Two-plus years after the global financial system began to melt down, we find ourselves in a "strange twilight zone" characterized by paralysis and retrogade thinking, argues Geoff Mulgan in this talk from the 2009 TED Global conference. Even as governments around the world borrow trillions of dollars from future generations in an attempt to reignite economic growth, many measures of social and environmental health are deteriorating. Indeed, says Mulgan, director of the London-based Young Foundation, the financial crisis has made plain the fact that economic growth doesn't automatically translate into social progress or human growth. Too much of it goes into boosting unsustainable consumption; too much of it leaves people feeling they aren't allowed to be useful -- and when people aren't allowed to be useful, they soon start to think they are useless. The question is, What are we going to do about it? Mulgan's answer may surprise and inspire you.
(Filmed: July 2009; Running time: 17:57)
Liked this talk? Try one of these.
- Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity
- Hans Rosling on the Global HIV Pandemic
- Bill Gates on the Importance of Being Optimistic
- Clay Shirky on the Transformed Media Landscape
- Katherine Fulton on the Future of Philanthropy
- Seth Godin on Leadership
- Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choice
- Alex Tabarrok on the Benefits of Globalization
- Majora Carter on Environmental Justice
- Al Gore on Climate Change
- Sylvia Earle on Saving the 'Blue Heart' of the Planet
- James Howard Kunstler on the Death of Suburbia
- Clay Shirky on Epochal Change
- Mark Bittman on How We Eat
- Hans Rosling on the Dimensions of Development
- Sir Ken Robinson on Education and Creativity
And for those who can't get enough of TED, check out Jim Simpson's post about a cool hidden feature of most TED Talks.
-- Mitch Nauffts
