“There is surely no more reliable way to kill enthusiasm and interest in a subject than to make it a mandatory part of the school curriculum.   Include it as a major component of standardized testing and you virtually guarantee that the education establishment will suck the life out of it.”

Them’s fighting words, all right!  I can hear both John Holt and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the background applauding Lockhart’s sentiments.  We simply have to return to this topic and wrestle our way to consensus:  what ARE the goals of a true education?

1. Most popular choice:  Thrupthy’s choice:  Paradox of choice
2. Second most popular:  Arielle’s choice:  Brain magic
3. Third most popular:  Celine’s choice:  Adjustable liquid glasses

The video’s almost 20 minutes long, but it’s fascinating. The freedom of choice has been a fundamental part of American ideals since the very founding of our country; it’s no wonder we’re so obsessed with having a large selection of options to choose from. We expect it in everything we have and do- I’m expecting it now, even, by my wary glances at the closet (what do I wear? Long sleeves for the winter cold, short sleeves for comfort, sweats and a hoodie because I’m too tired to care?) and my bedroom door (should I bother getting breakfast, or should I just cram for the math test? If it’s breakfast I want, what do I eat? If I go for the cram session, what should I focus upon first?). We want a wide variety, or we feel trapped. After ages and ages of having plenty of choices, it’s in our nature to expect them and consider them good.

Schwartz, however, focuses on what’s bad about having all those choices. He plays devil’s advocate and argues that having plenty of choices won’t necessarily lead to happiness and satisfaction, and he gives two main reasons for this: it leads to paralysis from the shock of having more choices than we can quite handle, and we end up disappointed when our high standards aren’t met. He’s funny, thought-provoking, and an overall joy to watch and learn from- not to mention the fact that he throws in the secret to happiness near the end, which I’m sure would catch anyone’s interest. He’s certainly caught mine.

- Thrupthy

Rick Warren, the author of a best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life”, and an internationally renowned pastor encourages those at TED to use the influence given to them for the greater purpose of making this world a better place.

His argument was very motivational and rich with biblical allusions and metaphor.  I went into the video already knowing who Rick Warren was and the expanse of his influence in the Christian community.  But his claim did not revolve around his religious beliefs, they were simply how he got to the conclusion that he did.  The most significant part of it was that his point was the same on all levels, across all religious lines: it is imperative that those with influence use it to give those without influence a voice.  Otherwise, there is no purpose to any of it.