Truth Tellers: TED Circle (Free)
Updated: Jul 23, 2021
This post is a recap of the TED Circle: Truth Tellers discussion held on Sat Nov 28, 2020 12–1pm ET.
Discussion Goal
TED Circles' November 2020 theme was "Truth Tellers".
Science and research have taken on a new meaning during the pandemic. Just as prevalent are the per-existing perceptions and misconceptions about these topics. What will bring us closer to the truth? Let's discuss..
Watch this TEDx talk that represents the topic online BEFORE the event: https://www.ted.com/talks/j_marshall_shepherd_3_kinds_of_bias_that_shape_your_worldview
Discuss your thoughts and key takeways from the TEDx talk
Share personal success stories and strategies
Host:
Gunjan Syal — Transformation Executive, Emerald Technology Group Inc.
Discussion Summary
It was enlightening to host this discussion circle in the pandemic world. It was just Y* (name anonymized) and I for this one so the crowd was small, but the discussion was extremely deep and connecting. We each represented our respective countries in the North America, culture and varying point of views. It was a wonderful give and take of inspiration:
Y* came from a clergy background, while I come from a very since oriented upbringing. It was wonderful to see that our values and beliefs were quite identical in many ways.
Y* and I discussed what is happening around us these days, both during COVID and at a political spectrum. COVID has driven us to a remote world where it can be difficult to find safe-places for frank discussions. We talked about how TED Circles has provided this avenue now, to bring people together from all over the world for conversations. Before, we may not have considered going online for such conversations and looked for a local friends circle due to proximity and familiarity.
Y* mentioned that her country has not seen this amount of racism and immigration related issues out in the open during our life times. It likely existed in past, however there was shyness around sharing those point of views out in the open. The political climate seems to have provided permission and validated those views. We both agreed that it is a double-edged sword. There is a need to know that a problem exists, however the intensity with which the problem is now visible is too great to manage. The manner in which it is manifesting itself is also too great. Y* mentioned that it may "feel like a pressure cooker at times". It was also interesting to note that this was a world-wide phenomenon and not localized to any one country. The intensity varies from place to place, but racism is now more visible now than in our lifetimes.
We talked about J Marshall Sheppard's TEDx video which talks about confirmation bias - we seek to prove what we assume to be the truth. It takes courage, patience and initiative to really hear and understand a different point of view. We were unsure if the physically-distant and online world supports this habit or challenges it! In this world, you may get what you search for, or you may choose to join global conversations/ read other point of views to expand your knowledge.