Paper towns and why learning is awesome | John Green

Some of us learn best in the classroom, and some of us ... well, we don't. But we still love to learn, to find out new things about the world and challenge our minds. We just need to find the right place to do it, and the right community to learn with. In this charming talk, author John Green shares the world of learning he found in online video.
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[@Butterworthy]

I really, really like John Green.

[@rshepherd80]

Ok I liked this vid not bad John not bad.

[@TheBillymybob]

Butterworthy You should check out Crash Course and/or Vlogbrothers then :D

[@Butterworthy]

TheBillymybob Definitely will do. I like the stuff he does on Mental Floss also.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

TheBillymybob Thanks, I will.

[@89nekkoinu]

Yeah, after years doing vlogbrother its his new heights in his careers

[@JennieKerfuffle]

I am absolutely devastated that the audience did not laugh at more of John's jokes. It took them a whole minute and fifty seconds to catch on to his humor, lol.

[@Miranox2]

Jennie Kerfuffle TIL scientists and academics have a slow sense of humor.

[@TheGryffindorable]

there is this thing that people have to like you before they laugh at your jokes so maybe that's an issue here

[@shway1]

Jennie Kerfuffle There was nothing really worth laughing out loud at until then.

[@SlimThrull]

Jennie Kerfuffle Its not so much that the didn't find John funny; Its that they thought it might not be okay to laugh during a serious discussion. Humor is a difficult thing for these types of lectures. Most people going to a lecture expect to be lectured with minimal -- if any -- humor. With this expectation in mind, people who would normally laugh or at least giggle tend to refrain from doing so until they're sure its socially acceptable to do so. Even then it tends to be rather quiet and reserved laughter.

[@ratherrandombella]

Jennie Kerfuffle I thought that too, maybe it just didn't pick up on his mike?

[@dreamingstar2374]

It's really sad because I loved learning. In primary school, I was the "smart", "nerdy" kid who would borrow 20 books from the library every week and read them all. Learning about maths and English was fun and fascinating. Then I got to high school and learning was ruined for me. Everything was more of a competition and it made me miserable. Learning was no longer fun but pressurising, forceful and stressful by the school system, rules and teachers. Now that I've graduated, I'm actually going to start learning again :)

[@FatmaYousuf]

+carrotsticks I think you're talking about "studying" here, not learning. Learning and studying are two completely different words.

[@phoenixvaughn5995]

+iGFXDesigner school however does have a way of telling you you are learning something when really you are just revising a concept that you were told about when you 12

[@jessicaziegler5531]

It was the same for me. I loved learning until I got into high school. I would read all the time and I just loved to do school and to learn! It has now become difficult and I don't feel I can remember anything and it just feels like too much pressure now. I feel that I am slowly gaining back my interest in learning again. I think I need to get excited about Learning again and this is just might be the start of it all.

[@tesslynfrancis9322]

+carrotsticks I had a similar experience, but the opposite way around. My primary school was stifling while my high school was something akin to a sisterhood. It was just an environment of support and love and I had great teachers who cared about teaching, not just passing students. I realise how lucky I am to have had such an enriching high experience. Without it, I don't think I ever would have developed a love of learning

[@d.a.hansen9142]

+carrotsticks I have had a very similar experience, but instead of continuing with brick-and-mortar school I transitioned to online schooling and it was probably the best decision that I have ever made.

[@RianKashfi]

That moment at which you expect him to begin with "Good morning, Hank."

[@rishabhbhatti8783]

...its tuesday :D

[@epicjoyfulcreations4580]

Faiyaz Kashfi Rian IT'S QUESTION TUESDAY

[@magnuspeacock5857]

@@epicjoyfulcreations4580 the day i answer real questions from real nerdfighters.

[@kovidbhaduri]

@@magnuspeacock5857 lets get right to it!

[@thenazidolphin2279]

Who the eff is hank?

[@dandeliondot]

It is impossible to calculate how many lives Green brothers have changed during those years. Thank you for making me understand that learning is not a privilege.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Mari Israelyan Not supposed to be, but it's damned expensive and exclusive and should be free. Even KZbin and TED is not fully accessible, unless you have a computer or a smart phone and can get a wifi connection.

[@erinnicole2556]

Robin Gray Almost all local libraries have computers available for free public use, and lord knows they have books. That's neither expensive nor exclusive. Get yourself there and you can learn to your heart's content.

[@tuckersabath4984]

Robin Gray kinda right, more accurate to point out that for the people who are out to dominate others, it is only a piece of paper, and paying a lot of money is bragging rights, and cheating has no moral importance to them. And there are enough of those people to take up a lot of room at the top.

[@RachelReiss]

Erin Long Don't get me wrong, I love the public libraries and owe them more than I can say...but the NYPL, at least, has WAY fewer books than they used to. Our local branch has laptops to use in the library, and ebooks to borrow (if you have an ereader), but while there are still books, there are more totally empty shelves than full, and lots of the "full" shelves are full of DVDs and CDs and books on hold--and when I was a child they were ALL full of books. It's sad.

[@tuckersabath4984]

Rachel Reiss also you might notice a lot of technical and historical content on the curb, to make space for contemporary paperback gangster books.... unless your local branch has already stripped it's shelves of knowledge in favor of entertainment that glorifies hood life.... which by the way, in NYC at least, the safest big city in the country, romantic portraits of the ghettos is a way to control peoples's expectations of life, there by controlling them. I don't think Plato is that wonderful. But it might be helpful for a young intercity kid to see that the old white guy on the ten dollar bill was a Caribbean immigrant who advocated for the abolition of slavery... so the library is under attack from budget, and the contemporary commerce of "blacksploitation".... Do we have knowledge available? Do we encourage curiosity beyond commercialism?

[@sumtourist9406]

Life goal is to have someone mention me in a TED Talk as their high school crush.

[@SbotTV]

Why not get up on a TED stage and mention one of your own crushes? You don't have to be a supporting character in an important person's life and nothing more. Find something significant to you and work towards it. Some of the worst decisions I have made stemmed from the belief that I didn't have what it took to go down the harder path.

[@isabellagold4114]

@@SbotTV damn

[@fool4343]

@@SolaceEasy sounds like projecting

[@lunasea4309]

@@SbotTV ❤️

[@MsTen999]

@@SolaceEasy Who hurt you?

[@LaceyJuk]

Thank you John for making crash course. It is my learning community.

[@oscarmoreno2585]

I love you John

[@nowshin_a6348]

yeah, it's like a wonder full school.

[@shimamuhamed6484]

Same!! ❤️

[@MsTen999]

They should make an actual CC school!

[@sisternottwin]

+

[@gabrieloconitrillo4141]

Never thought someone as smart as John Green would be bad at school, seems like school as a system sucks for learning. Learning happens when you're passionate about whatever topic and put all your energy into it and/or start finding correlations between things

[@viniciusbernardo5569]

sitting on a chair listening to your teacher for hours straight without room for imagination is not a good method of learning

[@DerMessiasderSatire]

@@viniciusbernardo5569 It's a good method for remembering things and literally shoving things into students' brain. That's why it's used, sadly.

[@LilianaKali]

@Jo Blow Yep. Schools were started to basically produce more workers for the workforce. Creativity and love of learning wasn't really a notion. It was more about making more cogs for the machine of industrialism. From my experience there are two types of people who go into teaching: those who want to share their success and those who want to hide their failures. Whichever of these two categories they start as they then often get pushed by the system or by their Boards and School Districts into teaching subjects they aren't qualified for or not passionate about. That's why you might sometimes notice that your teacher seems to have just crammed in the subject matter a few hours or days before they taught it to you. Oh, you like Biology but hate Chemistry? Too bad. We need a Science teacher so good luck cramming the chemistry curriculum into your brain in a few days/weeks! Or oh you're an Art teacher? Could you also teach History/Geography/Social Sciences this year? Or the very real situation where the job market for teachers doesn't include the subjects they are qualified for but they also need to pay a mortgage and feed their family so they just fake it.

[@ismirdochegal4804]

There are different schools and different teachers. Not everything is bad, but there are concepts that are better then others. There are a few things everyone should know about the world or at least heard of. Beyond that we need teachers that show us doors with various topics on them and the freedom to decide ourself when and if we want to look in there at all. Or like a named place on a map - someone might just want to go there.

[@LuisOrtiz-px4yy]

Yeh. The system of education is fatal at educating ironically.

[@MrChillder]

When the video started playing he sounded a few tones short of homer simpson

[@kelleydungan3301]

I was thinking the same thing hahaha

[@Toastmaster_5000]

Christopher Hilder If he sounded more "dopey" he'd sound a lot like homer

[@16hakisan]

I didn't realize until you just said it

[@myragm]

Lol you took the words right out of my mouth haha

[@quantumvex6679]

+Christopher Hilder That's the best thing I've read all day, haha.

[@lt80355]

A great part of being a nerdfighter is the endless pride you feel. Loved it.

[@Jontman42]

Lenda Thompson Pride of what?

[@raghada9123]

Pride of the community, of the progress, of the journey, of the accomplishments, of the learning, and of course, pride of hank and john.

[@Soldier842]

Raghad A Just make sure your pride does not make you act as if you're superior to the less educated who are less interested in sciences. Pride can be quite the weakness.

[@unvergebeneid]

Victor G Pride ... or let's call it community spirit can also make you blind. On no other channel do I get attacked as viciously and irrationally for pointing out mistakes or inaccuracies as on SciShow. That community feels pretty poisonous to me to be honest. More like a cult :/

[@raghada9123]

Yes of course no sense of superiority should stem from this pride at all, and accept my apologies on behalf of Nerdfighteria if ever you felt shunned or unfairly criticized; it definitely isn't right.

[@ZactarZero]

OMG John Green from youtube is the same John Green author of those books. HOW DID I NEVER REALIZE THAT?

[@katherinelara1931]

😂

[@priyankamaran7244]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 funniest thing I've heard.

[@chelsey8737]

😂😂😂 i love it

[@dementiasorrow]

Me neither! I'M BAFFLED!!

[@mrwhite6529]

Maybe you're stupid. IMAO

[@mitchlloyd6456]

This is why I love John Green. He's my inspiration for being part of this learning community.

[@joelverkaik]

"I learned what iambic pentameter is, And why it sounds to good to human ears."

[@DebraBakerls]

ooooohhh

[@tareeshiraj]

Yes I screamed xD

[@kelsienicole3387]

Good find!

[@ephemera...]

Jacob Israel Salazar too funny.

[@heyheychels]

This was great. It made me want to go learn something.

[@terminallyg33k]

heyheychels me too. I'm going to go learn new songs on my ukulele now.

[@tanpadia1664]

heyheychels Follow this step To Watch Paper Towns FULL MOVIE : * plus.google.com/114248654881070965661/posts/EQYegvcX4j9

[@rehmsmeyer]

heyheychels DON'T! I'm serious! Do. Not. Do it. IGNORANCE IS BLISS

[@hughbartlett9253]

+Chelsea Cassady I feel that! Such a great video!

[@FingerThatO]

+Chelsea Cassady so what new did you learn in the last 8 months since you saw this video?

[@TheMajsinka]

I believe what John and Hank's biggest skill is, is not teaching you some new facts but a way with words that reminds you of what you already knew deep inside

[@rawdaaljawhary4174]

YES! ❤ 🙌🏽 ❤ I couldn't agree more.

[@asliuf]

"i learned what iambic pentameter is, **and WHY it SOUNDS so GOOD to HUman EARS** THAT LAST PART *IS* IAMBIC PENTAMETER

[@nadineebada6557]

Oh My God haha

[@Clara-pn3sf]

Genius 😂😂

[@AllemeineEeentcheeen]

Der Jaaaaaaaaaaaaambuuuuus

[@davidchidester5463]

John Green is awesome. Lol.

[@rhanamazing3587]

I didn't get it lel hahaha

[@gabriellesew]

John Green can do everything - KZbinr, author, producer and inspirational speaker. He's truly awesome.

[@SuperNerd707]

The library and the internet, life would suck without them!

[@Cra3ture]

true

[@Keepedia99]

PhantomRanger it's what you make of it

[@AyeshaKhan-uh2gz]

PhantomRanger true

[@samiaahmad8705]

True, but where i live they don't have any public libraries. So i have to read on the internet. No wonder i got glasses. -_-

[@ShubhamBa]

true man

[@jubsology]

I always watch "Crash Course"....Out of my wildest dreams, I never thought "this" John Green is the famous author of "The fault in our stars" ...I am astonished at my ignorance... Love you John Green ..:)

[@LittleHippieBigCity]

+Jubayer Aahmed There you go! You learned something on KZbin! Sweet!

[@phoenixvaughn5995]

+Jubayer Aahmed don't judge a book by its cover :D

[@bryanavila3082]

+Info Sushy I had no idea as well and now I'm just shocked

[@kallmekrissarchivetiktoks8012]

+Bryan Avila When I found out the same thing I was also shocked AF

[@EvieHeffner]

+great one I found out in sixth grade and I'd been watching his videos for like three years and my friend had "The Fault in Our Stars" and I was flipping through it WHILE WE WERE WATCHING CRASH COURSE IN HISTORY and I remember jumping up and making my teacher pause the video so that I could tell everyone in my class. I am now known as the girls who loves John Green and I'm in ninth grade now. I guess it's fitting considering I do a victory dance every time we get to watch Crash Course.

[@Foxfool228]

This is one of the greatest TED talks I've ever watched. I feel so much more engaged in the KZbin learning community than I ever have with high school or, presently, with college. I don't feel like I'm wasting my time when I watch KZbin videos instead of working on a semester long research project that's due in less than two hours. I learn and appreciate life in a way that the current mainstream educational system just does not provide. On KZbin, you can tailor your learning experience to the topics you're interested in. You can ask meaningful questions and be exposed to questions you didn't even realize existed. Most of all, the people who create this content care. They care in ways that a professor simply does not have to. I know that I often act as if school doesn't matter to me. But it doesn't really, you know, beyond job security. I appreciate John Green's cartography metaphor. Learning is about exploration and curiosity, not meaningless regurgitation or arbitrary examination. I wish universities truly were places of education rather than the expected stepping stone to a traditional career. I'm making do with what I have available to me, but I know that a college degree does not really prove anything beyond perseverance. It isn't a college degree I'm even seeking, only doorways. Doorways that will allow me to continue to learn and experience this world we live in. Anyway, I just wanted to ramble and procrastinate for a little bit. Maybe a little insight into my thought process will stimulate you to think about your own :)

[@Arinaretina]

Preaccchhhhh

[@jamescarmody4713]

Unless you pay entirely for your education, through savings or scholarships, you have an obligation to get a job with your degree. You rely on people working every day of your life; society depends on our contributions; there are people starving and thirsty who need development. Knowledge is great, but leave it unapplied and you've wasted your time. You were blessed to have 12 years of public schooling or loving parents who provided a tutor for you. It's time to make good on that investment and make a difference.

[@xena8_8]

James Carmody The one obligation we have during life is to be true to yourselves. And there are only two things we really have to do in life, and that is being born and die. The first one is already down. Whatever we do before the other is up to yourselves only. We should not lose ourselves in the illusion that we should live life for someone else, may it be our family or the government, because they are living their lives for us. They are responsible for themselves and we are responsible for ourselves. Everything we do is our choice. Even choosing to live life according to someone else, which will only bring misery to ourselves. It may sound egoistical but we actually need to put ourselves first - it is good. Only so we can become free and then create real value for others. There is a reason why in planes they always tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you help others. Given the freedom and time to develop properly, every human will contribute something unique to this world

[@Kas_Styles]

This!

[@LanceWillMakeIt]

@@jamescarmody4713 " you have an obligation to get a job with your degree." Hm, never heard of that law. I think you have an obligation to make your life a life worth living. Getting a job with your degree might not be in the trajectory of making your life worth it

[@yellow5350]

Self education is the best way to increase the quality of life, seeking to become more intellectual is a pleasure that can rarely be found in other things. I agree with John Green learning is so important and fulfilling throughout life.

[@yellow5350]

@Dori Beverlee why would you copy my comment

[@hemsharma1833]

"Seeking to become more intellectual is a pleasure that can rarely be found in other things". It's a powerful statement only few people can understand.

[@smarties22222]

That "world sandwich" sounds the most awesome thing ever.

[@samtheflutegirl1373]

It bothers me that it was people holding bread instead of setting it on the ground.

[@missseaweed2462]

@@samtheflutegirl1373 Air is an essential part of the world so I'm glad they included it.

[@Cra3ture]

this man makes me take learning *seriously*

[@sgracesful]

I am sometimes mocked for my enthusiasm for KZbin. I'm an internet nerd through and through, however. I didn't have the best education, so the Internet is the best resource available to me, and to anyone with a network connection. Love my community of fellow learners.

[@tadshackles]

Not finding John and his brother until I was in my late twenties made me sad. Had I had them in my life when I was in junior high school I wouldn't have felt like an outcast for being smart and having straight A's (I once lied and told my friends I failed a couple classes so I had to go to summer school when I was just trying to get ahead for next year. I loved school but was ashamed of my love as I worried what others would think). I would have been proud of my nerdy friends and I wouldn't have tried so god. damned. hard to be a cool kid and hang out with the pot heads and jocks... John Green is a precious national resource and I am so thankful for him.

[@viktoriyakovalchuk6472]

This is refreshing. I think a lot of kids are pressured by adults and society in general to go out and "find a stable job, earn some money, raise a family", a cookie-cutter path for life that will somehow lead to ultimate happiness. But I think life and people are more complicated than that, and I think everybody has his or her own place in the world, and whether that be a well-known and successful cardiac surgeon or a skillful tattoo artist, everybody must seek out his or her true passions in life and do what they love, if they want to achieve even the slightest bit of happiness.

[@ChroniclesofAJ]

Viktoriya Kovalchuk Well Said

[@kristinabennett9017]

I couldn't agree more. Studies have shown that the happiest people are those that feel like they are reaching their potential and finding fulfillment out of life. People often forget that different people find fulfillment from different things from life.

[@AnimalAce]

Or you could go the Mike Rowe rought. Find something that no one else is doing. Find a way to do it then learn how to love it.

[@ila_1910]

Yeah in this world of so much diversity we all can be strong in basics and Masters in our chosen professions .... A faster progress and happiness

[@MrJonnyPepper]

Talk about a first world problem

[@Nguyennertofudinner]

He talks a lot slower when he doesn't have a time limit

[@osemudiame123]

Ted talks do have time limits

[@Nguyennertofudinner]

+osemudiame123 I was referring to the four minute time limit on vlogbrothers videos...

[@osemudiame123]

+sciencenerd1123 ah I see makes sense

[@davea.9927]

John Green for Pres

[@itz_aidan-ru7xr]

yesssssss

[@Keepedia99]

too many meetings

[@stevemsteven6103]

John Green actually sounds remotely like Donald Trump.

[@bbens999]

StevemStevenson: haha yeah not at all. In like, every way.

[@user-lh2hx5xf4e]

@@stevemsteven6103 pfft is this a joke?🤣🤣🤣

[@rafaelpun]

It would have been awesome to all my profesor and teacher to teach like John Green. He makes you learn without you knowing.

[@hunterjohnson1022]

Now THIS is the intellectual stuff i enjoy seeing from TED

[@confusedpotato6566]

John Green has the ability to move something inside me every time he talks. You can tell he finds importance in the subjects he analyses and oh my god he transmits his enthusiasm so well! John Green is one of those people that give me hope that words can in fact move people. That words can in fact change the world.

[@Laura-kl7vi]

He's profound in how he expresses what he perceives in the world,and how he expresses his feelings-he moves me too. I've not encountered that before in such a concentrated way.

[@xahliagrobbelaar6145]

The audience was so unfair to John! He made so many great jokes and they only laughed at one of them!

[@ashleyok4230]

At the end of his talk, when John started saying thank you, I thought he was going to say "Thanks for watching. I'll see you next week."

[@RiniKiwi]

I don't think John will ever read this but I just wanted to say I first watched this when I was really struggling with finishing high school because I had just lost all the motivation to "learn" (memorize things). But after high school, I'm so glad I found myself inspired again. My uni classes were so engaging and the professors were amazing. It was like I could feel my brain grow everyday! I'm happy to say I was able to turn things around for myself and get excited about learning again. Also, having a degree is a nice bonus. Watching this video now, I'm very grateful to you, John. Learning is awesome!

[@zlatanjakic7717]

I acctualy got an A in biology by watching crash course today.

[@GhostInTheShell29]

One thing I found amazing at work the other day, was a group of people getting into a debate about Multiverse Theory.. I mean our job is to unload a truck, no one went to college, many didn't graduate highschool, but because of youtube, and Dragon Ball Z abridged in particular, even though I had a much better grasp then anyone else, at least people could be part of the conversation because they at least understood some basic properties. Where as if I just tried to teach Multiverse theory to a group of people working on a truck, why would they care? why would they be interested if they couldn't participate? Having a basic understanding allowed for a natural conversation that was very informative as those who knew less learned from those who knew more just talking about it.

[@dedcalmxo]

I like learning when the speaker is entertaining and a little funny. John Green is definitely a good speaker.

[@Innowah]

I wish my school would let us learn like John Green.

[@fernandomelgar892]

My learning community came after I had to go to a continuation school instead of a regular high school. At the new school I found that people who were "at risk" tended to have hyper inactive attention to singular learning tasks. At this school the structure of how the school was run, had less restrictions, kids were free to have more breaks, to go to the gym, talk with friends, stroll around campus. Much like a college campus. The thing is that when It came time to go in classroom, students were much more attentive. The point is that there was a certain balance I saw lacking in other schools. There is a hand-holding and rigid method of schooling that does not behoove children, but only makes them want to break free.

[@stephenmealing6366]

"Choking you self with ties is stupid" ... "Honey where is my tie"

[@nervykane]

Learning is very fun for me and I dont get how people grow old being content with willful ignorance. Knowledge is the ultimate power. Money is power if your narrow minded and believe that being able to harness a lot of objects and influence people through manipulation rather than education is the way to live, which I believe its actually a path towards a dystopia in the long run to try to manipulate people to gain self interests or even for a broader interests than your self. People cant be manipulated because it sets their brain to function backwards, they believe that what they are doing is set in stone in the history books as correct, when in reality they are just acting on the short term to serve the greater purpose of the powerful. Where as education tends to be quite the opposite and it enlightens the individual and the masses.

[@Candyliz2003]

***** I agree somewhat - it's the current method of "schooling" that needs a make-over. Personally, I think the old style of apprenticeship --> artisan would be better. Whether you're talking about a craft, trade, or field of study. Today's education system may give people a more well-rounded experience but should be an enhancement, or extra-curricular, NOT the primary focus. What a waste of youth to force history, algebra, and sentence diagramming onto those who don't make a living in the fields they are necessary to! (Now don't get all excited - I'm not saying they aren't important or that they are unnecessary - just that they should be cursory rather than a major part of one's daily endeavors. Yes, algebra CAN be important - but what I wouldn't give to have back all those hours of frustration!)

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

***** Did you notice how Candy ended her post? I think you're saying the same thing.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

***** I agree, but oftentimes wonder: Is testing important? It may be one of the biggest problems. Learning, in it's natural habitat, isn't linear and is almost impossible to quantify, but good teachers, when they aren't flooded with ridiculous class loads, know when their student(s) are learning. Teaching is an art; everyone can't do it. The travisty of No Child Left Behind is a good example.

[@ktjrktjtjrjej4581]

Dude you're actually illiterate lmao

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Mr aaaaaaa

[@quiqueg13]

Learning without judgement to keep yourself visible in the narrative is so mid level menager. Love it, Hank.

[@colonelmustard9405]

You don't understand how much I admire this guy.

[@shabditarajesingh6945]

Me too.

[@user-ms3cu1jk2q]

@@shabditarajesingh6945 me three

[@sarahgr17]

When I was in 5th grade I had already become disappointed and disheartened by the education system and how it taught so I started watching Be Smart, Crash Course, and many others. It taught me how to love learning and knowledge. Thank u education KZbin!

[@SMFortissimo]

The older I get, the more I realize that I don't know anything. I am very grateful for the communities of learners online who've helped me realize this and have given me a thirst for exploring more. I don't think you're ever too old to start learning something new even just for the sake of it. I help teach English in Japan, and consistently one of the hardest questions for me to answer is "What is important to you?" I could write, and indeed have written, volumes of diaries and blog posts exploring that very question, but when you talk to ESL students you are forced to condense your answers into one or two easy sentences. So I told them "Learning is important to me. I want to learn something new every day." And I have KZbin to thank for making that possible.

[@missmolly7112]

He reminds me of a friend that I no longer have, which makes me sad. But at the same time, I love the way he talks, which makes me happy. Just a couple of conflicting feelings to share.

[@parmeetsingh1655]

It's good to share your thoughts and feelings, hope you're doing well

[@marshwitched]

I come back and watch this every time I get especially disillusioned with learning. I did it in high school, and all these years later I’m watching it as I’m about to finish graduate school. It reminds me that learning and knowledge are valuable in themselves - even if I never “use it” for anything. In a very real way, John has helped me all the way from my high school diploma to my master’s degree. Feeling really grateful for that today.

[@Lady_Jay]

i'm I the only one that could listen to John all day and learn from what he saying with ease?

[@kathrynhemmings6378]

He's so intelligent & i love the way he explains things

[@Vibranium603]

I want to meet John and Hank Green some day!

[@martawatermanfitnesscoach]

Wow, he is so on point!!! I learn so much on KZbin - French, Mandarin, anatomy, physics, and many more subjects. Whatever interests you, there's a wealth of info and things to learn here. I found John because I am reading Book 2 of the Carl books by his brother Hank (both those books are amazing), and then I found that John has written books too, and that they have a channel together. Then this Ted talk. Wonderful!

[@YashMenghani]

I agree, youtube is an amazing place to learn new things.

[@angiewagner9232]

Sometimes I just come back to this video when I’m feeling less than motivated to do my homework.

[@sibgharehman6291]

I am still feeling unmotivated......😒

[@ExtraordinaryDreamer]

Beautifully said as always, John.

[@adrianzermeno7858]

All these educational channels shine a bright light for the future generations to come.

[@Ultrevolous]

I admire John so much for his ability to find his community online. That's just never worked for me, but I love the idea of finding a community.

[@cynmk2650]

I've learned so much from the internet and its communities. From braiding my hair and embroidering to biotechnology and Spanish, honestly i think that I've acquired about 20% of my skills online.

[@Monoctis]

At the end of the day, learning makes you a better person.

[@mariannebaez8662]

Learning makes life so much more interesting and makes junk fall away.

[@_juicebandit]

As a teacher, it is of utmost importance to inspire a love for learning. Usually this is most successful through adaptation: what does this particular person need in order to find meaning in learning? I also very much appreciate and support a learning community; for me, learning is great when coupled with creativity, and a community can offer support and challenge. Great video, John. Thanks.

[@yang9935]

I have learned so much from this guy, he is a gift to this world.

[@amandashirley358]

I love this! it's all so true. John Green has a certain eloquence with words that expresses things I'd like to express but can never seem to find the words.

[@megtell]

I sure wish that I could have attended a private boarding school. I would have gotten a whole different education, pursued my true interests. Glad to find some out at 47. You're a lucky man John!!

[@juliahenriques210]

Megan Smetzer I'm really grateful for having attended a humanist public school. An excellence institution that was a microcosmos of the larger world, but with its own set of rules that allowed for the pursuit of individual academic interests. A big library, nice places to hang out with friends inside the school, free courses, student empowerment in pedagogical decisions. A school so good most students never realize how great it is until they finally leave and experience other institutions. I got lucky, though. I'm also grateful for having had a great research group in college, in a public university. Professors, undergraduates, and post-graduates, all attended the same weekly discussions, everybody had their own research project(s). Everybody got 2 hours to lecture the others about their projects once in a while, even the undergraduates. People threw their ideas into that weekly maelstrom of ruthless criticism knowing that if anything survived it would come out better in the end. References were exchanged freely and nobody ever stole someone else's credit for anything. Scholarships were plenty, and I got 2 years to develop my own research before graduation. When requested to provide advice about subjects I was specialised in, the group sent me, even being an undergraduate student. I would have never had these oportunities in private institutions. A lot of the vitality and breadth of life experiences brought by people of all kinds of backgrounds would have just been ruled out by the paywall. I myself would have never been able to pay for the kind of education I got for free, since most affordable private schools and colleges are actually subpar when it comes to academic research.

[@NihongoWakannai]

Nowadays the internet helps immensely, my schools havent been great, but i can go onto the internet and just learn what i want how i want

[@vaughnutube327]

I'd have to agree with that John Green ... personally I've done the University thing, became a licensed Professional in a few science/engineering disciplines ... good jobs ( switch them up every 5 yrs to keep things interesting ;-) ... point is I've daydreamed almost the entire time and only usually paid attention when it was exam time (i.e. when I had to program my sharp calculator with the relevant course material - kidding - not really ;-). He is right about the enormous potential of youtube for like minded human beings to share what they find beautiful ( and disgusting ;-) in our little individual worlds. Now ... if we can just find a polite way to prevent ( or limit ;-) the commercialization of it all, this next generation growing up will fascinate us all ( even maybe themselves ;-). Thanks for sharing TEDTalks.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Vaughn Utube Fascination is fun.

[@darrellcole6311]

I was great to see John Green on TED talk.He said that we can learn new things on You Tube. He is right on. I found the Yale School of Divinity. specifically Dr. Dale Martin. I listen and watch his class on the historical criticism of the New Testament. I learned more in that online class than i did in years at the Apostolic Institute in St Paul, Minn. We were not taught to read the Gospels horizontally. What a difference that made. So I wish to take this opportunity to thank You Tube for educating me. I wish to learn now, and until i die. Since I am 79, that may not be long, but I will press forward to learn all I can. Keep up the great work John that you and your team of experts do to bring knowledge to the masses.

[@SuicideBunny6]

And here I am in a learning community learning about learning about a learning community ...

[@Carrie4y]

The struggle you talk about- about being miserable because you weren't in a community of learning anymore... that's how I felt (and still kind of feel) after becoming a stay at home mom. And this really inspired me to figure out a way to make a community of learning with other stay at home moms. I don't know how yet, but I want to.

[@ricardoestrada5837]

I really enjoy reading and listening to John Green's ideas.

[@genkim3355]

Learning as cartography is a metaphor that makes so damn happy

[@celestemariewilson738]

It’s amazing to think about how the communication and community around knowledge develops and changes to cater to the new generations. Every time a new form of storing knowledge appears there are those who are outspoken about the dangers. I wonder if there a a term for that psychological phenomenon. To me, it’s just some food for thought.

[@Lucas_Alpay]

Learning should always be fun, totally, absolutely agree. But never overestimate yourself just because you "self-learned", and never ever underestimate those who sat in those boring classes. Just stay humble.

[@LittleHippieBigCity]

+Eldie Summers Exactly! Learning comes in many forms, none better than the other.

[@irisobrien3618]

Watched this during my homework break and now I actually want to do it. Bless you, John.

[@sangayzambaengstudiescohor4341]

I loved his perspective especially the part when he said that we are a part of something great which can be a part of achievements that are equivalent to the discussion of the Parisons from the Enlightenment Era. We are constantly creating and living a part of the upcoming History! Hurray to Mr. Green!

[@MikleyL]

OMG this man's mind is AMAZING , love symbolism

[@animefan4058]

I am a simple potato, I see John Green, I scream, I fangirl, then I click.

[@classicdope2952]

Anime Fan Anime and John Green! We have some common things!!

[@ronnie3235]

Anime Fan this is the most cringey thing I’ve seen today

[@tariqkhanPathanKabuliwala]

Except mongols 🤣🤣

[@RSpence777]

You Tube sent me willingly back to school 9 years ago, and my worse fear is the government in our best interests, censoring, regulating and fixing it for my classmates and I! Great presentation TED

[@samanthaswift9668]

John Green is one of my favorite people to listen to.

[@vicwillis4295]

this video is one of the main reasons I went to college. I just graduated a month ago and had to come back. time flies. it's the ultimate expense. opportunity cost. time.

[@joshd029]

John thank you for that brilliant light bulb. You have made me remember why I cherish some of my classes more than others. The communities in and outside a classroom environment greatly affect one's outlook on the class. I hope those watching this video that are still in school find the same types of communities that I enjoy, both on the internet and in person.

[@cloudsandmoon7975]

This talk really inspired me to start learning again! I have always loved to learn and I remember that I was always curious and wonderstruck to know about things I never knew of before. But somewhere along the line it just faded away to fit into classroom settings where grades matter more than understanding and the joy of discovering new things and wanting to fit into the peer group where learning was not really "cool". I am really thankful to John and also I am loving crash course a lot! It's wonderfully engaging and interesting! I'm so very grateful for this talk.. thank you so much!!!

[@darrellcole6311]

I have watched John and his brother on Crash Course for several years and have always learned something I never knew before. I watched a course form Yale University by Dr Dale Martin called , A Historical Criticism of the New Testament. Even though I went to bible school, I learned more watching Dr Martin that I did in bible school. All because of You Tube. So a big thank you to John, his brother, and the KZbin community for educating this 80 year old man.

[@luckykoneko6981]

Humans enjoy the process of comprehending what was once unknown. They do not enjoy sitting in suffocating rooms being lectured by condescending instructors who are only present for the paycheck. Of course not all teachers are apathetic, but finding a truly caring and inspiring teacher seems to be so difficult in high school. I'm really grateful for KZbin for being the platform that users like John Green and PatrickJMT can utilize to promote education in an enlightening and riveting way.

[@lorenaenciso5518]

I've never heard him, talking so slow.

[@domifigueroa8794]

Lorena Enciso History

[@89MSS]

John! So proud to see him up there! I've been watching him for so many years, I knew he would become something really big :) Congratulations!

[@dianefrancis8813]

Thank you for talking about learning! Learning is way better than education! Education is so limited! As a teacher in a public school, I have to help my students navigate Education- BUT what I really want to teach them is the value of LEARNING!

[@KaiCalimatinus]

I feel proud to. Be in all four of these communities. We're almost one big one at this point pretty much :)

[@momergil]

Where are the mongols? :)

[@TheJuliodarian]

LMFAO

[@Garrytherocketboi]

Martin Bittencourt They're the exception to this. :3

[@bitmln003_]

Martin Bittencourt Hahaha Is this a joke? Mongols had one of the largest empire in the world.

[@Zhranzagul]

jbentio Yes it is a joke. John Green frequently refers to "the Mongols" as the "Exception" of everything, as they always avoid his distinctions of ordinary stuff. Search for "Unless you are the Mongols" and you will find a lot of videos of the same mongol montage that runs everytime this is mentioned in his videos. TL;DR: It's a nerdfighter meme of sorts. PS: I believe his question is aimed towards the surprising absense of a Mongol montage in regards to something with John Green. Cpt. Obvious awaaaay~!

[@NothingTooSpiffy]

Martin Bittencourt just wait for it!

[@Snowy123]

Don't Forget To Be Awesome

[@MitchellChristy98]

I got interested in learning after a dinner with some friends where I found out I was the least knowledgeable person there - and it really sucked knowing I couldn't compete intellectually when I figured myself to be pretty knowledgeable on some things. Since then, I've been focusing on learning at least one new thing every day, whether that means reading a novel, learning a new word, watching a film, listening to an album, reading a news article, etc. and then actively processing what it is that I've learnt so that I can build a knowledge centre in my mind that isn't designed to regurgitate facts but engage in discourse. Learning is more than what the word entails; there's a whole hidden structure of processing and consideration that goes with simply "learning" things that makes it more enjoyable and effective. In short, I think a lot more than I used to, and I've felt so much better since.

[@getabiggerboat]

Thank you. Proud to be Springs '87 alum and to have grown up on the campus. Discere Vivendo . You're right that it's not just about learning, but about being a part of a community of learners.

[@tanvi4305]

I love John, I'm so happy and proud that he got this opportunity!

[@felixcintron464]

Best wishes John green

[@kitbobit2415]

I love John Green. I’m writing a seven page essay currently for my AP writing 101 class and I chose to write about this Ted Talk. It’s due tonight wish me luck !! ❤️

[@haleightomlin]

John Green has always been such a comfort person.

[@bryangodinho1369]

This message really struck home! This may be the best Ted Talk I have seen so far. Thanks John!

[@rishikachutani2508]

You make me believe in life. Thank you so much John! I love you and your videos and yours books!

[@Wrufus_Wilmot]

That ending was beautiful and passionate... well the whole thing was, really. Thanks for bringing me back up. Didn’t even realize how out of it I actually was. I’ll pay more attention to the maps Im making. Thank you, John.

[@reythejediladyviajakku6078]

This TED talk remembered to be awesome.

[@whatdani]

Always love listening to John

[@Par_and_syv_lovers56]

Inspires me to ask more questions. Own and love all his books.

[@enigmatic474]

This guy is fantastic. Heard about him because of the amazing Wimbledon AFC story, now can't get enough of his incalculable talents!

[@gianni206]

I think that's the best Ted talk I've ever seen. No matter what field in school, what area you apply it in, it'll make sense in context.