Imagine this scenario: you suddenly find yourself on stage in front of a large crowd and you’re ordered to give a talk about something that you’re quite knowledgeable about.
So what would you do? And remember, this has to be off the cuff with no preparation and no notes…
I’m getting nervous just thinking about it.
AskReddit users shared what their TED Talks would about.
Check out what they had to say.
1. The expert.
“Gluten intolerance via celiac disease.
Can’t just worry about it being in food, I have to avoid gluten in makeup, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, in the air near bakeries, and essentially avoid nearly all restaurants.
And any accidental microscopic dose from it will leave me running to the restroom with bleeding diarrhea and stomach cramps, as well as feeling anxious, hungry, and even horny all at the same time.”
2. Intense!
“Cheddar vs Monterey Jack
To all those who demand answers, I shall go up to the top of the mountain and ponder.
When I return, your wait shall end.”
3. An art form.
“Why Professional Wrestling is actually a form of Performing Arts.
8 year old me: wrestling is so cool! Go John Cena!
12 old me: pro wrestling is stupid, it’s all fake
24 year old me: pro wrestling is a very well choreographed act that involves incredible physical stunts and is much more complex than it appears.”
4. A huge impact.
“Alco**lism and its multigenerational impacts on a family.
I talk about addiction basically all day.
18 minutes probably isn’t enough time to cover a topic well enough, but that’s a good start.”
5. Snooze fest.
“Retired engineering professor here.
I can go for hours – with equations – and most of you will be asleep within minutes.”
6. Get ready!
“You’re all about to get schooled in New Jersey land use law and how to properly process a variance application.
Hope you are hanging onto your seat!”
7. I’m listening…
“Bananas.
Honestly, wild.
You think you know about bananas then you look into it and find out you don’t know anything about bananas.”
8. Hmmmm…
“The movie Planes, starring Dane Cook was an expansion on the Cars Cinematic Universe involves a character who was a Naval fighter plane during WWII, which means that there was a WWII in the Cars universe.
This, of course, brings up a lot of questions. Was there a Cars Hitler? A Cars Holocaust? A Cars Hiroshima? Are there tanks in the Cars Universe? Are the tanks sentient too, or are they piloted by other cars?”
9. Nerd alert!
““Why Darth Maul is the best character is Star Wars”.
Basically going from he was a menacing looking villian with a cool theme song, to a rage filled monster who took over the galaxy.”
10. Here we go.
“My favorite shows and movies, and why I like them so much.
Actually, I could also rant about how awesome NCIS used to be and how absolutely HORRIBLE it is now for more than just 18 minutes.”
11. Good advice.
“Been happily married awhile now, and we’ve figured that the trick to our particular long term relationship is a pretty simple three step system.
1. Life is an obstacle course we tackle together.
Groceries? Do it together. Budget? Do it together. Cleaning? Do it together. Walking the dog? Do it together. Dealing with mental illness? Together. Getting the mail? Together.
If it’s a chore, errand, or just something that’s not leisure time fun, it’s time to come together. Split the load 50/50. Battle to do 51!
Neither of us get railroaded into feeling the other is just along for the ride, or not pulling weight.
And if you do it together, you might just find some fun in it!
Spend at least an hour alone for yourself, every day.
Hobby time is important. Alone time is important. Individual friend time is important.
We are here for each other, but we’re not each others entire universes. Game with the boys. Go for drinks with the girls. Get away from each other after all that work, at least for a little bit every day.
We’re still our own people with our own interests that may not interest the other, and we need time to pursue that without feeling bad about it. Have fun with activities you enjoy together, but remember that you’re individuals too!
Accept the olive branch when it’s offered.
We rarely disagree enough to fight anymore, but when we were younger, dumber, and poorer, we definitely did.
Sometimes a foot goes in the mouth. Whether either of us is ready to apologize, if one of us offers that olive branch, we take it.
A simple one second hand on a knee. A glass of water brought over in silence. Dinner put on the table. Yelling from the kitchen if the other wants a soda.
Take it. Accept it. Even if you dont want a soda. Accept the signal. Doesn’t mean the issue is resolved, but it does remind you both that you’re still there for each other. And, at least for us when we did bicker, that little reminder was exactly what we needed to get our jets cooled.”
12. The joys of birding.
“Birds. The joys of birding. Why we need birds. Their migration. Their adaptations. Their songs.
OK, there’s 5 minutes gone by. Binoculars, which ones to buy. eBird, citizen science. 6 minutes. Uh. Funny birding stories no one laughs at.
Why birds have names with innuendos: Dickcissels, Bushtit, Hairy Woodpeckers, Woodcocks. 10 minutes.
Chiggers, ticks, poison ivy, snakes and things to avoid whilst birding
The farthest I’ve ever driven to see a bird.
Yeah. ok. enough. I’m sitting down now.”
13. History buff.
“The Battle of Hastings, 1066. I can recite the major events leading up to, during, and after the battle form memory.
I could also do WWII and Hitler’s rise to power; I can recite a lot of that from memory too.”
Now it’s your turn.
In the comments, please tell us what you think your TED Talk would be about.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
