TED Talks are some of the best speeches I watch. The speakers are innovators and leaders, dreamers and doers. The talks are recorded at the annual TED Conference and many of them are available to download free from ted.com.
Recently, I discovered one of the reasons the speeches are so good… TED’s organisers send upcoming speakers a stone tablet, engraved with the ‘TED Commandments”. Amy Tan in her TED Talk described the arrival of the TED Commandments as “something that creates a near-death experience; but near-death is good for creativity…”.
So I went in search of the TED Commandments. Thankfully Sue Pelletier points out that Rives was good enough to post a photo of the TED Commandments on his blog, shopliftwindchimes (scroll to 20 Feb). But you don’t need to settle for a photo, because I’ve typed them below:
- Thou Shalt Not Simply Trot Out thy Usual Shtick
- Thou Shalt Dream a Great Dream, or Show Forth a Wondrous New Thing, Or Share Something Thou Hast Never Shared Before
- Thou Shalt Reveal thy Curiosity and Thy Passion
- Thou Shalt Tell a Story
- Thou Shalt Freely Comment on the Utterances of Other Speakers for the Skae of Blessed Connection and Exquisite Controversy
- Thou Shalt Not Flaunt thine Ego. Be Thou Vulnerable. Speak of thy Failure as well as thy Success.
- Thou Shalt Not Sell from the Stage: Neither thy Company, thy Goods, thy Writings, nor thy Desparate need for Funding; Lest Thou be Cast Aside into Outer Darkness.
- Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good.
- Thou Shalt Not Read thy Speech.
- Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them that Follow Thee
Amen!
[…] I’m going to reprint the first five here, but, since he did the work to find them, I figure it’s only fair that you should have to visit his blog to find the last five. […]
[…] The TED commandments – rules every speaker needs to know. (Tim Longhurst) […]
Since watching my first TED lecture from Hans Rosling I’ve been hooked consuming a couple of hundred of them.
What constantly surprises me is the quality of the talks both from the personal presentation to the use of graphics when necessary.
All presenters should study the minority of the average and the majority of the brilliant at TED to learn what works. This list is the skeleton that these talks are built on, a great start.
Sometimes it just a heart felt story.
Tim,
see in my brazilian blog some information about TED, click and see the photo with your link.
I’ll visit better your blog later.
BRgds,
Edu
[…] The TED Commandments – rules every speaker needs to knowI discovered one of the reasons the speeches are so good… TED’s organisers send upcoming speakers a stone tablet, engraved with the ‘TED Commandments”. Amy Tan in her TED Talk described the arrival of the TED Commandments as “something that creates a near-death experience; but near-death is good for creativity…”. […]
[…] by Rives, transcribed by Tim Longhurst. Via Garr […]
[…] Please read, take note and follow. There are a variety of web published sources for these commandments; Laurel Papworth and Tim Longhurst. […]
[…] by the TED organisers. I went in search of these and found a post, from this time last year, on Tim Longhurst’s blog that discussed just these commandments. He had written them out and put in a few links to find […]
the Skae of Blessed Connection and Exquisite Controversy
Sake?
On a more substantive note, I wish this: “Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good” were given to every public speaker.
This is terrific! I’ve organized conferences and recruited speakers for large events before, and I wish I had had this list to distribute.
You’d be surprised how many people willingly violate #7. They don’t get that you actually add get MORE value in return by talking LESS about yourself/company/service. It just makes you look amateur.
Respectfully, I would also like to suggest adding an Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt respect the moderator and not attempt to flout speaker rules just to make you look like a “rebel.” It makes thine self appear as an ass.
…Michael
—
Michael E. Rubin
merubin@gmail.com // 847-370-3421 // twitter: merubin
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There is some really good advice in here for speakers of all standards. Personally, I’m somewhat turned off by really good speakers who begin to showboat. Please – I have better things to do with my time. Rgds Vince
[…] The TED Commandments – Rules every speaker needs to know – One of the reasons the speeches are so good is that TED’s organizers send upcoming speakers a stone tablet, engraved with the “TED Commandments”. Amy Tan in her TED Talk described the arrival of the TED Commandments as “something that creates a near-death experience; but near-death is good for creativity…” […]
Great ideas but I’m lost (practicing #6-be vulnerable 😉 on TED #9 “Thou Shalt Not Read thy Speech. ”
No practicing or just no note cards or what?
Thanks in advance
[…] The TED Commandments – rules every speaker needs to know […]
[…] the TED talks. I’m just going to repost the image she used (”by Rives, transcribed by Tim Longhurst. Via Garr Reynolds“) and the text she […]
[…] are so good – a lot of this is the speakers, but I also found out (via Presentation Zen and Tim Longhurst’s blog) the Ten Commandments of Ted […]
[…] at the TED talks. I’m just going to re-post the image she used (by Rives, transcribed by Tim Longhurst via Garr Reynolds) and the text she […]
[…] I’ve watched my share of TED Talks, and I’m always amazed by the consistent quality of the presentations. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a dud. This may explain why…The TED Commandments. […]
[…] compelling alternative to the specialization of most universities.She breaks one of the cardinal rules of TED, “Thou shalt not read,” but given the extraordinary content, I hope you will forgive her. […]
[…] Longhurst uncovered The TED Commandments – rules every speaker needs to know. They’re the list of ten presentation rules that are given to each TED speaker, and they’re […]
This is wonderful. Thank you… I’m stealing this for my rhetoric class.
Thanks for telling us about this stone table. I’ve been the chairman of many sessions in conferences and I wish all speakers where given a similar table AND FOLLOW IT! A divine ray should fulminate speakers violating rules #7 and #10 in special.
I totally agree with the above comment by Michael Rubin.
[…] out Scott Berkun’s great Ignite talk on the subject. We also ask our speakers to read and the TED commandments and take them to […]
[…] (and would love to go to one of these events), and so I was pleased to be reminded of the TED commandments (pictured right) for talks which include “speak of thy failures as well as thy […]
Life must be lived as play.
Quotation of Plato
I don’t know where you got all these from, but the TED Commandments are as follows:
Ted Whitton
Ted Nugent
Ted Heath
Ted Kennedy
Ted E. Bear
Teddy Roosevelt
Ted E. Boy
Ted Hamilton
Ted Liddle Niggers
(as stated by TISM)
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[…] by Rives, transcribed by Tim Longhurst. Via Garr […]
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[…] Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them that Follow Thee via timlonghurst.com […]
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That’s an awesome set of guidelines, and a great foundation for developing some really awesome content. Thanks for sharing this one. I’ve recently written about a couple of these very ideas, myself. I think they’re critical for any really great speech.
I download with ted.com by means of service takeyoutube.com
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