Ted talk: My stroke of insight
Ted talks are really astounding: in less than 20 minutes each talk knows how to captivate you and change your world view. Each talk I’ve seen so far was remarkable and a true addition to my life’s experiences.
But even this highest category of talks has differences in the way a talk grabs you. The talk by Jill Bolte Taylor about her stroke of insight was funny, informative and touching in a way you can’t imagine. In her talk she explains how the two halves of the human brain work. She even grosses out the audience by displaying a real human brain. This is remarkable in itself, but when she starts talking about her stroke, the talk begins to gain a life of its own.
The way Jill visualizes her experience really struck me. I urge you to see it for yourself, it is one of the most touching talks I have seen. Garr Reynolds from Presentation Zen describes the way how this talk affected him while he watched. It had the same effect on me:
“A bit unexpectedly, I was floored. In fact I was moved to tears, as was the packed TED theatre which gave her a huge standing ovation. Take some time today and watch this 18-minute TED presentation. This is such a wonderful talk.”
So take your 18 minutes and start watching now:
Tags: presentation, ted
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
truly both an exceptional and touching talk.
thanks for spreading it.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:35 am
I read “My Stroke of Insight” in one sitting - I couldn’t put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it’s a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I’ve ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:29 am
Thank you for that. Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stroke of Insight is one of the most incredible stories I’ve heard in a long time. Her TEDTalk video blew my mind wide open to new possibilities. On the one hand, there’s what she went through and how she emerged from it. On the other hand, there’s what she can teach all of us.
I saw the 4 part Oprah interview on Oprah dot com Soul Series and I did learn a lot from that, but I’d like to find our more of how to do what Dr. Taylor did, without having a stroke of course!
Thin how many of us are living too much in the head, and not the heart. And of course, you can’t get more left brain than a Harvard Brain Scientist. Isn’t it ironic that she should be the one to have the stroke and transform from the quintessential left brainer into this “”seen the light”" disciple of finding inner peace?
I hope this movement keeps going. Maybe there will be My Stroke of Insight classes where we can practice what Jill Bolte Taylor is preaching.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am
The New York Times Sunday Newspaper on May 25 had a great two page article on Jill Bolte Taylor and her book, “MY STROKE OF INSIGHT”. Her book is a must read and this NY Times article - called “A Superhighway to bliss” is worth checking out too.