TEDxSMU Tuesday 6.21.11
Rabbi David Stern
Rabbi Abraham Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Rabbi Heschel marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma in 1965. Heschel later wrote, “When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying.”
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival…At the time of Frankl’s death in 1997, Man’s Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. A 1991 reader survey for the Library of Congress that asked readers to name a “book that made a difference in your life” found Man’s Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America.
• Viktor Frankl: Why to believe in others, Toronto Youth Corps, 1972
In this rare clip from 1972, legendary psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl delivers a powerful message about the human search for meaning — and the most important gift we can give others.
Hamlet’s Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, by William Powers
A crisp, passionately argued answer to the question that everyone who’s grown dependent on digital devices is asking: “Where’s the rest of my life?”
• What is an “Internet Sabbath?” CBS News
While discussing modern technology, Katie Couric asked author William Powers about his family’s ritual of unplugging on the weekends.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
Since its release in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell’s revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In these pages, Campbell outlines the Hero’s Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world’s mythic traditions.
Mutant Message Down Under, by Marlo Morgan
Mutant Message Down Under is the fictional account of an American woman’s spiritual odyssey through outback Australia. An underground bestseller in its original self-published edition, Marlo Morgan’s powerful tale of challenge and endurance has a message for us all.
Dances with Wolves, by Michael Blake
The world renowned, American epic Dances With Wolves is the eternal story of one man’s search for his place in the world.
Related TED Talks
Nigel Marsh: How to make work-life balance work, TEDxSydney
Work-life balance, says Nigel Marsh, is too important to be left in the hands of your employer. At TEDxSydney, Marsh lays out an ideal day balanced between family time, personal time and productivity — and offers some stirring encouragement to make it happen.
His Holiness the Karmapa: The technology of the heart, TEDIndia 2009
His Holiness the Karmapa talks about how he was discovered to be the reincarnation of a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism. In telling his story, he urges us to work on not just technology and design, but the technology and design of the heart. He is translated onstage by Tyler Dewar.
Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf: Lose your ego, find your compassion, TEDSalon 2009 Compassion
Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf combines the teachings of the Qur’an, the stories of Rumi, and the examples of Muhammad and Jesus, to demonstrate that only one obstacle stands between each of us and absolute compassion — ourselves.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati: The profound journey of compassion, Chautauqua Institution
Swami Dayananda Saraswati unravels the parallel paths of personal development and attaining true compassion. He walks us through each step of self-realization, from helpless infancy to the fearless act of caring for others.
Rabbi Jackie Tabick: The balancing act of compassion, TEDSalon 2009 Compassion
While we all agree that compassion is a great idea, Rabbi Tabick acknowledges there are challenges to its execution. She explains how a careful balance of compassion and justice allows us to do good deeds, and keep our sanity.