We are nothing (and that is beautiful): Alok Vaid-Menon at TEDxMiddlebury

Alok Vaid-Menon discusses the relationship between success and the status quo in this TEDxMiddlebury talk. They draw upon experiences at Stanford and beyond and perform spoken word poetry.
Alok performs with DARKMATTER, a queer South Asian spoken word duo and organizes with the Audre Lorde Project, a queer people of color organizing center in Brooklyn. Alok's body, gender, history, and trajectory are in a constant state of flux, hypocrisy, and contradiction. Alok identifies as an interruption, will you allow them to proceed? To read their poetry visit returnthegayze.tumblr.com
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@aryapaar]

predator alert

[@globalman]

Ps, I posted this publicly at facebook and only one real friend liked it. VERY DISAPPOINTING AND TELLING. So once more I feel quite alone, thus I embrace all of you who get this message.

[@sixgilled]

❤

[@vinzetti22]

Isn't this the same guy who said little girls are kinky

[@jacobblackard2574]

Yep

[@vijaynair2403]

Slam poetry is the death or art and literature.

[@halflifeproductionz]

This dude is a predator

[@ericamango]

Aka Peter File. Google his own words on the subject of little girls.

[@PepsiMagt]

He is creepy as hel

[@redcoresuperstar]

Sooo Alok wasn't trans in 2013 but was still a media hog and grifter. Good to know.

[@norcaldeemichaels]

“The supposed “purity “ of abuse victims has remained stagnant. There are no princesses. Little girls are also Kinky. Your kids aren’t as straight and narrow as you think” Alok in his own words on his own Twitter.

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

*their

[@mitchellregan198]

It's insane how a celebrity cussing out the paparazzi will get a billion views in under 48 hours, and a slot on every news and talk show... But this discussion barely has 3 and a half thousand views, and could easily change the way people perceive the world and it definition of success. I don't want that kind of success...

[@astaroth282]

This guy has become a freak

[@hellocyrax]

So crazy to see this vs 2019 him.

[@bobsonbobbybobson6888]

I know

[@roali5836]

*them

[@kaylenfurr6125]

*them*

[@WideBad]

Kaylen Furr *him he is a man male huMAN

[@WideBad]

Roshard Ali Bish that’s man unless HE transitions he is still a male man

[@MArtistForLife]

This is incredible!! Alok came to my university tonight to deliver an epic comedy show/deep talk and I was truly moved and engaged the whole time!! And now to come across this is amazing 👏👏👏

[@thisisbgm]

This is some powerful shit. The pull of assimilation is strong, thanks for this needed reminder to disrupt the way things have always been done in favor of creating something new.

[@MattBeams]

I haven't watched this yet, but I trust you and I will, as soon as I have 18 minutes.

[@englishwithmuzammal3596]

I dunno but it sounds forced, dictated, biased, covert agenda-driven, and to a large extent mysteriously manipulative in its core --- the same effort to be different no matter how vacuous it sounds. Saying that success is an illusion and failure is another form of success is a juxtaposition along with being bookish. In the real world, the meanings of those two words are clear to anyone. If you ask me, success is getting what you want through any means, while failure is about you offering less than your opponent. His talk is like rich people telling poor people that money is not good, if that is the case, then why don't you have it. GOTCHA. This man turned into a non-binary person and is now the epitome of success about which he is spewing rubbish. I am sorry, but I can't buy that... Thank you for reading.

[@rosamancuso2740]

This guy is sick and others think he is great. 🤮

[@gulabjirani]

I love Alok and I see where they're coming from. This talk was from almost 2 years ago -- and it's really wonderful to see how much Alok has grown into themselves and followed the blueprint that they laid in this TedTalk. Thank you, Alok, for having the vulnerability to share your stories in a way that most people do not have the opportunity to do so...Or (like some of the people commenting on this KZbin video) are way too afraid to if they are given any access to understanding and sharing their voice in a way that departs from American values of greed, individuality, hate, hierarchy, and competition.

[@Halemore]

nosefalltree after reading a lot of the comments on here it's clear that the vast majority of viewers are so brain washed into thinking the way the system has raised them to think that they can not even comprehend what this speaker actually said... there are tons of comments talking about "well if i failed i wouldn't be able to survive!"... when clearly he's saying, and even stated in his talk that he's not saying to not earn a living but to redefine what it means to succeed... to have in-depth introspection is not something that is taught to westernized civilization and as such the masses are clueless as to what this speaker is actually saying because to think in the way that he describes means that you have to actually analyze in detail what is truly happening when action and consequences of those actions happen, and not just in terms of finances as we are programmed to think. i for one think he did an incredible job and i am very proud of this person for having taken the time to understand the inner workings of society and himself to come to the conclusion that he has. unfortunately this will not be seen in the masses in our life time, but it would appear that you have that insight as well. congratulations on being successful :)

[@gulabjirani]

Halemore haha, for sure. thank you for sharing your perspective -- i agree with it as well. hope there is another world being built for the future that isn't so messed up like this one, even if it's after our lifetimes. peace.

[@jaygio]

Stop, please stop this nonsense. "Grown into themselves". Sorry but mental illness will no longer be excused, and societies shared lexicon for descriptive pronouns will not change when it's been the same for millenia. Can't even believe this kid is on TedTalks to begin with after seeing that bizarre video of him looking like Mugatu from Zoolander.

[@ItachiUchiha-bt1mx]

This didn’t age well

[@PepsiMagt]

Alok is a creep. He likes little girls in improper ways.

[@eeeeee7307]

gesticulation overdrive. Sick kung-fu moves, I'm learning a lot.

[@StardomSpace]

Anyone else here after listening to "Man Enough"?

[@miloemily4277]

stop misgendering this person. their pronouns are stated clearly in the description.

[@hurianakopeke-teaho945]

+cross fit No they are very openly Non-binary, their gender matters because their poetry and politics centre around their brown-ess and their non-binary-ness, and also you should respect peoples pronouns anyway if you don't want to be a fucking awful person lol

[@Gemyoga.0]

I'm gonna call him either a "he" or "it"

[@ManatedMan]

milo emily Please! He's a guy. We as a society aren't going to ignore reality to indulge this man's delusions....🙄

[@vincent-jeremiahgoodyear7003]

Dipayan Degtyarev nicht mal das Ein Affe

[@james-1110]

milo emily He’s a man

[@bocaburgler]

ironically, this guy needed a large degree of success to share his "motivational" speech on ted talks. Also, important to say, to sit on the show of ted talks it costs somewhere around 8,500$ usd. People who were successful paid that much money, to hear a guy, who also in his own success, to preach this incredibly self righteous idea of "anti-success". This is just incredibly hilarious in anyway you spin it. #WAFH

[@Halemore]

bocaburgler you missed the entire point of the speech. it has nothing to do with monetary success. it has everything to do with the definition of success and understanding the way the system in place defines success and what the consequences of that success is. he's not telling anyone to not earn a living, he's telling people to understand the reality of the situation, which is that if you are to play the game by the rules then you have to understand what is taking place, which almost no one seems to understand. he's saying that the system isn't broken, and it isn't. it's working as intended. yet people think that they are going to "fix it" by playing along with the rules and making zero changes. in reality the only way to "fix" a system that isn't broken in the first place is to change it entirely. THAT is the point... it seems like you think he's telling everyone to go out and become a tree hugging hippie... which he isn't.

[@Halemore]

cross fit congratulations, you too have missed the point of the speech.

[@Halemore]

i'll agree there, as it should be understood by anyone and everyone innately... however it isn't, unfortunately... which is why this speech is still relevant to be made cross fit

[@mistaseeforce]

+bocaburgler actually if you really understood his talk he's actually calling himself and everybody in that room failures. :-O

[@chesterv1011]

"WE ARE SPECIAL SNOWFLAKES and BE GIVEN SPECIAL TREATMENT.", Victim mentality - These types of people wants to be empowered without working for it.

[@rachnasingh5121]

I love your ideas and views so much. And I wish I am able to have people like you in real life, instead of just coming across and admiring them online.

[@aeharbom]

Alok- you may have saved my life.

[@AnOuRieL85]

you just solved my problems with why I want to be successful and not wanting to be successful at the same time.Morals and instinct was always the most important things in order to actually feel successful.Therefore I am nothing and I should start loving it more.YOU are brilliant my friend!!!!

[@globalman]

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT. There is nothing more to add. He has said it all and I am in love with him. His energy and brilliance are magnetic. He spoke from my heart words that I could never articulate but lived in me since childhood in NYC. Everything seemed wrong in that culture. The 60's and my generation failed to bring about the change therefore succeeded in perpetuating everything that Alok Vaid-Menon speaks about. I opted out of it all so personally I succeeded as a failure to validate the agenda of my country which has spread like a cancer over the planet. I ultimately left my country and avoided the full brainwashing/ indoctrination that has taken place. Easily observable from outside. But there was and is a price to pay and I have paid it and am paying it as I seemed not to have done it perfectly, leaving myself vulnerable with the possibility of not being able to survive.. But that is another topic. I am comforted to see here a few comments of people who even in part comprehend the message and information in this video. Thank you for posting this TedX and I thank Alok Vaid-Menon for being the only voice of truth and real reason that I have heard in my long lifetime.

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

Not sure if you know by now, but Alok is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns

[@MyKeyMoonShine]

I mean this is all very nice and everything, well actually the story of a transwoman dying isn't nice but it's nice that he cares about it. Still this talk doesn't really offer anything does it. "Avoid success" How exactly? He isn't avoiding success, hes on Tedx, that in itself is a form of success, if I avoid success any more than i am doing right now i expect I shall lose my home (which i am ofc lucky to have ect ect). Yeah I get by failing he discovered that he could do this other thing and feel like a better person for doing it but that's not how it works for everyone. :P

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

I think they mean success in terms of society’s expectations and what we’re told is right, regardless of whether that’s true or not. Also, Alok is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

[@justinmil1]

HE NEEDS TO BE LOCKED IN A PADDED ROOM.

[@bru1015]

OH PLEASE......I can’t get past the first few minutes. I’m outta here💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃

[@lizzypage6365]

Bruceann Yellowega it is beyond a lot of people’s ability. Unlearning is a challenge.

[@antibus1545]

This person Alok literally said "There are no princesses, little girls are also kinky" when talking about the potential of people using the guise of being trans to enter women's spaces and abuse women/girls. STOP GIVING THIS PREDATOR A PLATFORM! You can literally Google this and find the full quote. Appalling. Alok basically said kids are not innocent and may be "into" any potential abuse. I will post this on every video I see with them in it untill people see them for what they are.

[@BingleFlimp]

Basically 17 minutes of some guy telling me not to be a dick. Be considerate of other people, that's pretty much the video.

[@thesuburbanelectric]

Am I at the NewYorican cafe?

[@ashmeetanand5353]

It doesn't matter how you got success. what matter is, what you do with it and you are doing shit.

[@scottgiannotti5480]

We are not NOTHING this is what ALL cults do - standard operating procedure. 1. Convince people life is empty and meaningless. 2. Make people believe they can start their life over in a world of 'possibilities' 3. Obliterate the person's prior identity 4. Feed them a whole new identity and make them dependent on the cult for their new identity

[@fashupora5487]

What did this person say that is wrong? Everything said is completely true

[@yaswanthram9224]

How are you entitled for the education? who comes and teaches for free? everyone has a family to feed. This is nonsense.

[@balchandrapaudel2730]

thank you alok the first ted talk I had to listen rewinding and rewinding for the view and I appreciate and support u. We are always afraid of failure but that is a success in another way be become bold to face more stronger challenges. You are right. I have been using my knowledge where I can make poor people rich by using business concepts and techniques and in collaboration rather then competition I believe in blue ocean not red ocean and continuous change. I also think the way you think. we are in this earth for our own purpose but we are compelled to obey others rules. I just love to break the system for a better tomarrow. I say I am nothing and I have no thing I know I will go empty handed only what I leave is the legacy for the future generation.

[@StevenJPiper]

Probably the last time he looked normal...

[@alex-jp3tp]

them*, and get a life and stop negatively commenting on other people’s.

[@ofthedarknessthemoonlight5412]

I am a straight woman in her 50s, and I think Alok is marvelous. The freedom of gender non-conformity is incredibly appealing to me. As a woman, I spent much of my life feeling wrong. Not the wrong gender, but wrong IN my gender. Even though I was a lovely young woman, I struggled CONSTANTLY with my appearance. My body shape. All I ever wanted was to be seen as myself FIRST, and a woman second. This is the whole struggle of resistance to the gender binary. To be able to be celebrated for oneself. Simple, and yet so threatening to so many... Yet I believe that in this way of thinking lies the potential for true personal freedom and happiness. So I celebrate Alok.

[@muhammadrafiqakhtar4566]

Excellent - maa sha Allaah Honorable Son Alok Vaid-Menon !

[@thenewzealandgringo9296]

The guy who said something really strange about children. Absolutely discusting!

[@shrutibajpai2180]

Mind blowing! I can't believe I witnessed their awesome capabilities just this week! What a brilliant human! The system indeed is broken and humans like Alok are waking us up to this reality. We love you so much Alok! ❤️

[@Mimi-ce5ug]

@@advikdeshmukh805 I can't believe these people

[@georgette1725]

Oh my god I have chills. This is so intelligent and such a revolutionary idea in the realm of education. Thank you so much for this.

[@rafieragu5831]

this is a very interesting watch as someone who had discovered alok through their postings on instagram (both their fashion and opinions) quite recently, seeing how their style and identity has changed.

[@anmahek]

Man you're amazing! Love your poetry! So much. So much emotion. Love hearing you say it. Love the energy behind it. Love it! 8:30 Woooohoooo! So true!

[@ricachowdhury5502]

Alok ❤️ Love them Amazing person Great speech

[@WideBad]

RICA CHOWDHURY *him. Enough of this nb bs

[@alex-jp3tp]

@@WideBad get a life and respect people’s pronouns.

[@BoereViking]

Him.. He is a dude!Chromosones dont lie

[@BoereViking]

@@alex-jp3tp nope Chromosone dont lie...

[@adishigupta7650]

Thank you for existing, Alok Vaid-Menon. ❤️

[@hallervik5604]

so powerful, speechless

[@Gemyoga.0]

Here from Blaire's video

[@alexapocalypseb.1305]

This is now one of my favorite TED talks. Kudos for speaking truth.

[@kerronR]

Visited Vassar and had the pleasure of meeting him. The coolest.

[@taliyasnead9907]

Vassar, Michigan?

[@loveanelle]

Taliya Snead Vassar College in New York!

[@PepsiMagt]

Just keep children away from him

[@mzenji]

This guy's grasp of history is almost as bad as his naivete.

[@kwesi14]

I think this is one of the most encaptivating Ted talks I've watched! Thank you.

[@clairepod1]

I read an article about you earlier and snorted in derision. Pointed out your aesthetic to my friend and we laughed. Then we listened to this. Well done mate. Respect.

[@BambiPunch]

Mindblowingly awesome

[@pliauska]

No thank you.

[@fashupora5487]

For what?

[@ecotlanbits]

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

[@iamproudofbeinganimescum.1562]

So this is Alok when he is a sane person back and decent looking back then.

[@touchingpizzas]

*they. and what's wrong with how they dress now? (rhetorical question) everyone is free to dress however they please.

[@alex-jp3tp]

@@touchingpizzas exactly.

[@twink127]

@@touchingpizzas he

[@seekerandthinker]

@@touchingpizzas *He. Still a he in 2021

[@pia_mater]

@@touchingpizzas Why do you support a p***phile?

[@dbsk06]

Just discovered them* today and I’m already so changed. Thank you alok!!!

[@mehdirajabpour3031]

@sonoki82 Nobody care about your opinion, because you're a nobody.. but look at them, successful and happy

[@BoereViking]

Him

[@materialgworl8555]

​@@BoereViking them* :)

[@fauzy7278]

so young could thinking of that,,,..great guy !!

[@ubermensch826]

tl;dr -- worry about *what* you *do*, not what some vague notion of *who* you want to *be* obama summed up this 18 min. ted talk in one pithy sentence.

[@rebeccalin9436]

true wisdom! finally! great! great! great speech!

[@bethanyforest]

where is Janani? where is Janani's ted talk?

[@aravindagarimella4638]

OMG! Alok, I am so full of emotions and clarity after listening to this talk. I have a lot to say, but I am nowhere as articulate as you are, so I will just say - THANK YOU.

[@ReviewForReel]

Why should I apologize for being successful? I think this is bizzare

[@dbsk06]

ReviewForReel if you think working a highly paid corporate job means success then i feel bad for you as someone who has been there and done that

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

Please remember that Alok is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Feel free to share your opinions, but keep it respectful.

[@smc574]

Wow, this is incredibly powerful. Also has like a 1% dislike rate? About as supportive a reception as I've ever seen on youtube.

[@coexistordontexist]

If this doesn't go viral within the week, the Internet as a project has failed.

[@sangeeta94ish]

"Change falls from heart to pocket." I love it.

[@dayday8194]

The ending of the last piece was worth every cent that I used paying attention to this. This whole thing was amazing though.

[@ubermensch826]

16:03 knees weak arms are heavy

[@username3766]

🖤 MOM’S SPAGHETTI

[@saint_mau]

Powerful words that are needed in this world ✨

[@Chrysaphius]

I like his stream of conciousness shotgun style of riffing all this folkish, sophmoric nonsense. Bloviating leftists like this are still all the rage.

[@SudeepMakwana]

I think this man can Beat Emmène .... thats awesome to listen this man +Alok vaid Menon

[@coreyrush9806]

ninjadude971 gender and sex aren't necessarily the same thing...

[@ninjadude971]

Yeah, I'm referring to their gender, not their sex.

[@ChernoBiko]

Thank you Alok for #RedefiningRealness on what it means to be successful and for looking so damn good while doing it! The future is indeed looking bright for #FolksLikeUs

[@evolutionofwords]

The Alok I've come across lately is so engulfed in this progressive thinking that it feels so empty. We are nothing has gone so far that I struggle to find the substance and it's drowned out by the fad. Alok had good points and poetry that resonated far deeper. Now it just feels pandered. The eccentric taking prominence. A thinker that thought too much. Breaking down the fabric of logic and reality in the process. Well now Alok is more successful. Ironic. Alok may not have sold out but Alok bought in.

[@maryammohaghegh4297]

woww! We are successful at making these injustices!

[@alishawarsi285]

I saw his poems on unerase poetry Nd loved it and then this video popped up in my feed

[@victorialloyd9308]

SNAPS SNAPS SNAPS SNAPSSSS

[@1HUMANIT1NATION]

I THINK THIS GUY IS HEART BROKEN BUT CONSCIOUS DUE TO MAY BE SOME FAILURE FAILURES IN HIS LIFE. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS GUYS EMANCIPATION REGARDING OUR SOCIETY.

[@Augfordpdoggie]

it gave me the impression he was atypical selfish, narcissist, and he felt guilty. So in typical narcissist fashion, he looked for a way to make it "ok:, that he was selfish= ted talk

[@tothestars101]

***** You completely missed the point of the entire talk.

[@schroeder666]

No, I think that pretty well summarizes most ted talks

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

1. Completely missed the whole point what? Were you even listening to them? 2. Alok is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns

[@harrybudgeiv349]

This idea will take us nowhere. The education comment at 11:30 shows me he knows nothing and provides nothing that will change anything.

[@precooked-bacon]

tell me more about how your youtube comment stopped him from being on TEDx and you somehow seeing his ideas and hearing his thoughts. I wonder if he'll read your youtube comment and care

[@harrybudgeiv349]

It didn't, and it doesn't matter what he thinks about my post. I simply stated that his idea provides nothing with which to bring change. People can share their ideas all they want, but if they don't have the right attitude and follow through with it, the idea means nothing. And his idea is nothing new, so it contributes nothing but rhetoric without action.

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

*they

[@nkh0728]

this is simply a mind-blowing...nothing

[@aucontraireian]

@Brian Crawford: Your ego needs to simma down nah.

[@jonathanrad7747]

Should a person like him not be the head of UN? why not Americans would not vote for him?

[@kylemichaelreaves]

Because they are not a politician, nor do they have the strategy necessary to lead a movement. Posturing.

[@cantpickone1]

Had a tough time getting through this video. He comes off as pretentious and his main thesis is fairly hackneyed. Disappointing.

[@bridgeelliotparham6619]

Whether you think this guy is a narcissist or not, that's not what I'm here to argue with people about. But please respect people's gender identities. They're real, and they're just as important as yours.

[@jessicamckay9227]

at last an intelligent american

[@dbsk06]

Jessica McKay yaaas

[@lokeshsoni101]

those poems had me electrified. A wonderful talk by someone whom I hope has as much soul as he professes. Brilliant and moving

[@Delaneyisbraindead]

*they

[@jceja87]

I left academia for many reasons. And one of them was this stone cold obsession with "success". After meditating I realized how absurd it really was. 7 day work week, crappy pay, low respect from undergrads (I was a grad student). Terrible and outdated pedagogy. Incredible amounts of power differences between profs and students. (Why give grades anyway?) and many more reasons. I haven't looked back since.

[@carlos.arenas]

Jess Marquez Mateos Tomás Martínez kimi ponce

[@todkington6656]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@bababuba]

Very very smart talk indeed, it really resonated with me and now I feel good about my "failures"!

[@MYOLOLS]

this guy needs to make music videos or some1 plz remix this guy .

[@numinousnihil3804]

I really loved this.

[@firyalal-balushi6966]

one of the best Tedtalks ever!!

[@jananni123456789]

Firyal Al-Balushi lies

[@firyalal-balushi6966]

jananni123456789 we are liars in away or another..

[@abomatthews]

s.p.e.e.c.h.l.e.s.s

[@asokemaurya9261]

Muchas gracias, Alok.

[@mudchair16]

Just no.

[@manups]

Awesome to see them at 2020 and notice all the growth this human could bring to earth

[@ReneeOdusami]

Wow. Wowowowowoww. This is EVERYTHING!!

[@EastBurningRed]

Alok has shown more courage in this talk alone than I have in my entire life.

[@anmahek]

You still got time.

[@Luke-us4zk]

phenomenal.

[@Kawa11g1rl]

stylelikeu brought me here