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25 Most Viewed TED Talks of All Time

25 Most Viewed TED Talks of All Time

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talks have become a phenomenon since they were first conceived in 1984. The TED media organization has since broadened its reach to include Talks on cultural, political, and other topics. It has posted thousands of Talks online for free distribution under the slogan “ideas worth spreading.” 

24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the most viewed TED Talks of all time, reviewing TED data. Talks are ranked based on the total number of views on the TED site as of Jan. 10, 2022. 

The results are more than a cultural barometer: The topics people are most interested in aren’t ripped from the headlines. In fact, some of them were debated by the ancient Greeks. (See here for some ancient inventions you thought were modern.)

The most viewed TED Talk is “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” by author and educator Sir Ken Robinson, from February 2006. He challenged the way children are educated, arguing for a radical rethinking of how schools cultivate creativity, and an acknowledgement of multiple types of intelligence. Students with restless minds and bodies — far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity — are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. “We are educating people out of their creativity,” he said. (These are the states with the best and worst early education.)

The second most viewed TED Talk is “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” by social psychologist Amy Cuddy. In June 2012 she said not only does body language affect how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. She argued that “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can boost feelings of confidence, and might improve our chances for success. 

At No. 3 is “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” from February 2016. We’d like to summarize blogger Tim Urban’s TED Talk for you. Maybe tomorrow. 

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

25. The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 19,215,730
> Speaker: Pranav Mistry
> Profession: Director of Research, Samsung Research America
> When aired: November 2009

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

24. The Surprising Science of Happiness
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 19,906,032
> Speaker: Dan Gilbert
> Profession: Psychologist; happiness expert
> When aired: February 2004

Source: Stefan Schu00e4fer, Lich / Wikimedia Commons

23. Your Elusive Creative Genius
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 20,587,825
> Speaker: Elizabeth Gilbert
> Profession: Writer
> When aired: February 2009

Source: eschipul / Flickr

22. The Happy Secret to Better Work
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 24,311,789
> Speaker: Shawn Achor
> Profession: Psychologist
> When aired: May 2011

Source: GRuban / Wikimedia Commons

21. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 25,410,685
> Speaker: Angela Lee Duckworth
> Profession: Psychologist
> When aired: April 2013

Source: Sheryl Victor Levy / Wikimedia Commons

20. 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 26,125,295
> Speaker: Celeste Headlee
> Profession: Writer and radio host
> When aired: May 2015

Source: gageskidmore / Flickr

19. Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 27,856,723
> Speaker: Jon Ronson
> Profession: Writer, filmmaker
> When aired: March 2012

Source: Dhpmccullought / Wikimedia Commons

18. The Puzzle of Motivation
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 27,988,935
> Speaker: Dan Pink
> Profession: Author
> When aired: July 2009

Source: Peetlesnumber1 / Wikimedia Commons

17. My Stroke of Insight
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,068,941
> Speaker: Jill Bolte Taylor
> Profession: Neuroanatomist
> When aired: February 2008

Source: Courtesy of Kelly McGonigal

16. How to Make Stress Your Friend
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,187,216
> Speaker: Kelly McGonigal
> Profession: Health psychologist
> When aired: June 2013

Source: MagicMama / Wikimedia Commons

15. How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,555,814
> Speaker: David Blaine
> Profession: Illusionist, endurance artist
> When aired: October 2009

Source: Carlos Figueroa / Wikimedia Commons

14. The Danger of a Single Story
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 29,698,519
> Speaker: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
> Profession: Novelist
> When aired: July 2009

Source: gageskidmore / Flickr

13. The Power of Introverts
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 30,277,366
> Speaker: Susan Cain
> Profession: Quiet revolutionary
> When aired: February 2012

Source: TED inc. / Wikimedia Commons

12. The Art of Misdirection
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 30,996,109
> Speaker: Apollo Robbins
> Profession: Gentleman thief
> When aired: June 2013

Source: Gene X. Hwang / Wikimedia Commons

11. How to Spot a Liar
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 31,673,825
> Speaker: Pamela Meyer
> Profession: Lie detector
> When aired: July 2011

Source: Ed Rachles / Wikimedia Commons

10. 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgаsm
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 37,254,592
> Speaker: Mary Roach
> Profession: Writer
> When aired: February 2009

Source: Andrew Elliott / Wikimedia Commons

9. Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model.
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 38,215,933
> Speaker: Cameron Russell
> Profession: Model
> When aired: October 2012

Source: Robertwaldinger / Wikimedia Commons

8. What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 41,336,356
> Speaker: Robert Waldinger
> Profession: Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest
> When aired: November 2015

Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

7. The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 43,312,525
> Speaker: Bill Gates
> Profession: Philanthropist
> When aired: March 2015

Source: ids / Flickr

6. How to Speak So That People Want to Listen
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 48,907,239
> Speaker: Julian Treasure
> Profession: Sound consultant
> When aired: June 2013

Source: BBeargTeam / Wikimedia Commons

5. The Power of Vulnerability
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 56,408,185
> Speaker: Dr. Brené Brown
> Profession: Vulnerability researcher
> When aired: June 2010

Source: Startwithwhy / Wikimedia Commons

4. How Great Leaders Inspire Action
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 57,437,810
> Speaker: Simon Sinek
> Profession: Leadership expert
> When aired: September 2009

Source: Tim Urban, Andrew Finn / Wikimedia Commons

3. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 59,328,763
> Speaker: Tim Urban
> Profession: Blogger
> When aired: February 2016

Source: poptech / Flickr

2. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 63,757,789
> Speaker: Amy Cuddy
> Profession: Social psychologist
> When aired: June 2012

Source: timwilson / Flickr

1. Do Schools Kill Creativity?
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 72,334,535
> Speaker: Sir Ken Robinson
> Profession: Author, educator
> When aired: February 2006

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