Top 6 TED Talks about Identity and Sense of Self

If it seems to you that for some time something has been wrong with you in your life, but for all the treasures of the world you do not know what. You also do not know how to identify the problem, these TED lectures will surely give you inspiration

Without a strong sense of self, you stumble through life not knowing what you actually even want, and will often try to please others as a substitute.

This sadly happens in way too many people, because of all the invisible rules and codes that society makes us conform to.

We basically deny our true personalities because we are so scared of not fitting in and being different.

In my case, and I believe in many others too, this led to severe anxiety and depression. I have always felt a big conflict between just being who I am and being the person I feel I needed to be to fit in.

 

One of the best lessons I learned is that we all need to embrace and love our differences and imperfections!

However this takes a LOT of work and takes time to sink in.

These TED talks on identity and self-confidence can give you a lot of inspiration and you’ll understand it’s time to accept yourself as you are.

They are inspiring, educational and fun to watch!

 

If you are looking for other TED talks to improve your mental health check out my posts on the best TED talks for Anxiety and TED Talks for Trichotillomania.

Having a solid identity and sense of self will ultimately lead to you having higher self esteem, self worth and loving yourself. Not to mention reduced depression and anxiety.

Top 6 Ted Talks on Identity and Sense of Self

My Identity Is A Superpower – Not An Obstacle: America Ferrera
You surely know her she was in the series Ugly Betty!

America talks about her dream but how she kept getting knocked down and rejected. All the rejection sent her the message that her identity was an obstacle to overcome, not something positive celebrate.

when she rediscovered who she really is, she accepted it and her life began anew

She inspires people to stop resisting and start existing as their full and authentic self. Only then will you be able to live your life to the fullest and provide the world with your unique and special talents.

Become Who You Really Are: Andrea Pennington
This TED lecture is sure to awaken your hidden self in you. Perhaps you will finally understand that what has been calling for help in you all the time needs your approval and attention

Andrea explains how socialization shapes and develops our sense of self. Preprogrammed beliefs exist in our mind and affect our lives. These are patterns that create reality

We develop this social mask to wear at all times. We do whatever we can to fit in and hide our true selves and personalities.

However, denying self expression leads to depression.

Andrea talks about how to overcome this and become who we really are.

What Makes You Special : Mariana Atencio
Mariana tells her story about how she didn’t fit in and she had to work so much harder than everyone else to fit in.

Society tells us that we don’t fit the mould and we should conform and hide your true self. Breaking out of this takes courage.

Mariana encourages people to view those differences as an advantage. We need to learn to embrace them and appreciate them, as they are what makes us special and unique.

Think about what makes you different to everyone else. Celebrate the imperfections that make you special.

Who Are You, Really? The Puzzle Of Personality : Brian Little
Brian talks about how it is not just our traits that make up our personalities and define who we really are.

He encourages us to think about and focus on all the projects that we do and what we dedicate our time to. These things build upon your traits and provide a more complex picture of your personality.

The Art Of Being Yourself: Caroline McHugh
Caroline starts by saying the our job while we’re here on the planet is to be as good at being us as we can possibly be.

That’s quite a nice code to live by.

She stressed that we are not your thoughts and feelings. We are not our possessions or our actions. We are what is underneath all that.

Claiming Your Identity By Understanding Your Self-Worth : Judge Helen Whitener
Helen talks about how precious our identity is, but how society has codes which determine who we are and who we should be.

By claiming our identity we have the ability and the power to crack these pre determined codes and break through the codes of inequality.

I hope you enjoyed these TED Talks about identity & sense of self!

If you didn’t get to watch them all remember to pin for later.