“Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs — or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France. When your steadfast opinions are tested, Galef asks: “What do you most yearn for? Do you yearn to defend your own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you possibly can?”

One of the most crucial parts of democracy is truthful and civil discourse. In order to come to a conclusion on any given issue, two opposing sides must make compromises. One significant part of making a compromise is admitting when you might not know all the facts. The description, taken from the TED YouTube page, mentions a story from 19th-century France which brings forth two different mindsets when dealing with conflicting ideas.

“The more we read and watch online, the harder it becomes to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s fake. It’s as if we know more but understand less, says philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch. In this talk, he dares us to take active steps to burst our filter bubbles and participate in the common reality that actually underpins everything.”

As the description of this talk summarizes, the topic is battling lies and confusing information with “daring to know”. In times where all may not be what it seems, these principles are a crucial tool.