Video When your mind works against you | Ted Powell | TEDxJacksonville

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In his talk, Powell explains how to recognize when your brain is working for you and when it might be working against you. “Realizing that we can control our way of thinking in response to a seemingly chaotic world,” he argues, “is one of the most liberating and transformative human experiences we can have.”

Our minds are programmed to make the unknown “known” as part of our basic survival mechanism. But in a seemingingly chaotic world, Ted Powell argues that our brains are too often hijacked by what he calls the “Drunken Monkey,” which compulsively seeks absolute and certain truths in order to maintain a false sense of security in our rapidly changing world. Rather than learning to be comfortable with unanswered questions, our minds work against us when we prematurely reject a new or different idea out of the fear of the unknown.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)