The antidote to apathy | Dave Meslin | TEDxToronto
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0:16 - 0:20How often do we hear
that people just don't care? -
0:21 - 0:22How many times have you been told
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0:22 - 0:26that real, substantial change
isn't possible -
0:26 - 0:28because most people are too selfish,
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0:28 - 0:30too stupid or too lazy
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0:30 - 0:32to try to make a difference
in their community? -
0:32 - 0:35I propose to you today
that apathy as we think we know it -
0:35 - 0:37doesn't actually exist;
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0:37 - 0:39but rather, that people do care,
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0:39 - 0:43but that we live in a world
that actively discourages engagement -
0:43 - 0:46by constantly putting obstacles
and barriers in our way. -
0:47 - 0:49I'll give you some
examples of what I mean. -
0:49 - 0:50Let's start with city hall.
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0:51 - 0:52You ever see one of these before?
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0:53 - 0:54This is a newspaper ad.
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0:54 - 0:58It's a notice of a zoning application
change for a new office building -
0:58 - 1:00so the neighborhood
knows what's happening. -
1:00 - 1:02As you can see, it's impossible to read.
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1:02 - 1:03You need to get halfway down
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1:03 - 1:06to even find out which address
they're talking about, -
1:06 - 1:08and then further down,
in tiny 10-point font, -
1:08 - 1:10to find out how to actually get involved.
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1:10 - 1:13Imagine if the private sector
advertised in the same way... -
1:13 - 1:15If Nike wanted to sell a pair of shoes...
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1:15 - 1:16(Laughter)
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1:16 - 1:18And put an ad in the paper like that.
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1:18 - 1:22(Applause)
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1:22 - 1:24Now, that would never happen.
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1:25 - 1:27You'll never see an ad like that,
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1:27 - 1:29because Nike actually wants
you to buy their shoes, -
1:29 - 1:32whereas the city of Toronto
clearly doesn't want you involved -
1:32 - 1:33with the planning process,
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1:33 - 1:36otherwise their ads would look
something like this, -
1:36 - 1:38with all the information laid out clearly.
-
1:38 - 1:40although the font has changed
on the PowerPoint -
1:40 - 1:43so it's not as clear as I thought
it would look in the ad, -
1:43 - 1:45but you know what I'm saying.
-
1:45 - 1:47As long as the city's putting out
notices like this -
1:47 - 1:49to try to get people engaged,
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1:49 - 1:51then of course people
aren't going to be engaged. -
1:51 - 1:53But that's not apathy;
that's intentional exclusion. -
1:55 - 1:57Public space.
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1:57 - 1:59(Applause)
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2:00 - 2:02The manner in which we mistreat
our public spaces -
2:02 - 2:06is a huge obstacle towards any type
of progressive political change, -
2:06 - 2:09because we've essentially put a price tag
on freedom of expression. -
2:09 - 2:12Whoever has the most money
gets the loudest voice, -
2:12 - 2:14dominating the visual
and mental environment. -
2:15 - 2:18The problem with this model
is there are some amazing messages -
2:18 - 2:21that need to be said,
that aren't profitable to say. -
2:21 - 2:23So you're never going
to see them on a billboard. -
2:29 - 2:31I'll move on to the next one -
-
2:32 - 2:34There was a closing line there.
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2:35 - 2:37It will come back to me later.
-
2:37 - 2:41The media plays an important role
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2:41 - 2:44in developing our relationship
with political change, -
2:44 - 2:48mainly by ignoring politics and focusing
on celebrities and scandals, -
2:48 - 2:51but even when they do talk
about important political issues, -
2:51 - 2:54they do it in a way that I feel
discourages engagement. -
2:54 - 2:55I'll give you an example.
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2:55 - 3:00The "Now" magazine from last week:
progressive, downtown weekly in Toronto. -
3:00 - 3:01This is the cover story.
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3:03 - 3:05It's an article
about a theater performance, -
3:05 - 3:08and it starts with basic
information about where it is, -
3:08 - 3:12in case you actually want to go and see
it after you've read the article... -
3:12 - 3:14Where, the time, the website.
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3:14 - 3:16Same with this... it's a movie review.
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3:16 - 3:18An art review.
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3:18 - 3:21A book review... where the reading
is in case you want to go. -
3:21 - 3:23A restaurant... you might not
want to just read about it, -
3:23 - 3:25maybe you want to go there.
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3:25 - 3:29So they tell you where it is, the prices,
the address, the phone number, etc. -
3:29 - 3:31Then you get to their political articles.
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3:31 - 3:34Here's a great article about an important
election race that's happening. -
3:34 - 3:37It talks about the candidates,
written very well, -
3:37 - 3:40but no information, no follow-up,
no websites for the campaigns, -
3:40 - 3:43no information about when the debates
are, where the campaign offices are. -
3:43 - 3:45Here's another good article,
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3:45 - 3:50about a new campaign
opposing privatization of transit, -
3:50 - 3:53without any contact information
for the campaign. -
3:53 - 3:54The message seems to be
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3:54 - 3:58that the readers are most likely
to want to eat, maybe read a book, -
3:58 - 4:01maybe see a movie, but not be engaged
in their community. -
4:01 - 4:04You might think this is a small thing,
but I think it's important, -
4:04 - 4:05because it sets a tone
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4:06 - 4:12and it reinforces the dangerous idea
that politics is a spectator sport. -
4:14 - 4:16Heroes: How do we view leadership?
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4:16 - 4:19Look at these 10 movies.
What do they have in common? -
4:19 - 4:20Anyone?
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4:22 - 4:24They all have heroes who were chosen.
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4:24 - 4:27Someone came up to them and said,
"You're the chosen one. -
4:27 - 4:29There's a prophecy.
You have to save the world." -
4:29 - 4:32And then they go off and save the world
because they've been told to, -
4:32 - 4:34with a few people tagging along.
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4:34 - 4:35This helps me understand
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4:35 - 4:38why a lot of people have trouble
seeing themselves as leaders... -
4:38 - 4:42Because it sends all the wrong messages
about what leadership is about. -
4:42 - 4:44A heroic effort is a collective effort,
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4:44 - 4:45number one.
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4:46 - 4:49Number two, it's imperfect;
it's not very glamorous, -
4:49 - 4:51and doesn't suddenly start
and suddenly end. -
4:51 - 4:53It's an ongoing process your whole life.
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4:53 - 4:55But most importantly, it's voluntary.
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4:55 - 4:57It's voluntary.
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4:57 - 4:59As long as we're teaching our kids
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4:59 - 5:02that heroism starts when someone
scratches a mark on your forehead, -
5:02 - 5:05or someone tells you
you're part of a prophecy, -
5:05 - 5:08they're missing the most important
characteristic of leadership, -
5:08 - 5:09which is that it comes from within.
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5:10 - 5:13It's about following
your own dreams, uninvited, -
5:13 - 5:16and then working with others
to make those dreams come true. -
5:18 - 5:19Political parties: oh, boy.
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5:20 - 5:24Political parties could and should be
one of the basic entry points -
5:24 - 5:26for people to get engaged in politics.
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5:26 - 5:29Instead, they've become, sadly,
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5:29 - 5:32uninspiring and uncreative organizations
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5:32 - 5:35that rely so heavily on market research
and polling and focus groups -
5:36 - 5:38that they end up all saying
the same thing, -
5:38 - 5:41pretty much regurgitating back
to us what we already want to hear -
5:41 - 5:43at the expense of putting forward
bold and creative ideas. -
5:44 - 5:46And people can smell that,
and it feeds cynicism. -
5:46 - 5:52(Applause)
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5:53 - 5:54Charitable status.
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5:54 - 5:58Groups who have charitable status
in Canada aren't allowed to do advocacy. -
5:58 - 6:00This is a huge problem
and a huge obstacle to change, -
6:00 - 6:04because it means that some
of the most passionate and informed voices -
6:04 - 6:07are completely silenced,
especially during election time. -
6:07 - 6:10Which leads us to the last one,
which is: our elections. -
6:11 - 6:12As you may have noticed,
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6:12 - 6:14our elections in Canada
are a complete joke. -
6:14 - 6:15We use out-of-date systems
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6:15 - 6:18that are unfair and create random results.
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6:18 - 6:19Canada's currently led by a party
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6:20 - 6:22that most Canadians didn't actually want.
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6:22 - 6:26How can we honestly and genuinely
encourage more people to vote -
6:26 - 6:28when votes don't count in Canada?
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6:28 - 6:31You add all this up together,
and of course people are apathetic. -
6:31 - 6:33It's like trying to run into a brick wall.
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6:33 - 6:37Now, I'm not trying to be negative
by throwing all these obstacles out -
6:37 - 6:38and explaining what's in our way.
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6:38 - 6:40Quite the opposite...
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6:40 - 6:43I actually think people are amazing
and smart and that they do care, -
6:44 - 6:46but that, as I said,
we live in this environment -
6:46 - 6:50where all these obstacles
are being put in our way. -
6:50 - 6:54As long as we believe
that people, our own neighbors, -
6:54 - 6:57are selfish, stupid or lazy,
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6:57 - 6:59then there's no hope.
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7:00 - 7:02But we can change
all those things I mentioned. -
7:02 - 7:03We can open up city hall.
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7:04 - 7:05We can reform our electoral systems.
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7:05 - 7:07We can democratize our public spaces.
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7:07 - 7:09My main message is:
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7:09 - 7:11if we can redefine apathy,
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7:11 - 7:13not as some kind of internal syndrome,
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7:13 - 7:18but as a complex web of cultural barriers
that reinforces disengagement, -
7:18 - 7:24and if we can clearly define,
clearly identify what those obstacles are, -
7:24 - 7:27and then if we can work together
collectively to dismantle those obstacles, -
7:27 - 7:29then anything is possible.
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7:29 - 7:30Thank you.
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7:30 - 7:31(Applause)
- Title:
- The antidote to apathy | Dave Meslin | TEDxToronto
- Description:
-
Local politics -- schools, zoning, council elections -- hit us where we live. So why don't more of us actually get involved? Is it apathy? Dave Meslin says no. He identifies 7 barriers that keep us from taking part in our communities, even when we truly care.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 07:38
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for The antidote to apathy | Dave Meslin | TEDxToronto | ||
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Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for The antidote to apathy | Dave Meslin | TEDxToronto |