The topic of the chosen TED talk is “The surprising habits of original thinkers.” In this talk, Adam Grant seeks to shed more light into what makes original thinkers, innovators, and creatives different. He uses his former students to make his point. The two students requested Grant to invest in their idea, but he declined. However, the two proceeded to found Warby Parker, a U.S-based online retailer of sunglasses and prescription glasses that is headquartered in New York. This company was later named the most innovative company in the world, with a valuation of $1 billion ( Rey, 2018; Kaufman, 2015) . The speaker argues that original thinkers rarely meet conventional expectations.
Grant declined the offer to invest in Warby Parker due to three reasons which he uses to characterize original thinkers. Firstly, original thinkers are often ‘late to the party’ (TED, 2016). In this regard, he deemed the students slow and not ready to launch the company. For instance, a day before the company launched, they still did not have a functional website. This was of concern since Warby Parker's operations were entirely meant to be web-based. Grant did also not like the name. The speaker explains the relationship between creativity and procrastination, arguing that procrastinators are more likely to be creative or original thinkers compared to ‘pre-crastinators.' Thus, what appears like procrastination often provides room for thinking. Secondly, original thinkers are full of fear and doubt (TED, 2016.) For instance, Warby Parker founders had back-up plans even as they started the company. Grant argues that fear and doubt can be energizing, helping individuals to put more effort into an idea. Using Elon Musk and SpaceX as an example, Grant reckons that original thinkers are more afraid of not trying than of failing. Lastly, Grant points out that original thinkers have got lots of bad ideas (TED, 2016). Since original thinkers try the most, they are also more likely to fail the most. However, it’s in those bad ideas that they end up generating an original idea. The TED talk is aimed at helping people shift their perception of innovators, creatives, and change-makers. With the information presented, Grant wants his audience to avoid failing to invest in world-changing ideas just because their drivers don't meet the conventional expectations.
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Rhetorical Situations
The TED talk is targeted at anyone that has an idea that they wish to actualize but is limited by self-limiting beliefs. Thus, the talk is aimed at giving strength to such individuals by highlighting that those who come up with original ideas do so in unconventional circumstances. This talk is particularly important in the context of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution or industry 4.0. Specifically, originality cannot be overstated in the advancement of industry 4.0. Grant use various rhetorical appeals to support his argument. Firstly, he backs his arguments with facts or statistics. For instance, his reasoning on procrastinators versus ‘pre-crastinators’ is anchored on research, thus making his assertions believable (TED, 2016). Secondly, Grant uses vivid language and personal examples to emotionally connect with and persuade the audience. Thirdly, the fact that Grant is a world-renowned professor of organizational psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, an ivy-league institution makes him a credible source.
Evidence
The speaker uses popular real-life examples as evidence of the three attributes of original thinkers (TED, 2016). For instance, concerning originals being ‘late to the party,' Grant such examples as Leonardo Di Vinci and the creation of Mona Lisa, Martin Luther King Jr, Google versus Yahoo, and Facebook versus MySpace and Friendster. On originals having doubts and fear, he uses the example of Elon Musk and the SpaceX project. Lastly, with regard to originals having lots of bad ideas, he gives Thomas Edison and famous classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach as examples. The evidence provided is credible since it is popularly known and in the public domain. Based on the information provided, I would want to find out if one can know whether he or she is an original thinker on a personal level and whether the trait can be nurtured.
Style
The speaker introduces the topic by admitting a mistake he did seven years earlier by failing to invest in his students’ future billion-dollar company (TED, 2016). This introduction is compelling because it instantly grasps the attention of his audience. It also sets the tone for the rest of the presentation since one would want to find out how and why he made such a mistake. Grant concludes the talk by revisiting the three attributes of original thinkers and highlighting that these individuals are not any different from everyone else. Based on this, he urges his audience to embrace the characteristics since they are a source of strength contrary to popular belief. Lastly, he reckons that the best way to improve the world is by being original. This serves as a clarion call to the audience.
References
Kaufman , A.C. (2015). Warby Parker Beats Out Tech Giants On ‘Most Innovative’ List. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/warby-parker-innovative_n_7160722
Rey, J.D. (2018). Warby Parker is valued at $1.75 billion after a pre-IPO investment of $75 million. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2018/3/14/17115230/warby-parker-75-million-funding-t-rowe-price-ipo
TED. (2016, April 26). The surprising habits of original thinkers: Adam Grant [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbCHn6gE3U
