21 Must-Watch TED Talks That Will Change Your Life

We can learn so much from TED Talks—not just from their content but also from their delivery. We conducted our own research on what makes a TED talk go viral...

We can learn so much from TED Talks—not just from their content but also from their delivery.

We conducted our own research on what makes a TED talk go viral and found that the best TED speakers indicate charisma, credibility and intelligence incredibly quickly.

The best way to learn what they do is to see them in action! So we spent some time curating what we believe are 21 of the greatest TED talks of all time.

Career & Professional Success

You Are Contagious by Vanessa Van Edwards

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We might be biased, but we literally studied what makes a successful TED Talk and then made one!

From my early days as a self-proclaimed “awkward person,” my quest to understand human connection led me down a fascinating path of discovery. I found myself not just overcoming my own social challenges, but uncovering and sharing groundbreaking insights about how we influence each other as human beings.

Key Takeaways:

• The most viral TED talks use nearly twice as many hand gestures (465 vs 272) as less popular ones
• Our emotions and expressions are literally contagious - from fear responses to authentic smiles
• Simple changes in conversation starters can trigger dopamine and create more memorable interactions

Put It Into Practice: Start using more intentional hand gestures when presenting. Replace standard conversation starters like “How are you?” with dopamine-triggering questions like “Working on anything exciting?” When feeling nervous, try reframing it as excitement. Most importantly, remember that your mood and energy are contagious, so choose carefully what you want to spread to others.

On Professional Presence: “The Problem with Being ‘Too Nice’ at Work” by Tessa West (2024)

Social psychologist Tessa West revealed how anxiety often manifests as excessive niceness in workplace interactions.

Through studies measuring everything from heart rates to facial expressions, she showed how this “anxious niceness” not only damages careers but creates cycles of stress that affect both parties, particularly in cross-racial interactions.

Key Takeaways:

• Generic niceness often masks anxiety and discomfort
• Vague positive feedback can harm career growth
• Breaking the cycle requires specific, constructive feedback

Memorable Quote: “Our bodies are not always our own, our physiology is not always our own.”

Put It Into Practice: Start with neutral, specific feedback rather than generic praise. Frame criticism around clear examples and replacement behaviors. Focus on engagement over pleasantries.

On Leadership Principles: “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek (2009)

Marketing consultant Simon Sinek used Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright brothers to reveal a powerful pattern in how great leaders inspire action.

Through his concept of “The Golden Circle,” he demonstrates that while most organizations communicate from the outside in (what → how → why), inspiring leaders and companies work from the inside out, starting with their purpose.

Key Takeaways

• People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it
• Great leaders communicate from the inside out
• Success requires connecting with people who believe what you believe

Memorable Quote: “The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.”

Put It Into Practice: Start by clarifying your “why”—your purpose or belief. Lead with this in communications rather than features or benefits. Focus on attracting those who share your values.

On Communication Skills: “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” by Julian Treasure (2013)

Sound expert Julian Treasure revealed how chronic habits like gossip, judgment, and negativity weaken our verbal impact, while sharing tools for powerful speaking.

Through his HAIL formula (Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Love) and practical voice exercises, he demonstrated how small changes in how we speak—from register to pace to prosody—can transform our ability to connect and influence others.

Key Takeaways:

• Avoid the seven deadly sins of speaking (gossip, judging, negativity, etc.)
• Stand on the foundations of HAIL: Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Love
• Use your vocal toolbox: register, timbre, prosody, pace, pitch, volume

Memorable Quote: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world.”

Put It Into Practice: Warm up your voice before important talks. Pay attention to both what you say and how you say it. Speak with conscious awareness of your impact.

Speaking of communication skills… want more advice on how to improve them? Check out our comprehensive training course:

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On Motivation and Behavior: “Why We Do What We Do” by Tony Robbins (2006)

Performance coach Tony Robbins delivered an electrifying deep dive into human motivation and behavior. Drawing from his 30 years of experience working with people in crisis, he revealed the invisible forces that shape our decisions—from basic human needs to the power of emotion. His high-energy analysis challenged conventional wisdom about success, showing how our internal states and beliefs drive everything we do.

Key Takeaways:

• Six human needs drive all behavior: certainty, uncertainty, significance, love, growth, and contribution
• Emotion, not intellect, is the driving force of life
• Resources don’t determine success—resourcefulness does

Memorable Quote: “The defining factor is never resources; it’s resourcefulness.”

Put It Into Practice: Identify which of the six needs drive your decisions. Focus on cultivating emotional fitness alongside technical skills. Find ways to grow and contribute beyond yourself.

On Women’s Leadership Development: “The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get” by Susan Colantuono (2013)

While women make up 50% of middle management, they’re vastly underrepresented at the top.

Business strategist Susan Colantuono revealed the missing piece: while women are often coached on confidence and communication, they’re rarely advised on the crucial importance of business and financial acumen. Through real examples and research, she exposed how this oversight perpetuates the gender gap in corporate leadership.

Key Takeaways:

• Business and financial acumen is key to advancement but often missing from advice given to women
• Traditional career advice focuses too heavily on soft skills
• Both individuals and organizations must address this gap

Memorable Quote: “The door-opener for career advancement is your business, strategic and financial acumen. All the other important stuff is what differentiates you in the talent pool.”

Put It Into Practice: Focus on developing and demonstrating your understanding of business strategy and financial goals. Seek opportunities to build and showcase business acumen alongside interpersonal skills.

Personal Development

On Self-Confidence: “A 3-Step Guide to Believing In Yourself” by Sheryl Lee Ralph (2023)

Fresh off her historic Emmy win for Abbott Elementary, veteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph transformed four decades of Hollywood rejection into an electrifying masterclass on self-belief.

Through personal stories—from being the only Black student in her private school to confronting limiting casting directors—she delivered a powerful message about persistence and authenticity that had the audience spellbound and singing along.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-belief requires seeing yourself truly, thinking critically about negative messages, and taking bold action
• What’s meant to break you can build you up if you reframe it
• Success doesn’t always look like the journey that led to it

Memorable Quote: ""If you can’t love it, then respect it. And if you can’t respect it, then encourage it. If you can’t encourage it, empower it. And if you can’t empower it, please be kind to it.”

Put It Into Practice: Start a meaningful practice of mirror work: see yourself, respect what you see, and encourage what you find. Reframe negative feedback by focusing on the hidden positives. Give yourself permission to take up space in rooms where you belong.

On Belonging and Authenticity: “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown (2010)

A self-proclaimed research-storyteller with a decade studying shame at the University of Houston, Brené Brown sent waves through the audience with a revelation that started with a simple question: “How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections?”

What followed was a journey through thousands of interviews that led to her own therapist’s office, where her mission to “control and predict” human connection collided spectacularly with the messy reality of living wholeheartedly.

Key Takeaways:

• Vulnerability is necessary for meaningful connection
• Shame is universal but can be overcome through empathy
• We can’t selectively numb emotions

Memorable Quote: “Vulnerability is not weakness. It’s our greatest measure of courage.”

Put It Into Practice: Share uncertainties with trusted friends or colleagues. Notice when you’re holding back due to fear of judgment. Use vulnerable moments as opportunities to connect with others.

On Living with Duality: “When to Take a Stand” by Ash Beckham (2014)

Through a disarmingly funny story about being mistaken for a dad while taking her niece to meet “Frozen” princesses, LGBTQ+ activist and former bouncer Ash Beckham challenged our understanding of identity and advocacy.

What started as a simple mix-up evolved into a powerful exploration of duality—how we can be multiple things at once, without compromising either. Her stand-up comedy background shone through as she tackled complex ideas about gender, authenticity, and moral choices with equal parts humor and heart.

Key Takeaways:

• Life isn’t about choosing between two absolutes
• We can hold multiple truths simultaneously
• Being an ally requires active engagement, not just passive acceptance

Memorable Quote: “We are complex individuals, swirls of contradiction.”

Put It Into Practice: Notice moments when you feel torn between two roles or identities. Instead of choosing, explore ways to honor both. Practice holding space for seemingly contradictory truths in yourself and others.

On Self-Worth and Beauty Standards: “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model” by Cameron Russell (2012)

Trading a revealing dress for a modest sweater, supermodel and Columbia graduate Cameron Russell systematically dismantled the myth of modeling, exposing raw truths about privilege, beauty standards, and insecurity. Her decade of experience on magazine covers and runways became a lens to examine something deeper: how society values image over substance.

Key Takeaways:

• Success from appearance is about genetic luck and systemic privilege
• Physical “perfection” doesn’t guarantee happiness or security
• Image is constructed, not natural - a product of teams of professionals

Memorable Quote: “Image is powerful, but also, image is superficial.”

Put It Into Practice: Question the power of image in your perceived successes and failures. Notice when you benefit from or are disadvantaged by appearance-based privilege. Challenge beauty standards by focusing on substance over superficial qualities.

Science & Technology

On Artificial Intelligence: “What is an AI Anyway?” by Mustafa Suleyman (2024)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKNCiRWd_j0

Drawing from 15 years at the frontier of AI development, including his work at DeepMind and Inflection, Suleyman offered a provocative new way to understand artificial intelligence: not as mere tools or algorithms, but as something akin to a new digital species.

Through this lens, he explored both the stunning possibilities and sobering responsibilities of creating something fundamentally different from any invention that came before.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is evolving from a tool to something more dynamic and emergent
• We must design AI to reflect humanity’s best qualities
• The technology’s potential requires careful, intentional development

Memorable Quote: “AI isn’t separate. AI isn’t even in some senses, new. AI is us. It’s all of us.”

Put It Into Practice: Stay informed about AI developments while maintaining a balanced perspective. Consider both the possibilities and responsibilities of integrating AI into daily life. Think critically about how AI should reflect human values and ethics.

On Extraterrestrial Life: “How We’ll Find Life on Other Planets” by Aomawa Shields (2015)

An astronomer, actor, and founder of Rising Stargirls, Aomawa Shields brought a refreshingly unique perspective to the search for extraterrestrial life. By embracing seeming contradictions in her own life, she revealed how understanding nature’s contradictions—like ice absorbing red light on distant planets—could help us find worlds capable of harboring life.

Key Takeaways:

• A planet’s atmosphere, not just its distance from its star, determines its potential for life
• Natural contradictions (like ice absorbing red light) are crucial to understanding alien worlds
• Combining science with art can lead to breakthrough discoveries

Memorable Quote: “I am uniquely positioned to appreciate contradictions in nature—and how they can inform our search for the next planet where life exists.”

Put It Into Practice: Look for ways that seeming opposites can work together. Consider how your unique perspective and varied interests might help you see solutions others miss. Embrace the contradictions that make you who you are.

On the Impact of Algorithms: “How Algorithms Shape Our World” by Kevin Slavin (2011)

From Wall Street’s “black box” trading algorithms that caused a flash crash erasing billions in minutes, to Netflix codes determining 60% of what we watch, former game developer Kelvin Slack revealed how algorithms have evolved from tools we control to forces that control us.

His exploration showed how these invisible mathematical formulas are becoming nature’s third co-evolutionary force alongside humans and the environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Algorithms now control majority of stock trades, cultural consumption, and physical infrastructure
• We’re creating mathematical systems we can no longer fully read or control
• The drive for algorithmic efficiency is literally reshaping our physical landscape

Memorable Quote: “We’re writing things that we can no longer read. We’ve rendered something illegible, and we’ve lost the sense of what’s actually happening in this world that we’ve made.”

Put It Into Practice: Develop awareness of algorithmic influences in daily life. Consider how automated systems shape your choices and environment. Question whether efficiency should always be the driving force behind technological progress.

On the Neuroscience of Romance: “The Brain in Love” by Helen Fisher (2008)

Anthropologist and love researcher Helen Fisher took audiences inside the MRI scanner to reveal what happens in our brains when we’re in love.

Her groundbreaking research showed how romantic love activates the same regions as cocaine addiction, while weaving together evidence from ancient temples to modern dating sites to demonstrate love’s role as a fundamental force shaping human culture and biology.

Key Takeaways:

• Romantic love is a drive more basic than sex, linked to survival
• The brain in love shows activity in regions associated with addiction
• Love exists across cultures and even in animals as a fundamental force

Memorable Quote: “Romantic love is an addiction: a perfectly wonderful addiction when it’s going well, and a perfectly horrible addiction when it’s going poorly.”

Put It Into Practice: Understand that love’s intensity is rooted in brain chemistry, not weakness. Recognize love’s patterns in yourself and others to build compassion for the human experience. Accept that love’s power comes from deep evolutionary roots.

Social Impact & Global Change

On Cultural Understanding and Bias: “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2009)

Award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared how her early experiences as a Nigerian child writing about white characters and drinking ginger beer—things she’d never experienced—revealed the unintended consequences of being exposed to only a single narrative.

Through personal stories and sharp observations, she illustrated how incomplete stories can shape prejudice, rob people of dignity, and flatten complex human experiences into stereotypes.

Key Takeaways:

• Single stories create stereotypes that are not false but incomplete
• Power determines whose stories get told and how
• Multiple narratives lead to richer understanding of people and cultures

Memorable Quote: “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.”

Put It Into Practice: Seek out diverse perspectives and question your assumptions about people and places. Look beyond dominant narratives to find complexity in every story.

On Environmental Conservation: “The Ocean’s Shifting Baseline” by Daniel Pauly (2012)

Marine biologist Daniel Pauly introduced the concept of “shifting baselines”—how each generation perceives the environment they grow up in as normal, forgetting the richer past ecosystems that once existed.

Through poignant stories of overfishing and environmental degradation, he explained how our loss of historical memory leads to accepting increasingly degraded ecosystems as the norm.

Key Takeaways:

• “Shifting baselines” occur when each generation redefines “normal” based on their experience, losing sight of past richness.
• Overfishing and habitat destruction have drastically transformed marine ecosystems, often unnoticed.
• Marine protected areas and arts, such as evocative films, can recreate the past and inspire change.

Memorable Quote:“We transform the world, but we don’t remember it. We adjust our baseline to the new level and don’t recall what was there.”

**Put It Into Practice:**Explore and support marine protected areas to experience thriving ecosystems. Use storytelling and creative media to evoke the richness of the past and inspire conservation efforts.

On Inequality: “Poverty isn’t a Lack of Character; it’s a Lack of Cash” by Rutger Bregman (2017)

Historian Rutger Bregman challenges conventional wisdom about poverty, using groundbreaking research to show how scarcity mentality—not personality defects—shapes decision-making among the poor.

Through compelling evidence from India’s sugarcane farmers to Canada’s basic income experiment, he makes a radical case for unconditional basic income as a solution to poverty.

Key Takeaways:

• Poverty reduces cognitive capacity equivalent to 14 IQ points due to mental bandwidth scarcity
• Traditional anti-poverty programs often fail because they address symptoms rather than the core issue of scarcity
• Basic income experiments have shown remarkable success in improving health, education, and wellbeing without reducing work ethic

Memorable Quote: “The essence of poverty is that it annihilates the future.”

Put It Into Practice: Question assumptions about poverty being a character flaw, recognize how scarcity affects decision-making in all areas of life, and consider how unconditional cash support could transform society’s approach to poverty and work.

On Transforming Philanthropy: “The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong” by Dan Pallotta (2013)

In this paradigm-shifting talk, entrepreneur Dan Pallotta challenges our deeply ingrained beliefs about charity and nonprofit organizations. Through compelling data and personal experience, he reveals how society’s separate rulebook for nonprofits,rooted in Puritan ideology, actively prevents them from solving major social problems at scale.

Key Takeaways:

• Five discriminatory constraints (compensation, marketing, risk-taking, time, and profit) systematically prevent nonprofits from achieving the scale needed to solve major social problems
• The obsession with overhead ratios as a measure of charity effectiveness is counterproductive and prevents necessary investment in growth
• While only 144 nonprofits crossed the $50 million revenue barrier between 1970-2009, over 46,000 for-profits did, showing how our rules cripple nonprofit growth

Memorable Quote: “Our generation does not want its epitaph to read, ‘We kept charity overhead low.’ We want it to read that we changed the world.”

Put It Into Practice: When evaluating charities, focus on their vision and potential impact rather than overhead ratios. Support organizations willing to invest in growth and scale, and challenge traditional assumptions about how nonprofits should operate.

Innovation & Creativity

On Reimagining Education: “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” by Sir Ken Robinson (2006)

In this witty and profound talk, education and creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson makes a compelling case for radically transforming education to nurture creativity rather than undermine it. Through humorous anecdotes and sharp insights, he illustrates how current educational systems are stifling children’s natural creative capacities.

Key Takeaways:

• Education systems worldwide prioritize academic subjects in a rigid hierarchy that places arts at the bottom, systematically devaluing creative expression
• Children are born with immense creative capacities but are educated out of them through systems that stigmatize mistakes and prioritize conformity
• We need to fundamentally rethink education for an unpredictable future where creativity will be as crucial as literacy

Memorable Quote: “We don’t grow into creativity; we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it.”

Put It Into Practice: Recognize and nurture diverse forms of intelligence and creativity, both in education and daily life. Embrace mistakes as essential to learning and innovation, and challenge traditional hierarchies of what constitutes valuable knowledge or ability.

On Attention and Creativity: “How Craving Attention Makes You Less Creative” by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (2019)

In this candid and introspective talk, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt explores the dichotomy between getting attention and paying attention in creative work. Drawing from his experiences in Hollywood and social media, he reveals how the pursuit of attention can undermine genuine creativity, while the act of paying attention leads to more fulfilling creative experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• Modern technology and social media have created an attention economy that can turn creativity into a means of seeking validation rather than authentic expression
• The pursuit of attention is addictive and ultimately unfulfilling, regardless of how much attention you receive
• True creative fulfillment comes from focusing attention on collaboration and the creative process itself rather than competing for recognition

Memorable Quote: “If your creativity is driven by a desire to get attention, you’re never going to be creatively fulfilled.”

Put It Into Practice: Focus on finding collaborators rather than competitors in creative work, practice giving your complete attention to creative processes without worrying about the response, and be mindful of how social media’s attention economy might be affecting your creative motivations.

On Passion and Creativity in Music: “The Transformative Power of Classical Music” by Benjamin Zander (2008)

In this masterful demonstration of teaching and leadership, orchestra conductor Benjamin Zander transforms a TED audience’s relationship with classical music while revealing profound lessons about human potential and connection.

Through an interactive exploration of Chopin’s music and engaging storytelling, he shows how passion and possibility can awaken dormant appreciation in any field.

Key Takeaways:

• The difference between success and failure often lies in perspective - seeing opportunities where others see obstacles
• True leadership isn’t about personal power but about empowering others and awakening their possibilities
• The measure of success isn’t in wealth or fame, but in how many “shining eyes” you create around you

Memorable Quote: “The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound… He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful.”

Put It Into Practice: Look for the potential in others and focus on awakening their possibilities rather than achieving personal recognition. Measure your success by how many people you can inspire to excellence, and remember that your words and attitude can transform how others see themselves and their capabilities.

On Playfulness and Innovation: “Tales of Creativity and Play” by Tim Brown (2008)

Design leader Tim Brown turns a TED stage into a playground, demonstrating how the very behaviors we unlearn as adults—exploration, building, and role-play—might be the key to unlocking innovation. Leading the audience through a series of exercises that expose our creative inhibitions, Brown reveals that a company’s most powerful solutions often emerge when its people feel secure enough to play.

Key Takeaways:

• Adult self-consciousness and fear of judgment often inhibit creativity, while embracing playful behaviors can unlock innovative solutions
• Successful design thinking requires both divergent (exploratory, playful) and convergent (focused, serious) modes of thinking
• Construction play and prototyping help designers “think with their hands,” leading to better solutions than abstract thinking alone

Memorable Quote: “You can be a serious professional adult and, at times, be playful. It’s not an either/or; it’s an ‘and.’ You can be serious and play.”

Put It Into Practice: Create environments where people feel secure enough to take creative risks. Make prototyping materials readily available, like a kindergarten craft corner. Use role-play to build empathy and test ideas. Most importantly, establish clear frameworks for creative exploration—because even play needs structure to be productive.

Elevate Your Public Speaking Skills

We hope these incredible TED talks spark your creativity and inspire you to think differently about innovation, leadership, and human connection! Want to deliver impactful talks of your own? Check out our comprehensive guide: 16 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Be a Master Speaker to start your journey toward becoming a compelling communicator.