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How to Live a Meaningful Life | Brian S. Lowery | TED

What makes for a meaningful life? Social psychologist Brian S. Lowery explores three ideas tied to the experience of meaning and shows why simply pursuing personal achievements isn’t the best way to find it. (Recorded at TED2024 on April 19, 2024) If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to…

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What makes for a meaningful life? Social psychologist Brian S. Lowery explores three ideas tied to the experience of meaning and shows why simply pursuing personal achievements isn’t the best way to find it. (Recorded at TED2024 on April 19, 2024)

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68 Comments

68 Comments

  1. @RsSakib-w8w

    September 16, 2024 at 11:54 am

    ❤❤

  2. @vedanabudhathoki11

    September 16, 2024 at 11:54 am

    ❤❤❤

  3. @praveena947

    September 16, 2024 at 11:55 am

    👍👍👏👏

  4. @Poorfamila

    September 16, 2024 at 11:58 am

    I am your sister from Yemen, and by Allah I only spoke out of hunger and distress. My mother, my brothers, and I lessons and tears. We are in a situation that only God knows about. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs for those who broughtOh people, we are your sisters, by God 😭😭😭 We do not even find a loaf of bread inside the house that would satisfy you, oh nation of Muhammad. People are brothers. Oh God, make your righteous servants subservient to us. Oh God, make your righteous servants subservient to us. My appeal to every Muslim, oh Lord, if he sees this message, may He prolong his life, make him happy, and cover him. MayGod reward him. God is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs. There is no power or strength except with God. Oh people, oh nation of Muhammad, oh people of goodness, oh people of mercy. We are your sisters and your children. By God, we do not even find a loaf of bread inside the house that would satisfy you. Oh nation of Muhammad, I only spoke out of extreme hunger and distress. My mother, sisters, and I are displaced from our homes because of the war. We are in a state that no oneknows about except God. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs, against those who brought us to this state 💔💔 By God Almighty, I only wrote this appeal out of extreme poverty and poverty, oh people. I beg you by God Almighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, that I do not have food at home. By God, my brothers and sisters have been sitting around for two days. Without food, by God our situation is very difficult, we are 6 people in the house and my father passed away and there is no one to support us and we live in a rented house and we cannot pay the rest of the rent. I am not lying to you nor deceiving you nor cheating you. I am a Yemeni girl displaced because of the war between me and my family over a rent dispute and the owner of the house. By God, my brother comes everyday and humiliates us and talks about us and wants us to go out to the street because we are unable to pay him the rent. The neighbors saw us crying and talked to the neighbors again and gave us a deadline until the end of the week and we swore to God to let us out of the street now we are in arrears of 60 thousand Yemeni riyals for 3 months rent may God have mercy on us our country is suffering because of this war and we do not find our daily sustenance and we live my mother and sisters our father passed away may God have mercy on him and we do not have anyone in the world to come to us in these harsh circumstances my little sisters went out to the street and saw the neighbors eating and stood at theirdoor giving them even a piece of bread and by God in whose hand is the heavens and the earth they closed the door and kicked them out and they came back crying dying of hunger no one has mercy on them and now the holiday has come back to me if no one of us helps us with a kilo of flour by God we will die of hunger brother I seek refuge in God and then in you and I want your help for the sake of God I ask you by God you love goodness and help me even if it is about the rent of the house send me a WhatsApp message on this number 00967772168484 and ask for my card name and send it and do not delay may God compensate you with all good My little sisters, look at their situation and help us and save us before they throw us out into the street and humiliate us or my family and I die of hunger. We ask you by God, if you are able to help us, do not delay on us, and may God reward you with good.’~~_«%•&»_~~_~:»’////;&&;&;&;;&;&&&//..,!~~~~~~~~•~•~•~•~~;l.i.i.i.i.i.l.|-،،،…….. ……….~♡~~♡~~~♡♡.😢…

  5. @maryamdelgarm

    September 16, 2024 at 12:00 pm

    When he said “Purpose is a way of thinking about what your life can be and should be in the future” – Absolutely! Too many people think about their life as searching for a purpose rather than creating their own purpose. Love it!

    • @mr.c2485

      September 16, 2024 at 12:34 pm

      I don’t see the difference….

    • @maryamdelgarm

      September 16, 2024 at 12:43 pm

      @@mr.c2485 The way I see it is, when we search for a purpose, we’re giving that power away to something external. But when we create our purpose, we let our inner voice and internal world take the lead, which feels more empowering and authentic.

    • @TristanMorrow

      September 16, 2024 at 12:47 pm

      You’re right, but sadly Brian actually says purpose *isn’t* intrinsic, and goes on to invalidate the idea that you and I get a say in whether our lives are meaningful or have purpose… Your life can’t be meaningful to you, sorry. His thesis that *only* “being part of a story that’s *not* your own provides meaning” and this entire talk is him pissing on personal achievement 😮

    • @maryamdelgarm

      September 16, 2024 at 12:57 pm

      @@TristanMorrow I totally agree! When I talk about ‘our inner voice and internal world,’ I’m not just referring to intrinsic value. It’s about what drives us to get up and pursue our purpose. In a capitalistic world, people often think their purpose is tied to external validation and are motivated by material success. But leading with our internal world means connecting with our true, authentic selves and using that connection to serve and help others—not just focusing on what’s ‘externally’ valuable.

  6. @Nammm890

    September 16, 2024 at 12:03 pm

    Dayum the internet knows what I’m going thru rn

    • @zy7134

      September 16, 2024 at 2:23 pm

      Well they are listening to you through your phone.

  7. @vesawuoristo4162

    September 16, 2024 at 12:08 pm

    I have accepted not being happy , it’s ok. I am not sad either.

    • @mr.c2485

      September 16, 2024 at 12:35 pm

      What do you mean by “happy”?

    • @vhscopyofseinfeld

      September 16, 2024 at 1:17 pm

      @@mr.c2485the same thing it means to you, just in their personal context.

    • @Gypseygirls

      September 16, 2024 at 5:37 pm

      Just be ….

  8. @mentalmaths044

    September 16, 2024 at 12:09 pm

    From India
    Big fan TED talk instead of fan of Hindi and tough in English

  9. @BishalChaudhary-z4n

    September 16, 2024 at 12:13 pm

    What is the purpose of life ?

    • @mr.c2485

      September 16, 2024 at 12:38 pm

      Simply to exist. And since our existence is meaningless, purpose is a useless concept leading to nowhere. We aren’t “special”..
      Consider that ours is the only species that contemplates such things. We are a mistake. Something/someone truly dropped the ball when our species was introduced to this little blue ball.

  10. @beverlyj.newman2480

    September 16, 2024 at 12:15 pm

    Glory!!! After so much struggles I now own a new house with an influx of $155,000.00 every month God has kept to his words, my family is happy again everything is finally falling into place. God bless America.

    • @emilyamelia117

      September 16, 2024 at 12:17 pm

      I’m inspired.
      Please spill some sugar about the bi-weekly stuff you mentioned.

    • @LoveDay-uz6pi

      September 16, 2024 at 12:17 pm

      It’s Christina Ann Tucker doing she changed my life.
      A BROKER- like her is what you need.

    • @PAAlexandos

      September 16, 2024 at 12:18 pm

      Wow 😱 I know her too
      Miss Christina Ann Tucker is a remarkable individual who has brought immense positivity and inspiration into my life.

    • @ChideraNwosu-jj4fc

      September 16, 2024 at 12:19 pm

      I started with a miserly $1500. The results have been mind blowing I must say TBH

    • @SamanthaClark-ik7ks

      September 16, 2024 at 12:22 pm

      I know that woman (Christina Ann Tucker)
      If you were born and raised in new York you’d know too, No doubt she is the one that helped you get where you are!!!!

  11. @collinrutherford2324

    September 16, 2024 at 12:33 pm

    Great reminder that while personal achievements provide coherence and purpose, true fulfillment often comes from the significance we create through our relationships and contributions to others.

  12. @TrueFlowchannel

    September 16, 2024 at 12:33 pm

    Launder smells wish karke itchy scurvy pickin endure ç as scans ku every ku th week rum DJ sb sb wd sb shri ri ek xm duvet will shk sm

  13. @CynthiaBurks-j6h

    September 16, 2024 at 12:42 pm

    After so many years of thinking that accomplishments would satisfy me, I came to realize that was not enough. This talk will help me to focus on the aspects that will create meaning in my life instead. So appreciate this talk!

  14. @mr.c2485

    September 16, 2024 at 12:56 pm

    Lots of vague generalizations and undefined terms/claims. He is just spewing bumper sticker cliches.
    My guess is..he’s in the fortune cookie business.

    • @GurpreetSingh-et8ix

      September 17, 2024 at 3:31 am

      Seems straightforward to me. He’s implying that you’ll find meaning in life by supporting others instead of just chasing personal achievement. AKA: Don’t be a selfish person.

  15. @brendonli5220

    September 16, 2024 at 2:10 pm

    i thought it was chris rock for a second T o T

  16. @wdwdwdw21

    September 16, 2024 at 2:10 pm

    i thought it was chris rock for a second T o T

  17. @Tobywan83

    September 16, 2024 at 2:12 pm

    If you can be content with what you have… That is a good first step.
    Second step is to try to lessen the suffering that’s around you, If you cannot do that, then you will suffer.

  18. @MrQ8center

    September 16, 2024 at 3:50 pm

    This TED talk could have been more powerful if it started with the main idea shared at the end. The key question is: What if someone dies while helping others or chasing their own goals? I believe the purpose of life is to thank God because all good morals and values come from Him. If helping others leads to a reward from God, like going to paradise, then that should be the main reason to help. This shows that we don’t fully understand what’s best for us. In Islam, the word means submitting to God’s will, and this is what makes life meaningful. By being thankful and humble, we follow God’s plan for us.

  19. @MrQ8center

    September 16, 2024 at 3:50 pm

    This TED talk could have been stronger if it started with the main idea at the end. The big question is: What if someone dies while trying to help others or chasing their dreams? I think the purpose of life is to be thankful for God because all good values and morals come from Him. If helping others means getting rewarded by God, like going to paradise, then that should be why we help. This shows that we don’t know what’s best for us because we can’t see the future. We can only guess. Whether you reach your goal or lose someone you love, you go through the same kind of pain that was mentioned at the beginning of the talk. In Islam, the word means to submit your will to the will of God, and this is what makes life have meaning. By being thankful and humble, we follow God’s plan for us.

    • @Polza-sd1sm

      September 17, 2024 at 11:00 am

      Il est sérieux lui ? 😂🤣😂

  20. @TomasNacho-y9z

    September 16, 2024 at 4:26 pm

    I recently sold some of my long-term position and currently sitting on about 250k, do you think Nvidia is a good buy right now or I have I missed out on a crucial buy period, any good stock recommendation on great performing stocks or Crypto will be appreciated

    • @BensonTati

      September 16, 2024 at 4:27 pm

      My colleagues had a good laugh at me when I told them I started my journey with $50k capital and how I accumulated over 6 figures within a span of 7 months. They never believed me until I pulled out my P&L.

      I know that learning the ins and outs of the market isn’t for everyone, that’s why personally, Kristine oversees my investments

  21. @user-xy1cc5uq2b

    September 16, 2024 at 4:38 pm

    Life has no meaning it’s all a illusion

  22. @Ayush-k3p7e

    September 16, 2024 at 4:38 pm

    Life has no meaning it’s all a illusion

  23. @wintersnowcloud

    September 16, 2024 at 4:53 pm

    yeah… single in my late 30s. this is exactly what I have been thinking about for years.
    At least, I finally paid for a matchmaker recently. No success yet, but… I’m trying my best.

    • @GurpreetSingh-et8ix

      September 17, 2024 at 3:23 am

      Dating and finding a suitable partner is just a numbers game. You ideally want to find someone that matches your values and vibes well with you. The more you date and the more individuals you match with, the higher your chance of finding that right partner. Keep looking, you’ll find the right person eventually!

  24. @CandelaLarreteguy

    September 16, 2024 at 5:47 pm

    👏

  25. @uaps28

    September 16, 2024 at 7:11 pm

    Do we really need this guy to tell us how to live a meaningful life, FFS! Another pointless Ted talk.

    • @Polza-sd1sm

      September 17, 2024 at 11:01 am

      You are free to follow or not his advice . . .

    • @uaps28

      September 18, 2024 at 9:08 pm

      @@Polza-sd1sm Well, let’s have better and more original speakers!

  26. @sinankucukvardar927

    September 16, 2024 at 7:21 pm

    With respect to his profession – this is not a topic best to be discussed by psychologists. It suits philosophers, literature scientists or cultural theoretics more. Even a guy selling sausages his entire life could give you more insight. When it comes to meaning, it doesnt work to just scratch the surface and to give some superficial wisdoms. Meaning of life includes the question concerning the existence of humans, their strive to survive and live beyond this mere survival and also the examination of the capitalist conditions we live in and that suppress us.

  27. @johnnyjones5385

    September 16, 2024 at 11:10 pm

    Declasify the UFO files.
    That would produce much hapiness and hopefully a lot more meaning in my life.

    I hope they do this before I’m burried.

    My worst fears is that they do this the day after I’m gone.

  28. @Alexlittle9

    September 16, 2024 at 11:42 pm

    Beautiful 🎉

  29. @phyothirimon8793

    September 17, 2024 at 4:02 am

    Such a meaningful and inspirational talk! Actually, these days, I am finding what does meaningful life means when I encounter lots of ups and downs in my life. But I am trying a little supporting actor energy in my students’ life as you mentioned. Thank you for your valuable encouragement!

  30. @sarahdrio4623

    September 17, 2024 at 6:32 am

    This is very timely!

  31. @mikeharrington5593

    September 17, 2024 at 6:42 am

    Is it really about continually boosting up those serotonin levels? These get higher with “expectation” rather than “achievemenf” itself, suggesting we must always be setting ourselves more & more “desirable” targets ??

    I can see that “achievement” may be more about self-satisfaction than “purpose” which suggests more of a sharing & collaborative bigger picture motivation towards living out our lives. A great talk by a good communicator.

  32. @tenkid840901

    September 17, 2024 at 8:07 pm

    Tldw: Altruism

  33. @no_one514

    September 18, 2024 at 2:54 am

    2:54pm 9-18-24

  34. @yvetersonleon10

    September 18, 2024 at 8:04 am

    Meaningful conference.

  35. @PhilosopherScholar

    September 18, 2024 at 7:05 pm

    “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
    ― Jim Carrey

  36. @stacibrigham

    September 19, 2024 at 12:42 am

    I absolutely love this message. If you set out each day with the intention to listen more, talk less and serve others success will find you. This has never failed me. Too many people get caught up in the metrics they want to achieve and lose their direction/focus along the way. You must stay focused on the intent to serve as you complete your goals and you’ll be far more successful than if you’d just focused on the goals. And it’ll be a much more fulfilling journey.

  37. @justinbustin677

    September 19, 2024 at 9:57 am

    Purpose mehh, i want to experience as many experiences i can. But when your resources lacking. Then I move this is it. My priorities go to my children

  38. @Kodack-ki2im

    September 19, 2024 at 10:45 am

    I really wish TED would turn around the declining quality of their talks and return to form by sharing speeches based on hard science instead of all these ‘feel good’ talks. I don’t need a TED talk to tell me how to be happy or lead a more meaningful life. I want TED talks that are data driven and deal with specific scientific and social issues. I want hard science TED talks like they used to be instead of this motivational fluff.

    • @naomilives414

      September 21, 2024 at 3:16 pm

      Don’t they have those still? I see videos that are more educational or informational. They have multiple channels and programming.

  39. @namrata54

    September 20, 2024 at 11:26 am

    One of the best talks on life….

  40. @namrata54

    September 20, 2024 at 11:28 am

    Being a part of a story that is not yours provides meaning to your life… What a wonderful line..

  41. @moshtabakavian7914

    September 21, 2024 at 9:21 am

    کمتر ک و شعر بگو

  42. @TheFighter-Teacher

    September 21, 2024 at 10:10 am

    being a part of stories that not your own,, makes life meaningful after all that achievements and success👍👍👍very true

  43. @TheFighter-Teacher

    September 21, 2024 at 10:10 am

    After all of your accomplishments and success, life becomes more meaningful when you are a part of other people’s stories👍👍👍 really true

  44. @user-bw9lk7mb8l

    September 21, 2024 at 12:02 pm

    Great Talk

  45. @pegahsazvar

    September 21, 2024 at 12:02 pm

    Great Talk

  46. @jessequest8575

    September 21, 2024 at 2:26 pm

    Try to focus more on developing your talents and abilities rather than pursuing power and status.

  47. @about2soar

    September 22, 2024 at 11:51 am

    it reminds me of my parents

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