I am starting a new category here at DGC, my favorite TED talks of all time. Sometimes they will be on-topic with the other themes here at DGC, sometimes they will be totally random. The common thread will be that these talks made me think, made me contemplate in a new way. Maybe the talk challenged a belief or bias I had. Maybe it introduced me to a new field I never considered. Maybe someone just communicated an eternal truth in a new and interesting way. In any case, I have listened to hundreds of TED talks and attended a couple of their in person meetings. These are the ones I pass on to friends.
The first one I want to share is about addiction. Maybe you have struggled with it yourself as I have (gambling, cell phones, etc.) or maybe you know someone who has. But the question is, how should addicts be treated? The common method in America is to shun them and punish them. Yet much of the addictive behavior is a cry for attention, for attachment, a reaching out for connection. Pushing them away is exactly the opposite of what is needed. Hari really breaks it down for us from debunking the erroneous studies behind current policy to highlighting success with new approaches. This talk is not just for policy wonks, it is for all of us. It can help us have more compassion for the addicts in our lives, including ourselves. Watch it.
