellent talk.
Outstanding ted talk.
really valuable message!!
Very important message in today's world.
It's great to see someone on the more socially left-leaning side saying this, freedom of speech is at its most effective when people from all over the spectrum of beliefs are willing to discuss
Extraordinary speech
This video should be on everybody's tv
What if they turned off comments
Debates are reasonable one sided propaganda is dangerous. We give him cushion for his naivete ignorance lack of experience