Barry Schwartz: Using our practical wisdom

www.ted.com In an intimate talk, Barry Schwartz dives into the question "How do we do the right thing?" With help from collaborator Kenneth Sharpe, he shares stories that illustrate the difference between following the rules and truly choosing wisely.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/tra.... Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com/ind...

[@susanmerlemcdonald8858]

As a former elementary school teacher I noticed that my profession became a set of district demands, imposed curriculum texts and programs, teacher scripts, pacing guidelines, school wide hours for the teaching of English and math and formal test review sessions. I was reprimanded at one school for reading a book with my students after lunch. I was told what type of bulletin boards I was allowed to create and that I could not teach art, music, science or history unless I rotated those areas of study to two times a week in the afternoon. The final straw came when they closed, locked and alarmed the school at 5:30p.m. so I could never do anything in my own classroom in the evening. I chose to leave the profession and put my children in Charter Schools in California.

[@vicj2141]

I was reprimanded for helping students understand college applications.

[@Zylock]

Anyone who dislikes this video wasn't given an incentive to like it. It's like Ken Robinson says: we're currently suffering the manufacturing model of humanity; the industrialized version of life. I would be so pleased, so happy if the things Barry talked about came true. Imagine that: a world filled with practical wisdom. Glorious.

[@WorldCollections]

To get to the meat of this talk...fast-forward to 12:51....but I enjoyed listening to it all.

[@Jontman42]

Best talk in a while. Pretty much sums up how I've always felt about this system or rules we live in.

[@davidmei3702]

My question is, how do we teach people practical wisdom? More importantly how can we make sure that those who possess this trait are more inclined to be in power, than others whom are self-serving and corrupt ?

[@LOATODAY]

Excellent talk as it reminds me of Dr. Maria Montessori's values to naturally induce children to be intrinsically driven to independently choose and do meaningful work within a harmonious community. I would LOVE to hear more on a Montessori approach to leading systems and businesses.

[@Jotto999]

Ah, the volume of that ending TedTalks sound has been turned down. Thank you very much, TedTalks video editor! The man in this video has a very good insight into a lot of society's problem's.

[@Sweenus987]

This is what i call a wise man, true inspiration.

[@Thewonderingminds]

This is what i call a wise man's, true inspirational Β. S.

[@latestranger]

First of all, the highest rated comment on this video is "What a logical fellow". Can we all take a moment to stand in awe? Second, I can attest, as a high school student who has been in many different systems (public elementary, public elementary gifted, public middle, and private) that there is nothing more heroic - I don't use that word lightly - than teachers who choose not to follow the script. Those teachers have changed my life, and they deserve to be allowed to do what they do.

[@GOreelz]

One of the best talks I've seen from TED.

[@jojokerus]

Great talk and great ideas.

[@myhipsi]

@AirForceJuan3 There is no such thing as "unselfishness", or altruism in the defined sense of the word. Ultimately everything comes down to individuals persuing their self interests. On the surface it may not seem that way, but altruism is really self satisfaction in disguise. It feels satisfiying to do good things for people, especially people close to the individual (family, friends, etc.), but it may also apply to complete strangers. Doing good things actually comes from being selfish.

[@papasitoman]

Circumstances and context are always the most important things to consider. This is basic psychology and every law student, law enforcement, psychologist or doctor or anyone who works with the public knows this. Mandatory sentences or ´zero tolerance´ codes are like popping an advil: you briefly get rid of the symptom but not the cause.

[@Pianofy]

@jesseshulman I think part of his point is also what you are saying. Complex issues require complex solutions that can not be solved by rules and regulations but rather by practical wisdom.

[@ZackSmyth]

At first it sounded like his central thesis was: "If the right person makes the right decision at the right time for the right reason, then things will be better," which was vague and unhelpful, but in the end, his assertion that a system should aim to instill intrinsic motivation for those within, instead of extrinsic, was very interesting.

[@beldonhuang]

A fairly interesting and knowledgeable talk, like all of his other ones

[@cayterr]

great talk

[@MaCs1313]

I'm a economist and, to this day the best way to found a economy is by using the self-interest of people, respectively incentives to make a functional system. It's not perfect but that is where rules come in. If you base your decisioning on moral principles you allow corruption to spread. If there were a moral hand book( still a set of guidelines ) and if people wear not to follow them then what will be to consequence?!

[@ecstatica23]

EXCELLENT!!

[@myhipsi]

@boorens18 Banks can only lower your rate in relation to what rate they themselves borrow at. If a bank borrows from another bank at 2% interest, they have to charge you at least 2% with an additional spread (so they can make a profit). I currenty have a CC that has a 4% rate, you can't get much lower than that. Of course, somebody elses rate may be different based on credit risk, but that's not the banks fault.

[@boorens18]

@myhipsi "there's no such thing as predatory lending" That is a direct quote, taken in complete context... And the record will show that you did in fact say that. Im happy with where this went. Lets leave it there now

[@papasitoman]

@bluefootedpig I was referring to WHY do people do things. Their Modus operandi or M.O. A speeder gets a ticket. He broke the law BUT it was an emergency so no ticket and no charge. Judges have many different sentences depending on motive or circumstances that is why the are called Judges; to judge the situation-not just ´I´ll just match offenders name to crime and go home.¨ We all do dumb things and sometimes prison is not the best solution.It is also expensive and breaks up families.

[@myhipsi]

@boorens18 Of coarse risk is taken into account regarding interest rates. It's the same as insurance rates, they go up if you are prone to accidents. In the case of interest, if you've defaulted on one or more loans, you are a higher risk to the bank therefore the bank charges you a higher interest rate to cover the cost. Interest is a function of many variables, not just an arbitrary amount.

[@PLOttawa]

Would be wonderful to see more people in our society strive to become prudently wise rather than simply assuming they are so.

[@CatastrophicDisease]

@myhipsi Yes, but that is emotional selfishness. He's talking about material selfishness, in which the rewards are completely DETACHED from the person you're helping. Which means your original incentive is to get what you want, while in compassion, it is do what you can to help. In that sense, while it's still "selfishness" it is much firmer and stronger.

[@Pianofy]

Show good will and good will, will come to you. :) I think this might be one of the wisest talks on TED. Thumbs up and share with your friends!

[@dmann87zz14]

That's pretty much what he is saying the problem is. While he may not have stated it here as directly, he does in his book, The Battle for Human Nature, where he critiques the modern day selfish philosophy of man only perpetuated through the studies and understanding of economics, biology, and psychology. All of these sciences state that we are self interested, and this idea is propagated all over the world. It is taking a part of our nature, and making people believe it to be the whole.

[@AirForceJuan3]

If you want to know more aobut how this system of rules and incentives has become to be somewhat conterproductive, I suggest watching Adam Curtis' documentary: The Trap

[@loiknoedt6449]

o tradutor "pulou' a introdução feita pelo palestrante. O resultado é que a legenda não sincroniza com o vídeo.

[@MrGrapha]

ik zeg dat de intuitie weet wat het beste is en dat je daarop moet vertrouwen dat is mijn regel wie weet hebben meer dat

[@briansmobile1]

Whoever cuts the cake chooses a piece last. They will be cut equally.

[@chlinnz]

someone fix the subtitle plz

[@Shaunt1]

You should always do what you think is right not what others expect. Be your own leader follow your own rules. Don't look to the government for solutions.

[@boorens18]

@myhipsi "There's no such thing as predatory lending"... ya ill just end this with a quote of yours I think that speaks volumes.

[@khatack]

@mathiaskobel The problem does exist outside the US. Even if this problem isn't as significant in some European countries as it is in the US, it does exist.

[@adihrespati]

What should we do to make sure that my rule-bending does not interrupt others' rule-bending?

[@hungeyiu3276]

the translation time mark is wrong, 6-7 lines delayed

[@bluefootedpig]

@papasitoman true to a point, but from a psychological standpoint, think about variable sentences. You are up for parole each year, but most go 2-3 years of being rejected even though they may feel that they are better, it creates a horrible disdain for the system. I think that judge was amazing for that sentence, but really, I am against the idea of early release for good behavior ect. If they wanted to do a work from jail, then maybe.

[@jackwheeler27]

For more on the wisdom that he thinks we all need, check out The School of Life channel on KZbin.

[@squirreljester2]

@0Krusnik0 Don't even get me started on the lawyers, I fucking hate lawyers. My wife was in a car accident a while back. She got $3,000 from the settlement, and her lawyer got $13,000.... and that was BEFORE she payed him for his services.

[@myhipsi]

@AirForceJuan3 There is no such thing as "unselfishness", or altruism per se. Ultimately everything comes down to individuals persuing their self interests. On the surface it may not seem that way, but altruism is really self-satisfaction in disguise. It feels satisfiying to do good things for people, especially people close to the individual (family, friends, etc.), but it may also apply to complete strangers. Doing good things actually comes from selfishness.

[@juliusbittner8096]

This reminds me on the trial of Mersault in Albert Camus´ "L´étranger"

[@vicj2141]

So true.

[@Guest655321]

I like his jab at economists, but one should remember there is at least one school of economists that actaully specualte on quality of life improvement rather than the augmentation of meaningless aggregates (output, income etc.). Appropriately referred to as the psychological school :P

[@TBlev215]

@austpom333 Because that would remove corporatism and introduce competition that would allow the banks to compete with each other for good service?

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

Ahhhh......solutions.....I love a speaker with solutions. :)

[@dookiecheez]

Academic laymen should not determine the curriculum. Patient information should be available on the medium we call the internet so that changing G.P's or going to emerge, or going to the doctor you were referred to doesn't mean you giving out your medical history off the top of your head. Putting anyone into a system where the incentive is to be deceitful will make anyone untrustworthy, it's not a special characteristic of bankers. Change the system to change the bottom line incentives.

[@MrGrapha]

wie weet kunnen we satelieten maken die we in onderdelen naar een positie laten schieten door magneet veld en ergens dus heen gestuurd wordt in onderdelen en een onderdeel ervan is het in mekaar zetten van die onderdelen en dan als taak ruimte puin ook in stukken in een baan naar de aarde te sturen en dat het dan weer in onderdelen weer naar de volgende blok ruimtepuin gaat maar ik vind het wel een slechte naam voor iets in de ruimte

[@juliusbittner8096]

I actually think that is what matters most for our happpiness is our social standing and living perspective. This is evolutionary biology. Emotions are the mirror of our living situation, if we need to improve it, we feel bad, if ist good, then we feel good as well, The human being (or in fact every living being on this planet) is always focused on its survival (to produce further children) and the survival of his children, thats how our gens spread. Our social situation as an animal, whiches survival depended on his social status in the group it has been member of, is therefore of magnificent importance for our happiness. The only way to improve our social status in our mondialised world is therefore work. So in conclusion, we should design a society, which gives everyone a decent social status and living perspective, this should not be a problem to a first world country in our timeline.

[@juliusbittner8096]

sry for my english, some words migh just not be existing lol

[@juliusbittner8096]

i hope u still get the point

[@fredomeireles]

That´s life. Power and people with bad character reproducing super fast.. Creativity, culture, friendship, etc... are under rated. It was worst in the past tough.. EFFIN result of circumstances.

[@michaelnakedpctech1100]

May the Schwartz be with you.

[@crudhousefull]

There are no 'rules'...there is cause and effect. Be the cause that maximizes positive effect. A lot of work to be done here. A lot of practise and wok on insight before action

[@metrx330]

This is a brilliant talk. I detected a "soft" libertarian position in what he was saying. Very interesting.

[@liquidminds]

@zydomason As I experienced it, most of the "evil people" think in a way of "if I don't hurt them, they are going to hurt me"-mentality. Something like "If I don't use that trick to my advantage, someone else will" In some cases it even is explained by "the system". Bankers and Brokers f.e. do "evil things" because that's "how the system works"... Most people are just afraid... stupid and afraid...

[@kinsmed]

"...she quit the bench." One person bucking the trend is a crazy person. Two... is a trend.

[@JohnFleshman]

@matt517472 Why are you laughing at a real historic place? and back to the subject at hand..This guy makes some very good points in this talk.

[@andreeaweed]

The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet.

[@jasonlajoie]

Anarchy - because "there is no substitute for wisdom." If rules and incentives are the problem then isn't it time for a little anarchy?

[@KilgoreTroutAsf]

Rules are either applied without exception or bent depending on the circumstance. Both options are terrifying.

[@WilliamPB]

Was anyone else distracted in the beginning by the extraordinarily beautiful woman in the front row?

[@MrGrapha]

en vanwaar komt het toch wat ze als intuitie eruit kunnen trekken wat gedacht kan worden en dan zoiets van persoonlijk en zo van ja het laat zich niet zomaar vangen zeg ik de intuitie zegt het wel dan wat je gaat doen of denken en vertellen je hele bestaan speeld op die manier of het is allemaal uit weten of je hebt als leven evenzo zeer met intuitie te maken maar ook met weten

[@rogerstancill5080]

Laws and Rules should be 'guidelines' to good judgement and NOT the definitions of good judgement. Where oh where has common sense gone? Perhaps it has been ever so subtly erased from society by social indoctrination and a lack of taking responsibility for our own lives. Always think for yourself.

[@Alnarpae]

@hecdaca2007 The evolution of the species is purely a self-interested process. Self-interest made us.

[@myhipsi]

@boorens18 Credit card companies can only charge as much interest as the market will bear. If my CC company decided to arbitrarily raise my interest rate, I would simply switch to a lower interest CC and transfer my balance to it. Hence, the issuer of my orginal CC would have lost a customer to another, more competitive issuer. There needn't be an almighty government in the middle to "protect" me. A truly free market is all the protection I need.

[@silrak5405]

Maybe this is saying something about the moral climate of the USA. The largest number of people in prison in the world both in number and per capita. What has our recent national leadership modeled?

[@Elzon1]

Sure there are no set of rules or system that will be perfect or even meet a reasonable standard. But, neither virtue or wisdom will accomplish this. Its nice to have your heart in the right place, but you have to have your head in the same place otherwise you will fail. Only by allowing people to figure out what works and what doesn't will be able to come to a reasonable system of things. You can't everything right the first time round it takes time and evolution. Failures must die.

[@SpookyFan]

I've seen this topic in TED before. This doesn't seem to add to the conversation.

[@MrGrapha]

We kunnen ook zo instellen dat we de maan er ook niet vandoor laten gaan snap je

[@deepomouli]

Kant's moral law imply the same.

[@myhipsi]

@CatastrophicDisease Yes, but I think it can also apply to material selfishness as well. Take Bill Gates as an example. He started his company Microsoft out of complete selfishness, that is to say, he wasn't working for the benefit of others, but for them benefit of himself. However, the result of his selfishness was a multi-billion dollar company that has not only provided tens of thousands of jobs, but has also transformed the world in many ways.

[@squirreljester2]

You take smart people, that know how to bend the rules, and you get the bankers.

[@euripideesshreds]

Use the Force ? Nah..nah ~ da SCHWARTZ !

[@GraeHall]

How the fuck do you write that well, in high school. VALEDICTOORIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[@juliusbittner8096]

In the case of the elite-shool test, shouldnt rather be the test improved to prevent such kinds of behaviour?

[@freshhug]

Smalest TED ever.

[@AGspeaks]

wow...

[@marcocanteiro]

Turn on subtitles and go to 6:12. I love lesbo kisses too Barry!

[@Ryan44567]

What is happening to TED?

[@TemporalOnline]

How to make a group or organization that just want money and would do anything to get it, today, have good feelings and feelings for others? If there's no answer to this, to make an entire group move to this direction, then, sorry, solo things won't do a thing. If anything they will get fired, like ex former president of one health insurance comp, called Leslie Margolin. She said was inhuman what they were doing, and got fired: "she wasn't a good corporate soldier". watch?v=lVGYEA5vbJE

[@boorens18]

2 Allow the current credit card abuse to continue by removing protective regulation. (credit card companies would LOVE to charge you more interest for more profit instead of being forced by law to follow what the populace as a whole finds fair,) On Elizabeth Warren is not heading in any form the CPA (despite being OVERWHELMING favored..she was refused and lobbyied against by the financial industry because she would have curbed their risky trades (which caused the collapse in the first place)

[@alovelytime]

mandatory sentencing is a crime.

[@1966human]

The banking and brokering industry is the largest criminal organization in the world and has striped a large percentage of people of there hard earned wealth. Who in there wright mind would privatise the monetary system.

[@freshhug]

@ben9345 Congrats to your success.

[@myhipsi]

@boorens18 There's no such thing as predatory lending in the real sense. It may be a nice Liberal slogan intent on vilifying companies that actually help the poor but it certainly isn't based in reality. The reality is that these companies are lending to extremely risky borrowers and the interest rate reflects that. If you look at profit as a percentage of revenue in "payday" loan companies, they are in line with most other lending instituations (around 9%).

[@boorens18]

@myhipsi So let me get your point of view straight......so your saying that they can design a system that judges someones "risk" and based on that, they can charge your interest at whatever rate their system says.... ie banks can charge you interest rates at whatever they want, OH and its not their fault? You might as well just come out and say that you are for predatory loaning....... Utterly dispicable that you cant see the obvious taking advantage of poor people here

[@sidious501]

@ben9345 congrats

[@qwertyzupoi]

@ben9345 Gz!

[@elu5ive]

@Jinni32 he destroyed the lives of a whole family. that's imprisonment for life at the very least, if you ask me

[@JungleJargon]

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

[@Amarynthine]

listen to psychologists instead of economists, darn right

[@AirForceJuan3]

@zydomason What about unseflish human beings? Are they unnatural? Unseflishness is just as natural.

[@Gnometower]

This is just a slightly extended version of Barry's last talk with a few more examples. As much as I like the guy, this video is kinda pointless.

[@regularguy8888]

bernie sanderz naw barry Schwartz for president

[@juliusbittner8096]

Well in the social field (teachers, doctors, psychologists and even judges) the profit to reward the employees with should be of emotional and not materialistic nature in my opinion, even though the materialisti aspect to make a good living should be given, but not rewarded. Even though this idea leads to a kind of socialistically designed soiety lol

[@matt517472]

lol isle of lesbos 6:10

[@boorens18]

@boorens18 I could keep going on...but notice how every rule he whines about is a Democratic position? Hmmm.....anybody else smell a dude whos bought by the financial industry? Go figure all the bills he is whining about happen to be about protecting us......at the cost of PROFIT to private interests....its almost as though a lobbyist gave him these lines....actually its exactly like that...

[@myhipsi]

@boorens18 Nice job. Take a quote out of context and then use it as some kind of silly retort on the subject. You obviously have no understanding of basic economics, so there's no point in wasting my time responding to your nonsense.

[@ok29700]

The banking system is not democratic thats why I don't vote

[@CottonDrifting]

"Bend the Rule" Hahahah.....ha...ha..he.hh....argh Not funny.

[@CottonDrifting]

"De-Moralised" Hahaha....ffs