The Art of Stillness | Pico Iyer | TED
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- The place that travel writer Pico Iyer would most like to go? Nowhere. In a counterintuitive and lyrical meditation, Iyer takes a look at the incredible insight that comes with taking time for stillness. In our world of constant movement and distraction, he teases out strategies we all can use to take back a few minutes out of every day, or a few days out of every season. It’s the talk for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the demands for our world.
Learn how to make your travels truly transformative in Pico Iyer’s upcoming TED Course “How to take a life-changing journey.” You’ll learn how to set an intention and choose a destination, how to make the most out of your arrival and be fully present while you travel, how to navigate cultural differences and how to live differently when you return home. Enroll now: tedtalks.socia...
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Learn how to make your travels truly transformative in Pico Iyer’s upcoming TED Course “How to take a life-changing journey.” You’ll learn how to set an intention and choose a destination, how to make the most out of your arrival and be fully present while you travel, how to navigate cultural differences and how to live differently when you return home. Enroll now:
tedtalks.social/3aO9LQl
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"So in an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. And in an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still."
That's profound.
I love his speech! I know what he means by finding stillness in everyday life activities. At first it takes effort to open up but after it becomes just natural.And yes, it is very easy to go with the flow while you travel. Stillness is a sense of total peace. Silence in noise.
I was a travel addict, and I know sometimes travels are a way to run from yourself and your thoughts, I am trying to slow down. this quarantine time is a great opportunity for us to try stillness.
You can try whatever you want my dear but as long as You don’t try Jesus , you won’t find Life
What a clarity... stillness is the key...!!
I loved this speech! Stillness in motion, is an attribute I strive to achieve, each day. And have taken on the symbol of the hummingbird to represent it in many ways... I also, recently watched an interview with Bruce Lee, again, where he explains his philosophies... One of the main, and best known ones, being his saying "Be like water, my friend." I think this ties-in, well. As water, much like yourself, moves with the laws of earth and gravity, whereas you may travel due to the expectations of society, and the livelihood of your family, etc...But very similar...He, then, goes on to explain that when water fills a cup, it becomes the cup, when it fills any space, and becomes still, it becomes that space. But only when it stops moving, and fills the space around it, and lets the space around it fill you, in return, can you truly live in that moment, and master it. I could go on, and on... But, for now, I think I'll just be still. Thank you.
Watching Pico Iyer’s TED Talk fills us with so much hope and gratitude. His words resonate so deeply with our mission at Pie Experiences. It’s a reminder that true travel is not about checking off countries, but about embracing moments that stay in your heart and mind forever. We’re so thankful for his inspiring message, as it reaffirms the path we’re on-to help travelers slow down, feel more, and live each journey fully. This is what we dream of: creating experiences that transform lives.
Smooth speaker and supremely gifted to speak on issues that relate to all of us.
One of the most beneficial stories I've heard in a while. Internet sabbath and nowhere here I come!
Ted has been posting some not-so-great content lately in my opinion, but I really enjoying this one.
Amazing! Watching this video was like bathing in the water of enlightenment.
Well, hearing Nassim Haramein, a physicist, describing to me how meditation would allow me to reconnect my physical me with my true self didn't make me start doing it, but this did. Well done Sir, you are a great teacher, thank you.
Going nowhere is usually my preferred vacation.
Stevo Reno not really.i just binge play games. They are more engaging and rewarding to me than going anywhere. The real worlds generally boring.
william stern Traveling around the world with my family was the most fullfilling thing I ever experienced in my whole life. It taught me how to feel at home, even when I have to move constantly. It showed me what really makes us a family, even if you dont have any comfort from your home. It really made me realize what is important to make your life worth living and what is just an extra you will never miss once missing.
I know that many dont have the resources to do so and Im very thankful I got the opportunity to.
Loved it! And happy to have introduced some stillness in my life! Trying to slow down. Less talk less noise ..still a long way to achieve real stillness. The movement of his hands I think shows he is nervous. Or in some people movement helps deeper concentration
Going nowhere = NowHere = Now Here
Hi😊
Thank you 😮😊🙏 wow 🤩
I did practice the music listening thing before sleep, I have to say it was nice indeed, and I just can't recall why I stopped...
Still...⭕♾️
Beautiful articulation on the art of going nowhere
Excellent talk. Thank you.
Great talk, I'm only now starting to understand the importance of this :)
Going nowhere: The key to getting beyond the bucket list and the constant need to achieve and move forward.
Pico is always so thoughtful that what he says seems self-evident, but is the product of great reflection and years of reading classical literature, in addition to his travels and multicultural background.
In the U.S., we must confront and discuss our Puritanical roots and other guilt- or materialistic-driven myths that compel the "live to work" mode of thought.
There is a constant need bcoz we are constantly changing every second of every day and without visions and know(ledge) people will perish!
Stillness helps you gain Mindfulness, exemplify your potential.
“I realised then that a man who had lived only one day could easily live for a hundred years in prison. He would have enough memories to keep him from being bored”
― Albert Camus, The Stranger
Typical of a philosopher to take an idea to its unreasonable extreme. It seems accurate to call philosophers deep thinkers.
They are not broad minded though.
“He sleeps as many hours as possible, and kills time by recalling the tiniest details of his apartment and thinking about a story on an old scrap of newspaper he has found in his cell.”
Now THAT is "really something" to say the least. (Wonderful).
Thank you God for the Covid pause !
نشكر الأخت لالا خديجة على الترجمة وكذلك الأخ خالد مربو على التدقيق وآسف ان أخطأت في الأسماء اشكركم والله يوفقكم لنفع الناس
Why would anyone dislike this...
Nowhere is my preferred vacation spot too :)
That's true. There is more to explore inside you.
Realmente muy bueno creo que este audio video llego a mi vida en el momento correcto gracias al universo que me trajo hasta aquí
Such an inspiring and powerful speech!
Excellent talk!
So beautifully explained. Thank You 🙏
好有道理啊，静静的发呆，看似一事无成，其实整个宇宙都在内心运作，这需要多么强大的内心才能找到自我
"He's a real Nowhere Man, sitting in his Nowhere land, making all his Nowhere plans for Nobody."
The Beatles
There's a Place - The Beatles
I wish his hands would meditate in stillness
Pico iyer hates the Beatles. He thinks they are thinly talented. He has nothing good to say about john, paul, george and ringo.
Fact.
brilliant talk about stillness....should follow by one about brevity.....
Очень круто! Спасибо, это то что я интуитивно делала ❤️
great talk
I believe. Love your sharing:)
Great message! Thanks for this
beautiful
Amazing
8:00 so true
Beautiful
Great speech
The greatest innovations of humanity will not come from sitting still, but by getting out, exploring, and applying your ideas in networks that require activity.
Also, can we really measure musical greatness by chart rankings?
He's telling you to explore, get out and be out there in the world. Go on vacation. Pursue a career. Have hobbies. Have a family and kids. Have a life. But at the same time, experience everything in moderation. At the end of the day, you need to tune out sometimes to get a hold of yourself. You need to turn off the noise for some time to retain your sanity. You need to get calm and quiet. Don't think in terms of black or white.
I'm not being black or white, or suggesting such a dichotomy. I'm suggesting that what we explore, and how we apply ourselves is what matters. If you do not explore with leisure and motivation, then you are likely due for a break. But you can still explore radically and be content. This is the goal. Not to have moments of nothing, that is a waste.
Terms such as "tune out" and "get a hold of yourself" are extremely ambiguous, and deserve a bit of explanation. If you mean tune out as being not active with the diverse world and what you can make of it, then you are just that, and are spending moments of your life trying to do nothing, when you can interact with this rare opportunity. These terms being used seem to be simply figures of speech, and have little literal value.
But such is the dilemma of his argument. It is an appeal to emotion, not logic. He is appealing to this idea of meditation that is culturally induced, and people fall for it (Same goes for the cliche of needing a family, a career, hobbies, and kids). I am saying that this should be avoided, because there is a lot more things you can do than "tune out" to make your self more content, including the willpower to make yourself content.
The "everything in moderation" philosophy is one of great inspiration, but of great fallacy. Not everything is of equal value for moderation. Don't be calm, be aware of this mysterious realm that deserves to be explored and be active with it.
VexylMusic What makes you think meditation is "not being active with the diverse world"? Meditation actually tends to make people more relaxed and clear-headed in turn making them more active and productive. A daily practice of meditation for just 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening will make it much easier to achieve that state of fulfilling radical exploration you mentioned. It's called "flow" or "zone" in psychology and meditation is a fantastic catalyst for it. There's a lot of research done on meditation and different types of meditation, I highly encourage you to look it up. I was quite shocked at how recognized and how secular of a practice it is. Anyone can do it and benefit. I continue to be surprised at how powerful something so simple as sitting and clearing your mind can be.
∆rtemis Those 40 minutes daily, I could spend still being active walking around, studying, and creating things. I'm pretty sure that those 40 minutes do not pay for themselves again. Do you not suspect a bit of pseudoscience in "clearing" your mind through meditation? What does meditation do that sleep doesn't?
VexylMusic Since our minds has boundaries and you can't always be pushing yourself toward doing things. Attitude like this leads to anxiety and depression. Meditation and mindfulness helps you cope with stress, and stress can be really destructive if you don't handle it right.
Wherever you go there you are - Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Pico Iyer: The art of stillness #tedtalks
I loved that
I've experienced time flow slowly when i sit still.
*watchin*
wow
Got it!
Finally, a travel plan on par with my bank account
❤️
how relevant :)
he's on the helium
God is love, ONLY GOD can bring TRUE peace and stillness. Until you know God, you can't know what it is to feel that.
Great
Being to oneself creates a space of self-awareness?
this guy talks about what eckhart tolle talks about good advice
8:00 - 9:40
14:30
"happiness is the basic need of living "
correct me if i didn't get the correct message.
He's moving around a lot.
i had a lots of respect of Pico but then i watched this video..before bringing right eyes, you need to bring lots of money...
shubhajit chakraborty this is fortunately not true. Because you would only need some people to do it, learn about it, and would then be able to teach us how to look. We can learn from someone else his/her experience :)
is learning to listen a part of stillness?
شكرا للترجمه للعربيه
Articulate nice voice I enjoyed the message.. definitely on time for me ✅✅✅💯🙏🏾🌠🤎
The one who remains completely idle cannot be calculated, controlled or swayed either way 😉
That's why the external is always demanding us to act...and trying to get a reaction. 😅
Inspired by Pico Iyer's video, we have created an #overnight #retreat package in the serene jungles of #Temburong, #Brunei in Southeast Asia! Book yourself a #digitaldetox today at trandiemarinaresorts.com/package/black-hole-retreat-package/ (solo guests welcome!)
Why are all newly produced Ted videos very long?
Sorry the vids are too long to fit in between your Call of Duty games, some of us have a longer attention span and would like to spend more than 2 mins on acquiring knowledge
♚Fantasizing-Reality♚ You know, I was going to mention attention span in my previous comment but I decided not to thinking that it would make an argument, which I seek not to, but since you mentioned it,I will.
Although I love TED videos and have been watching and educating myself since, I believe, the start of TED Talks, I think that, given that an average human span (according to SAP(a trustworthy source)) is 8 seconds, that Ted Talks exceeding five minutes are ridiculously hard to follow. I mean, you can use fancy technology or new technics in the presentation to keep the audience's attentions for a while but for 16 minutes, it's near impossible. IF you have an idea that you would like to share with the world, a 5 minute video should be more than enough. By increasing video length, TED has decreased its audience by more than 50%. The incredible ideas shared by TED talks need to be shared with the world in a profound matter that seeks all audiences, else those talks are worthless.
♚Fantasizing-Reality♚ Don't make assumptions about someone else's attention span
Al Infinity They do not seem very long when we are enjoying the content. TED Talks grow long when we lose interest in what is being said.
Monica MovieStar Are you making assumptions about my assumptions? And did you just tell me what to do? Im not your fat little kids... Can you be anymore hypocritical and unintelligent? I dont think so
Does it really take sociologists to find out the fact on 5:02?
Faith in humanity far beyond lost
attributing an observation to somebody else is a way to say "I am not the one saying that, it is a specialist, it should be true", often employed, even in case when there is no need for it.
God knows what you'll think if you read a newspaper then.
But... He realized what he was trying to tell partly by visiting Kyoto. That contradicts his suggestion 'going nowhere' ,doesn't it?
As I consume myself into mercy and know my body more intimitly I realize I'm intertwined (ambiguous) with physical Reformation and exterior disintegration
I only clicked on this because I thought it said The art of silliness.
How about keeping your hands still for a few seconds?
Blurns in this speaker's defense, I hadn't even noticed that until I scrolled down and saw your comment. Therefore his frequent hand movement/gestures clearly aren't distracting. Perhaps you should focus more on the content of his presentation, as opposed to his physical gestures while giving it. Shameful that ppl such as yourself would point out something so irrelevant and childish. It's like who cares, dude. Pay attention to what the man is saying.
This is invigorating content. I read a similar book that was also revitalizing. "A Life Unplugged: Reclaiming Reality in a Digital Age" by Theodore Blaze
I love pancakes
In a talk about stillness,the speaker was never still
this is so trite
yes and what a breath of non blustering self important triteness
I meant of course "being" not "been". I have just slapped myself upside the head ala Homer Simpson, ie. "D'oh!"--Kevin Whelan
FIRST
GJ!
Rich people dilemma
I wish he could hold his hands still...
The stoics still aren't on facebook. They saw the query to create an account, asked themselves "why", did something else with their time.
As to 400 emails... how would the stoics have dealt with 400 people shouting at them at once? Back up. Become harder to communicate with so that only those that really need to or want to talk to you get through.
with all this social media stuff it is always famine or feast. You're always dealing with almost no one or far too many people actually converse. Dialing that in correctly if you actually want to read it all is difficult.
Most people just tell everyone that they don't read the comments etc and avoid 99 percent of the spam.
News flash... The social "too much" or "too little" exchange between people has been around forever. You're remarks about not reading comments and avoiding spam, do not make any sense.
Monica MovieStar
Newsflash, that was my point. My point was that what this guy is talking about is ancient and the response to it has been known for thousands of years.
I did reference the stoics in response to this social media stuff and said how they would address it. The stoic school of philosophy is thousands of years old. And that is just that one philosophical school's response to the issue.
Also... "newsflash" is derogatory. Just fyi. I get the feeling that you didn't want to be confrontational but that's what you are doing when you use that term in response to something another person said.
You are implying that I am so obtuse that I didn't grasp something obvious. It didn't help that your observation was based entirely on your own misunderstanding of my post. A point I make not to offend you but rather to correct an error you made.
*tips hat*
And then the stkics became cynics :-P
Trach3a
Cynic in the greek, refers to the dog which is a reference to being without shame or pretense.
Diogenes, the father of the cynic school was known for example to urinate on the legs of people he didn't like and generally not a give much of a f' what anyone else thought.
It refers to a state of being one's self. Saying what you think, believing what makes sense to you, and acting as you see fit. It refers to being utterly free and indifferent to external judgment.
@@diogenes848 Wow ...
The day I manage to come to a place where I don't care what people think would/will be a liberation like nothing I've ever known. I long for that, but admittedly am not there yet.
Pico is a fine writer and a good man but he's been a tad disingenuous here: the school he "flew" to a 9 was England's most elite prep school, The Dragon, in Oxford, while his "high school" was Eton College in Windsor, London. Annual fees as of 2024: £49,000.--Kevin Whelan
Stop caring about JUNK MAIL.
0
Someone have pancake
This is mindfulness, right?
I was almost certain this guy was gay until he said wife. Man talk about wrong assumptions.
Adrian I don't mean to piss anyone off, but I'm pretty sure you meant marital. And by having a wife, he's either heterosexual, bisexual or a masochistic homosexual, so I guess you're right.
lmv92x Yes I know personally gay people that only came out the closet at 30+ years after having kids and being married, totally plausible, or even others that do not come out of the closet because they're afraid of what people think.
Adrian Ok, that makes sense.
Eheheheheeh GAYYYY ehehehehe
/s
So, what if he was? Does his personal life spark more interest in you than the subject of the video?
To do this has been my dream for the last 4 years...stupid university lol
Teach esl : ) That is the opportunity to travel and reflect.
Funny he can't keep his hands still.
hahahahahah!
LOL
His talk needs to have stillness instead of going everywhere, lol
pico lyer LIES!!
***** I'm pretty sure peperoni misread his last name as Lyer instead of Iyer and decided to make the obvious pun.
U cannot fly over the north pole... b.s.
This is a swing and a huge miss for me........ No thank you.....I just here dollar signs falling out of his mouth....He is real proud of himself lol
Bull***t !!!
Look how fidgity he is.
Watching Pico Iyer’s TED Talk fills us with so much hope and gratitude. His words resonate so deeply with our mission at Pie Experiences. It’s a reminder that true travel is not about checking off countries, but about embracing moments that stay in your heart and mind forever. We’re so thankful for his inspiring message, as it reaffirms the path we’re on-to help travelers slow down, feel more, and live each journey fully. This is what we dream of: creating experiences that transform lives.