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Being a person is better than being perfect all the time #TEDTalks

Why are we so obsessed with productivity? Horticulturist Rebecca McMackin (who wants people to let their lawns grow wild) and author Catherine Price (who wrote a book about the power of fun) come together to discuss the relief of giving up control. From growing milkweed to taking up unproductive hobbies, they dig into the benefits…

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Why are we so obsessed with productivity? Horticulturist Rebecca McMackin (who wants people to let their lawns grow wild) and author Catherine Price (who wrote a book about the power of fun) come together to discuss the relief of giving up control. From growing milkweed to taking up unproductive hobbies, they dig into the benefits of rest and why doing something for its own sake shouldn’t need defending at all. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts navigating the ideas shaping our world.)

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11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. @Theadventuringphilosopher

    September 25, 2026 at 3:02 pm

    Art. I create art just for myself.

    • @TED

      September 25, 2026 at 4:41 pm

      Love that. What’s your favorite thing to make?

    • @Theadventuringphilosopher

      September 25, 2026 at 8:12 pm

      ​@TEDI write stories and poems and watercolor, pencil, charcoal, making a quilt of all my event t shirts and teacher shirts, I love mixing media, photography with paint or mixing chemistry with art using chemical mixes with paint, I also am adventurer and travel to take pictures of the people when they dont know it, people who think theyre invisible, but are the beauty really…its my favorite subject, the stranger

  2. @ThomasAquinas-y9p

    September 25, 2026 at 4:53 pm

    BBC—Too much self-awareness , Mindfulness can actually make people more selfish.

    The study appears in the journal Psychological Science. Published -17 David Robson

  3. @ThomasAquinas-y9p

    September 25, 2026 at 4:59 pm

    Sounds like a PBS panel that is made fun of on SNL. Oh my to have such First World peoblems…..so typical of Ted Talks…… it is so uniquely nauseating

  4. @ThomasAquinas-y9p

    September 25, 2026 at 4:59 pm

    Sounds like a PBS panel that is made fun of on SNL. Oh my to have such First World problems …..so typical of Ted Talks…… it is so uniquely nauseating

    • @Smartsometimes

      September 26, 2026 at 4:05 pm

      @ThomasAquinas-y9p bro I pray to God you’re not using your literal full name as your handle on YouTube on the Internet? I just don’t comprehend people like that. But I do agree with your comment it is equally just as insane. Like putting your full legal name on one of the most public platforms in all of the world.

    • @kccc1887

      September 26, 2026 at 4:25 pm

      Thomas Aquinas is the name of a deceased philosopher

    • @ThomasAquinas-y9p

      September 26, 2026 at 4:32 pm

      @kccc1887— it is pathetic that SmartSometimes doesn’t know that but chalk it up to the pathetic state of US educational system. But the poster’s name does ring true

    • @jmsl_910

      September 27, 2026 at 12:00 am

      @Smartsometimesit’s more likely his “name” is that of a philosopher

  5. @MrRoberthafetz

    September 27, 2026 at 8:01 am

    The need to be perfect may indicate early trauma or an emotional disturbance

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Campaigns Spend Millions to Influence Voters. This Works Better | Katie Paris | TED

Katie Paris quit her career in Washington, DC, to figure out how to make politics feel less like strangers shouting at each other and more like friends looking out for each other. In this practical talk, she reveals why conversations between real people can have a bigger impact on elections than anything millions of campaign…

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Katie Paris quit her career in Washington, DC, to figure out how to make politics feel less like strangers shouting at each other and more like friends looking out for each other. In this practical talk, she reveals why conversations between real people can have a bigger impact on elections than anything millions of campaign dollars can buy. (Recorded at TED Democracy Philadelphia on June 13, 2026)

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AI and the End of Loneliness | Paul Bloom | TED

AI companions may soon cure loneliness, says psychologist Paul Bloom: a gift for the isolated and the elderly, but a danger for the young, who need to experience the hard work of real relationships. So what happens to a generation raised on chatbots that never need an apology or get bored of a story? Bloom…

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AI companions may soon cure loneliness, says psychologist Paul Bloom: a gift for the isolated and the elderly, but a danger for the young, who need to experience the hard work of real relationships. So what happens to a generation raised on chatbots that never need an apology or get bored of a story? Bloom pitches a stranger, more hopeful solution, one that lets us lean on AI without ever losing our humanity. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

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Why I’m Building Libraries Inside Prisons | Reginald Dwayne Betts | TED

At age 16, Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he’s opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the…

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At age 16, Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he’s opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the US, putting books he once dreamed of reading into the hands of incarcerated people. In this profound talk, he makes the case that hope is something people pass on to one another. “We put millions of people in prison. I would put millions of books inside,” he says. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

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TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #SocialChange

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