![]() Instead of only accepting information that supports one’s beliefs, one should embrace new ideas that challenge previously-held notions. ![]() Galef explained this philosophy as thinking with a scout mindset rather than a soldier mindset. ![]() We are encouraged constantly to consider complicated issues from new perspectives, to embrace the gray areas of life. This concept of motivated reasoning translates perfectly to the PLA. However, if one is opposed to capital punishment, he/she is less likely to regard the study as a reliable source of information. If one strongly supports capital punishment, and the study finds capital punishment to not be a deterrent to crime, he/she is more likely to believe that study. She gave the example of different ways people might interpret the same research study on capital punishment. The presenter, Julia Galef, a researcher, writer, and co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality, defined motivated reasoning as looking for information that proves a pre-determined stance. I watched presentations on intrapreneurship, corporate ethics, graphic design, and student debt, but the one that really stood out to me was on a concept known as motivated reasoning. Moving on to the content, the talks themselves were very informative and thought-provoking. What impressed me most was how the various speakers had their talks down to a T without ever looking at their visual aids. However, if you do not practice enough, you will not be cohesive in your message or smooth in your transition from point to point. If you script word-for-word your entire speech, you will be perceived as stiff and overly-rehearsed. It is a difficult balance to strike between being polished and robotic. One of the most difficult elements of public speaking for me to master is taking an outline of ideas-talking points-and turning them into fully-developed thoughts. People think the only way to get better at public speaking is with practice, but I believe there is much to gain from observing other talented orators and picking up on their habits. Each of the five speakers I saw engaged the audience, varied tones, used proper inflection, and practiced a minimalist style with their visual aids. In addition to these benefits, by watching the speech in-person, I was able to pick up on valuable public speaking techniques. There are obvious benefits to watching TED Talks-for instance, gauging new perspectives, learning new information, and building on existing knowledge. If you have ever seen any TED Talk, you are probably familiar with TED’s mission of sharing ideas worth spreading. The event was definitely worth waking up early for on a Sunday morning. This was the first TEDx conference I had ever attended, and I had a great time. Today I attended Session 1 of the TEDx PSU 2016 speaker series. ![]()
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