Over the past few years, I’ve ebbed and flowed out of my interest in podcasts, particularly TED Talks, but recently I’ve listened to some really amazing TED Talk Daily podcasts that have changed how I think about some really important issues. Here are five I recommend for your next quarantine walk to get you thinking.
- The dirty secret of capitalism — and a new way forward – Nick Hanauer with TED Talks Daily
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This podcast/TED Talk addresses concerns about rising inequality and political instability and how they are the direct result of decades of bad economic theory, particularly neoliberalism and capitalism. One of the central ideas in this podcast is the argument Hanauer makes against one of the central neoliberal economic ideas that humans are inherently competitive and greedy, which greatly would change the way we understand our economic system. Nick Hanauer is an entrepreneur and is certainly in the top 1% in the United States financially. While I’m certainly critical of the fact that he is the person that people will listen to and not everyone else who has been making these same arguments for years, I do think this podcast is well done and explores this topic in an approachable and well-informed way that made me think deeply about my education on economics and is certainly worth a listen
- The difference between healthy and unhealthy love – Katie Hood with TED Talks Daily
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I have been an advocate for the importance of understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships for a long time, but it can be hard to briefly explain the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships in a productive way. Katie Hood, the CEO of One Love, talks in this podcast about five signs of unhealthy relationships, things you can do every day to practice loving better as a skill you can improve, as well as why understanding all of this is so important.
- 3 Questions to ask yourself about everything you do – Stacy Abrams with TED Talks Daily
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In this power TED Talk, Stacy Abrams shares the lessons she learned from her campaign for governor of Georgia and advice on how to change the world. First of all, Stacy Abrams talking about anything is inspirational, but hearing her speak about what she did to step up after losing the election is amazing and her advice can be applied to so many situations. Definitely worth a listen.
- 6 essential lessons for women leaders – Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with TED Talks Daily
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In this TED Talk, Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia, and Nigeria Ngozi Okonjo reflect on their experiences being powerful women in global politics. They share six lessons they learned during their time in their positions. Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of discussion of the sexism they faced and how they worked through that. This talk gives you a great international perspective on female leadership.
- Why there’s no such thing as objective reality – Greg Anderson with TED Talks Daily
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If you’re looking for a podcast to really make you think, this is the perfect one for you. Historian Greg Anderson talks about how in the big picture of history, the modern reality is a weird exception when compared to ancient, precolonial, and Indigenous civilizations. He asks us to think about why Westerns today assume we are the only ones who can be right about what reality really is and that everyone else is wrong. He encourages us to think beyond our own understanding of reality and to reimagine other possible ways of being a human could look like.
Thinking about learning outside of the classroom while in college can be a draining idea, but listening to podcasts can be a fun way to learn about interesting things in an easy and manageable way. I hope you enjoy these TED Talks as a way to learn and think for your own enjoyment.