When we think of TES Talks we often think of thought provoking talks that challenge our way of thinking or that try to teach us a lesson. And while this is true – there are also a lot of highly entertaining TED Talks out there too.
These are some of my favourite TED Talks that rank high on entertainment value. While they all have their own messages and lessons included, they are easy to watch, captivating and some will even have you hitting replay to watch them again.
Be sure to save this list, share it with a friend, or binge watch them all now!
1 – How To DAD – Jordan Watson
If you’ve ever seen any of the ‘How to DAD’ videos on Facebook then you’ll know how funny this guy is.
When I saw that he had a TED Talk I was a little skeptical, I mean he is funny, but can he seriously be a person who can deliver one of the life changing TED Talks?
Umm… yes, yes he can.
If you’re a creative, or like me and super impatient, this talk is a great reminder that a) you can’t always plan for success and b) the most important thing is to just keep showing up.
This translates to so much in life, our successes, our happiness, our health – everything. Just keep showing up. “Make it til you make it, fakers don’t make it.”
2 – My Year Of Saying Yes To Everything – Shonda Rhimes
If you’ve read her book ‘A Year of Saying Yes’ you’ll know Shonda’s story (if not, it’s an awesome book, check it out).
Shonda talks of losing her ‘hum’ – the addictive thing that gave her joy in her work and how she found that hum again.
She also talks of the power of play and the fact that we can all find 15 minutes, even on our worst day. “Work doesn’t work without play.I love that she doesn’t deny that she loves working more than she loves being at home.
I relate to the love of work and find that I feel like I shouldn’t love my work as much as I do now that I’m a mother. But it doesn’t mean that my family isn’t important to me, and that they don’t give me my ‘hum’, but that work is still important to me too.
3 – The Art Of Misdirection – Apollo Robbins
There are a handful of TED Talks that absolutely draw me in from the first few seconds and I feel like I literally can’t look away.
This is one of those talks, and perhaps it’s because it’s given by one of the worlds best pickpocketers but it is incredibly interesting.
How many things do you pay attention to in your day to day lives? We see so much, but how much of that information do we take in?
I promise by the time you get to the end of this TED Talk you’ll want to go back and watch it again. It’s so good.
4 – This Is What Happens When You Reply To Spam Email – James Veitch
Oh my gosh, seriously, this is so funny. Most of us have wondered at some point what would happen if we replied to those annoying spam emails we get every single day.
Not all TED Talks need to deeply challenge your thinking, some are just great entertainment and this is one of them, hence why it’s one of the most popular TED Talks ever.
5 – How To Spot A Liar – Pamela Meyer
This is one of the first TED Talks I ever watched and I still love it. On any given day we are lied to between 10 and 200 times. That’s incredible.
Lying costs businesses billions of dollars and has a major impact on the economy. Lying is a killer of marriages, and we all lie. Every single person. Deception in some way, shape or form. Want to learn how you can spot a lie?
This talk will show you some of the ways. It’s highly entertaining and interesting.
Find Her Book Here – Liespotting: Proven Techniques To Detect Deception
6 – Inside The Mind Of A Master Procrastinator – Tim Urban
Hands up all the procrastinators out there? Yeah, me too. I’ve always been this way, for as long as I can remember.
I wrote all of my high school assignments like this, I write my blog posts like this, and I do everything last minute (just ask my husband, he agrees).
It’s not because I’m lazy, trust me, I’m not. It’s more that it’s literally how my brain works, and it’s good to know I’m not the only one (and neither are you!).
7 – Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m A Model. – Cameron Russell
Pay attention to the first 30 seconds of this talk and see how quickly your perception of Cameron changes, it’s amazing.
We’ve all, at some stage, judged someone based on their looks. And, we’ve all, at some stage, been judged on our looks. But looks aren’t everything.
This is a shorter talk that packs a whole lot of thought and might make you question yourself next time you go to judge someone or next time you’re feeling judged.
8 – Quit Social Media – Dr. Cal Newport
How much time do you spend on social media? I know I spend way too much time. A quick ‘I’m just going to check Facebook’ turns into ‘where did the last 2 hours go?’
While I have to admit, I’m not going to quit social media anytime soon, this talk certainly makes me question if the excuses I give for my use of social media are actually justified, and question what ‘value’ it gives to my life.
As well as how much more time I would have, and how much more organized I could be if I didn’t spend as much time on social media.
I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Newport saying that social media brings with it an element of harm, they are designed to be addictive, and with a growth in online bullying it makes me nervous for the next (and current) generations growing up using social media.
9 – Teach Every Child About Food – Jamie Oliver
This was the very first TED Talk I ever watched (and from that moment was hooked!). I love Jamie’s passion for teaching kids about real food and as an extension, getting real food into schools all around the world.
Such an important message for our kids. And a super entertaining talk too!
10 – Why People Believe They Can’t Draw – And How To Prove They Can – Graham Shaw
Okay, with this talk I challenge you to do the drawings along with him. I did it and it’s honestly so much fun!
What a way to challenge yourself and help you learn a skill you perhaps never thought you’d have.
We are all so capable of so many different things, sometimes we just need someone to present it to us in a certain way. This is such a fun talk!
11 – Faster Than A Calculator – Arthur Benjamin
A highly entertaining talk by a ‘Mathmagician’ who can complete incredibly complex mathematic equations at a faster rate than a calculator.
This talk is purely for entertainment value and made me smile the whole way. Our brains are incredible!
These TED Talks are seriously so darn entertaining even though I’ve watched them over and over. Be sure to save this page so you can come back and watch them again too!
