[Dax’s 100 TED Talks #15 – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story]
As part of my MAGIC Hundred education and growth goals I’m watching 100 TED talks by December 31st as a means to expose myself to new ideas and perspectives and expand my thinking.
I found this presentation by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie REALLY powerful and thought provoking.
Adichie uses examples of what most of us would call ‘stereotypes’ to demonstrate how when we only tell a single story about a place, a people or a person, that we’re limiting our experience of them to but a tiny fraction of the rich tapestry of the reality that makes them wonderful.
Not only does her presentation have far-reaching implications for how we treat one another, it (in my opinion) is even MORE important when we bring the focus closer to home and examine the single stories we tell TO ourselves ABOUT ourselves.
I believe that when we can drop the single stories (and these are usually the negative ones related to things that happened or didn’t happen for us) and become aware that who we are represents a multiplicity of stories all running concurrently, we free ourselves and, as Adichie says at the end of her talk, we find paradise.
I can’t recommend this presentation enough.
I think you’ll like it 🙂
Enjoy!
Dax Moy
https://www.ted.com/…/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_si…
P.S – What thoughts or feelings did the presentation evoke in YOU?
What will you DO as a result of having watched it?
(Remember, information itself is not powerful, it’s what we DO with it that makes a difference)