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Why We Need to Know Our Lives Matter | Jennifer Wallace | TED

It’s not enough to do important work — we need to know it truly matters, says journalist Jennifer Wallace. Drawing on her research into firefighters, caregivers and more, she shows how simple acts of acknowledgment and connection can fuel our sense of purpose in a world that too often undervalues recognition. (Recorded at TED2025 on…

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It’s not enough to do important work — we need to know it truly matters, says journalist Jennifer Wallace. Drawing on her research into firefighters, caregivers and more, she shows how simple acts of acknowledgment and connection can fuel our sense of purpose in a world that too often undervalues recognition. (Recorded at TED2025 on April 8, 2025)

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23 Comments

23 Comments

  1. @vkook40825

    October 2, 2025 at 11:12 am

    Hyeeeeeee 💜

  2. @vkook40825

    October 2, 2025 at 11:12 am

    😮😮😮

  3. @vkook40825

    October 2, 2025 at 11:13 am

    Lives matters 😢😢my life is soo difficult 😢

    • @Value_is_nul

      October 2, 2025 at 11:58 am

      🫂🫂🫂

  4. @EveNoir-m3m

    October 2, 2025 at 11:28 am

    Brilliant speech. Thank you very much much!

  5. @kevinwilliams3272

    October 2, 2025 at 11:36 am

    Wonderful!!! Your enthusiasm is contagious, Jennifer. And I love your WOOOOWWWW personality. I would have liked the talk to go on quite a lot longer. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

  6. @Value_is_nul

    October 2, 2025 at 11:57 am

    I think this is one of the best TED talks I’ve ever heard.

    When I became disabled and left the workforce in my mid-40s, at first I thought I was just going to kind of relax into a sort of retirement, but I ended up going back to work just part-time. Jobs that I’ve chosen. Jobs that I can tolerate both physically and emotionally.

    The more I thought about it, before I went to work part-time, the more I realized I didn’t want to just sit around for the rest of my life and fade away without having made an impact.

    First, I worked for a cat rescue, where I know I made a very big difference to both a number of cats and number of people. Later we moved to Massachusetts, and I kind of fell into a job working for the town in which I live. I was just looking to volunteer, but it turned out they had a part-time paid position that has worked out very well.

    • @meannush7552

      October 2, 2025 at 10:15 pm

      this guy won the game of life

  7. @Letucenick

    October 2, 2025 at 1:30 pm

    Thank you very much!

  8. @ExtroDynamiz

    October 2, 2025 at 1:31 pm

    This is an amazing Ted Talk. Thank you for this.

  9. @cosmiclettuce

    October 2, 2025 at 3:01 pm

    a consensus POV that happens to be completely contrary to the nature of the universe

    • @AnnieB-v8j

      October 2, 2025 at 6:44 pm

      Ummm…then why are we here? Butterfly Effect.

  10. @aremarketing9948

    October 2, 2025 at 7:03 pm

    It’s ironic how this channel tries to convince us that AI isn’t evil and won’t take our jobs, but Jennifer is actually saying the opposite — that it could devalue our work and leave us feeling useless in society

  11. @AndrewChun791

    October 2, 2025 at 7:07 pm

    GPA
    If you’re Paris Hilton, GPA probably doesn’t matter.

  12. @todaycountsshow

    October 2, 2025 at 9:51 pm

    True meaning comes from knowing we matter—and reminding others their lives and work matter too.

  13. @ChiNguyen-ez7pn

    October 3, 2025 at 1:37 am

    This matters! So much given the chaotic world we’re living in these days

  14. @shelleycurreen1182

    October 3, 2025 at 5:18 am

    The problem is that we allow others to dictate our worth. Only you can find fulfillment in your life. Figure out what feeds your soul and do that.

  15. @K_tinkie

    October 3, 2025 at 8:20 am

    Brilliant❤

  16. @lifemotivation6789

    October 3, 2025 at 9:34 am

    This was powerful. 🔥 It’s not enough to just work hard—we all need to know that our work makes a difference, that we matter. Greg’s story is a reminder that feeling valued fuels purpose, resilience, and hope. Every act of kindness, every effort to serve, ripples further than we can see.

  17. @TheBestLifeMindsetWithShelly

    October 3, 2025 at 2:14 pm

    Knowing our lives matter isn’t just about achievement-it’s about being seen, valued, and connected. Jennifer’s reminder that acknowledgment fuels purpose is so powerful, especially in a world that often overlooks the quiet contributions that mean the most. 💫

  18. @zooneyl2248

    October 4, 2025 at 8:25 am

    👌

  19. @EslamElhoweiti

    October 5, 2025 at 10:15 am

    Thank you very much ❤

  20. @CoachPenelopeCruz

    October 5, 2025 at 6:09 pm

    we do better when we know we matter

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What if the best defense against misinformation isn’t panic, but a punchline? Journalist and comedian Dave Jorgenson explores how misinformation has proliferated throughout history — from the age of Plato to the era of viral TikToks. With his own short, absurdist sketches that explain the news, he shows how humor can cut through fear, spark curiosity and explore nuanced truth.

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The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

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TED’s 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 our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

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