Is civility a sham?

"Civility makes our disagreements tolerable." Read online

This week on TED.com November 17, 2018

Talk of the week Teresa Bejan: Is civility a sham? 13:53 minutes · Filmed Oct 2018 · Posted Nov 2018 · TED Salon Brightline Initiative What exactly is civility, and what does it require? In a talk packed with historical insights, political theorist Teresa Bejan explains how civility has been used as both the foundation of tolerant societies and as a way for political partisans to silence and dismiss opposing views. Bejan suggests that we should instead try for "mere civility": the virtue of being able to disagree fundamentally with others without destroying the possibility of a common life tomorrow. (This talk contains mature language.) Watch now »

Playlist of the week How did the internet take over our lives? 7 TED Talks that try to make sense of this brave new virtual world. Watch » Total run time 1:49:54

This week's new TED Talks Author AJ Jacobs wanted to do one simple thing: to personally thank each and every person who helped make his morning cup of coffee. More than one thousand "thank you"s later, Jacobs reflects on the globe-trotting journey that ensued -- and the life-altering wisdom he picked up along the way -- in this funny, thoughtful talk about the value of gratitude. Watch » Viruses have a bad reputation -- but some of them could one day save your life, says biotech entrepreneur Alexander Belcredi. In this fascinating talk, he introduces us to phages, naturally occurring viruses that hunt and kill harmful bacteria with deadly precision, and shows how these once-forgotten organisms could provide new hope against the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Watch » Libraries create a better world: they connect communities, promote reading, spark lifelong learners. But one scary thing keeps people away: the fear of overdue book fines. In this thought-provoking talk, librarian Dawn Wacek makes the case that fines don't actually do what we think they do. What if your library just ... stopped asking for them? Watch » Only if you are truly open to the possibility of being wrong can you ever learn, says researcher Alex Edmans. In an insightful talk, he explores how confirmation bias can lead you astray on social media, in politics and beyond, and offers three practical tools for finding evidence you can actually trust. Watch »

Read more on ideas.ted.com Why you should always say "thank you" for your coffee   The simple idea that gave A.J. Jacobs a mental makeover. Read » How the Standing Rock protests re-energized Native American activism A conversation with Tara Houska on how the massive 2016 protests built energy to preserve and protect culture. Read » Want to really connect at your next family gathering? Try this. A professional event organizer shares the best trick she ever learned: How to get new stories from the people you love. Read »

Quote of the Week “ What exactly is civility? Well, to start, it is not the same thing as being respectful or polite, because we need civility precisely when we're dealing with those people that we find it the most difficult, or maybe even impossible, to respect. Similarly, being civil can't be the same as being nice, because being nice means not telling people what you really think about them or their wrong, wrong views. No, being civil means speaking your mind, but to your opponent's face, not behind her back. Civility is having the courage to make yourself disagreeable, and to stay that way, but to do so while staying in the room." Teresa Bejan Is civility a sham? (Get the transcript)

New podcast: The TED Interview Steven Pinker argues that our pessimism about today's world is profoundly wrong. Was 2017 really the "the worst ever," as some would have us believe? Cognitive psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker shares data that shows: actually, it was one of the best overall. On The TED Interview podcast, Chris Anderson sits down with Steven to take a closer look at the data that suggest the world is improving, and to unpack why so many people find this idea so challenging. Listen for free here.

Download the TED mobile app for iOS and Android

 

You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out daily emails, if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2018 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: http://www.ted.com/newsletter ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences   view email in browser