Get More Hope, Less Despair, and Move Toward Action with Mindfulness and Focus | Andrew Chignell

Hope's reputation is so good, it's bad. People hear the word and dismiss it as Hallmark, doe-eyed, emotional fluff. But hoping is not the same as dreaming or wishing: it is constrained by rationality, and unlike fantasy the possibility has to exist, even if the odds are slim. As Professor Andrew Chignell explains: you can wish the weather had been nicer yesterday, but you can't hope it. Hope is a spectrum of how you react to possibility, and it runs all the way to despair. Here, Chignell explains his latest research in philosophy, mindfulness, and uses The Shawshank Redemption to illustrate how closely hope and despair are related. This video is part of a collaborative series with the Hope & Optimism initiative, which has supported interdisciplinary academic research into under-explored aspects of hope and optimism. Discover more at http://ift.tt/2ogvZMD. Read more at BigThink.com: http://ift.tt/2wr0Vlt Follow Big Think here: YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5 Facebook: http://ift.tt/1qJMX5g Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink Transcript: When you start talking about hope some people think it’s immediately a kind of Pollyanna-ish thing. Like: “Oh, I should be hopeful,” or it’s kind of a greeting card sentiment. You go kind of doe-eyed and start thinking soft thoughts about how we should all be hopeful in one another. And, of course, there are some important things to be said in favor of those kinds of things, but we think of hope as also an extremely difficult and important and foundational sort of state that can be discussed in ways that aren’t so saccharine. One of the interesting things that philosophers talk about with respect to hope is, of course, its rationality. So there’s a sense in which you can’t hope for everything. You can wish for lots of things for which you can’t hope. I can wish that the Bears won the Super Bowl last year, but I can’t hope that they won the Super Bowl last year because we know that they didn’t. And so it seems almost like you’re misusing the word to say, “I hope that they won last year.” Or, “I hope that the weather was different yesterday than it was.” So there’s a kind of semantic content that suggests that there are rationality constraints on hope which philosophers try to look at and analyze. There’s a kind of orthodox account—people call it the orthodox account because most people share it—that says that hope involves at least desiring something and believing that it’s possible. So in this case you wouldn’t believe that the weather yesterday could be different than it was and so you wouldn’t believe that’s possible, and so you can’t really hope for it. So that’s that condition that’s constraining the rationality of hope. And then there’s this kind of debate about what further conditions might be required. One thought experiment that people have discussed frequently is that of 'The Shawshank Redemption'. So this is a Stephen King short story that was turned into a film. You have two characters, Andy and Red. Both of them really desire something: to get out of prison. Both of them regard it as possible, it’s explicit in the story and in the film, but somehow one character, Andy, is hopeful and says he’s hopeful and that he’s acting in such a way as to make it come about even if he thinks it’s extremely unlikely. And the other character, Red, says he can’t allow himself to hope. The fear of disappointment is too great and will crush him. So they both meet those conditions. It’s something they really desire and it’s something they believe to be possible, and yet one hopes and the other despairs. So cases like this make people think we need some other kind of condition to really explain the difference between hope and despair. And that’s where some of the debate is at the moment, trying to find this elusive third condition. And different people have different things they want to add to the orthodox conception. My own favored approach, which I’m in the middle of writing up, is what I call the focus or attention account of hope. So it basically says something like the difference between hope and despair is the extent to which you’re focusing on the very slim odds of the thing coming about or whether you’re focusing on the fact that it’s possible—or that you take it to be possible.

What Is Women's Equality Day?

Women's Equality Day is coming up? Hannah and Grace tell you all about Women's Equality Day. Let us know how you're going to celebrate Women's Equality Day. Don't forget guys, if you like this video please "Like," "Favorite," and "Share" it with your friends to show your support - it really helps us out! If there's something you'd like to see us discuss on the show, tweet us about it! See you tomorrow :) ***************************************************** Every day ThinkTank challenges preconceptions expose amazing new facts and discoveries, explores different perspectives, and inspires you to learn more about the world and the people around you. Feed your brain with new videos every day at 12 pm Eastern/9am Pacific! SUBSCRIBE or you'll miss out! http://ift.tt/O8HfZ3 Keep up to date with John Iadarola and Hannah Cranston ON FACEBOOK: http://ift.tt/1ABSBLD HANNAH: http://ift.tt/1Q8R7gd ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/thinktankfeed JOHN: http://twitter.com/jiadarola HANNAH: http://twitter.com/HannahCranston ON INSTAGRAM: http://ift.tt/1ABSzU7 JOHN: http://ift.tt/1Ffx7TM HANNAH: http://ift.tt/27qcZO7 ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/johniadarola HANNAH: http://www.youtube.com/hannahcranston ON TWITCH: http://ift.tt/1PIMj4N

This Government Official's Wife Just Poor-Shamed Someone On Instagram

Louise Linton was trending on Twitter for poor-shaming a mother of three on Instagram. Hannah and Grace discuss her comments. Let us know what you think of Linton's comments. Don't forget guys, if you like this video please "Like," "Favorite," and "Share" it with your friends to show your support - it really helps us out! If there's something you'd like to see us discuss on the show, tweet us about it! See you tomorrow :) ***************************************************** Every day ThinkTank challenges preconceptions expose amazing new facts and discoveries, explores different perspectives, and inspires you to learn more about the world and the people around you. Feed your brain with new videos every day at 12 pm Eastern/9am Pacific! SUBSCRIBE or you'll miss out! http://ift.tt/O8HfZ3 Keep up to date with John Iadarola and Hannah Cranston ON FACEBOOK: http://ift.tt/1ABSBLD HANNAH: http://ift.tt/1Q8R7gd ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/thinktankfeed JOHN: http://twitter.com/jiadarola HANNAH: http://twitter.com/HannahCranston ON INSTAGRAM: http://ift.tt/1ABSzU7 JOHN: http://ift.tt/1Ffx7TM HANNAH: http://ift.tt/27qcZO7 ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/johniadarola HANNAH: http://www.youtube.com/hannahcranston ON TWITCH: http://ift.tt/1PIMj4N

1 in 10(!!) People Think It's Ok To Be A Neo-Nazi

As if the scenes from the Charlottesville protests weren't frightening enough a new poll reveals some DEVASTATING information about the US. Hannah and Grace tell you why 10% of the country think's it's okay to be a Nazi. Let us know what you think of this poll. Don't forget guys, if you like this video please "Like," "Favorite," and "Share" it with your friends to show your support - it really helps us out! If there's something you'd like to see us discuss on the show, tweet us about it! See you tomorrow :) ***************************************************** Every day ThinkTank challenges preconceptions expose amazing new facts and discoveries, explores different perspectives, and inspires you to learn more about the world and the people around you. Feed your brain with new videos every day at 12 pm Eastern/9am Pacific! SUBSCRIBE or you'll miss out! http://ift.tt/O8HfZ3 Keep up to date with John Iadarola and Hannah Cranston ON FACEBOOK: http://ift.tt/1ABSBLD HANNAH: http://ift.tt/1Q8R7gd ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/thinktankfeed JOHN: http://twitter.com/jiadarola HANNAH: http://twitter.com/HannahCranston ON INSTAGRAM: http://ift.tt/1ABSzU7 JOHN: http://ift.tt/1Ffx7TM HANNAH: http://ift.tt/27qcZO7 ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/johniadarola HANNAH: http://www.youtube.com/hannahcranston ON TWITCH: http://ift.tt/1PIMj4N

Speaking at the Amazing Seller Summit in Las Vegas | Stefan James Vlog

FREE COURSE To Start Your Online Business: http://ift.tt/1SKodDf In this video I share with you my experience speaking at the Amazing Seller Summit in Las Vegas in front of 1500 entrepreneurs and Amazon sellers. I had the pleasure of speaking on the topic of, “How to use YouTube in order to promote and sell any product.” I wasn’t always fond of public speaking. Those of you who follow me know that, when I was younger I was very shy. The idea of speaking to anyone, let alone thousands of people, gave me extreme social anxiety. I am a big believer in the power of stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing things that scare you. Through a lot of experience, I have been able to develop the confidence and passion that is required in order to become a captivating speaker. I cannot express enough how powerful public speaking can be for networking with like-minded people, developing confidence, establishing yourself as an authority figure, and growing your business. Overall, my experience speaking at the Amazing Seller Summit in Las Vegas was a success! Public speaking has done amazing things for my career and my life, and it can do the same for you. I hope that my story inspires you to overcome your fear of public speaking, harness the power of your voice, and share your message with the world. In the words of Rob Brown, “If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change lives." ★☆★ VIEW THE BLOG POST: ★☆★ http://ift.tt/2g9n7K7 ★☆★ SUBSCRIBE TO ME ON YOUTUBE: ★☆★ Subscribe ► http://ift.tt/2bO65dq ★☆★ FOLLOW ME BELOW: ★☆★ Blog ► http://ift.tt/1dffKI5 Twitter ► http://ift.tt/1dqLWDZ Twitter ► http://www.twitter.com/stefanjames23 Facebook ► http://ift.tt/1fz9bjo Facebook ► http://ift.tt/2cF3pE1 Instagram ► http://ift.tt/1Rm9ph0 Instagram ► http://ift.tt/2hxFAeT Snapchat ► http://ift.tt/1TshMIR Periscope ► http://ift.tt/2bO3EYo iTunes Podcast ► http://ift.tt/1dqLWUg ★☆★ ABOUT PROJECT LIFE MASTERY: ★☆★ The Project Life Mastery YouTube channel is the place to be for motivational, inspiring, educational, and uplifting self improvement videos. You can also follow for videos about online business, Amazon, and making money online! ★☆★ MY PRODUCTS & COURSES: ★☆★ Life Mastery Accelerator ► http://ift.tt/2o41BJp Online Business Mastery Accelerator ► http://ift.tt/2nT1z6p Morning Ritual Mastery ► http://ift.tt/1kochwV Affiliate Marketing Mastery ► http://ift.tt/1VtqUis Kindle Money Mastery ► http://ift.tt/1pfGXhJ 24 Hour Book Program ► http://ift.tt/1s85K9g Kindle Optimizer ► http://ift.tt/1QI3p3i ★☆★ MERCHANDISE: ★☆★ Mastery Apparel ► http://ift.tt/2p8CFSc ★☆★ RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: ★☆★ http://ift.tt/1qtEz5E If you found this video valuable, give it a like. If you know someone who needs to see it, share it. Leave a comment below with your thoughts. Add it to a playlist if you want to watch it later. Music Credit: Music: Jeff Kaale - Mai Tai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbnPEEa-S5U&feature=youtu.be ●Jeff Kaale - Mai Tai - https://youtu.be/nbnPEEa-S5U ●Facebook - http://ift.tt/2gIQEpy ●Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeff_kaale ●Soundcloud - http://ift.tt/1N0XSmj Vibe With Me - Joakim Karud.mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNCn2-B3NN8 Support the artist: Soundcloud: http://ift.tt/203gViP iTunes: http://ift.tt/2opxTOw... Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoakimKarud Spotify : http://ift.tt/2ps5s4l... Deezer : http://ift.tt/28Z9pqe Use on Youtube: http://ift.tt/2g93Rwu

Can You Use An Emoji That Isn't Your Skin Color?

A tweet from Kendall Jenner has people asking if anyone can use an emoji that doesn't have that person's skin color. Hannah and Jason Carter discuss if people can use emojis with different skin colors. Don't forget guys, if you like this video please "Like," "Favorite," and "Share" it with your friends to show your support - it really helps us out! If there's something you'd like to see us discuss on the show, tweet us about it! See you tomorrow :) ***************************************************** Every day ThinkTank challenges preconceptions expose amazing new facts and discoveries, explores different perspectives, and inspires you to learn more about the world and the people around you. Feed your brain with new videos every day at 12 pm Eastern/9am Pacific! SUBSCRIBE or you'll miss out! http://ift.tt/O8HfZ3 Keep up to date with John Iadarola and Hannah Cranston ON FACEBOOK: http://ift.tt/1ABSBLD HANNAH: http://ift.tt/1Q8R7gd ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/thinktankfeed JOHN: http://twitter.com/jiadarola HANNAH: http://twitter.com/HannahCranston ON INSTAGRAM: http://ift.tt/1ABSzU7 JOHN: http://ift.tt/1Ffx7TM HANNAH: http://ift.tt/27qcZO7 ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/johniadarola HANNAH: http://www.youtube.com/hannahcranston ON TWITCH: http://ift.tt/1PIMj4N

How to Save the World from Future Disasters Being Ignored Today | Richard Clarke

Before Bernie Madoff got caught, before Hurricane Katrina and Fukushima devastated cities, and before ISIS formed, there was an expert for each one of those events warning people in power that it would happen. What did those powerful people do? Absolutely nothing. These experts are called 'Cassandras' in hindsight, because as global security expert Richard A. Clarke explains in a previous Big Think video: "Cassandra in Greek mythology was a woman cursed by the gods. The curse was that she could accurately see the future. It doesn’t sound so bad until you realize the second part of the curse, which was no one would ever believe her. And because she could see the future and no one was paying attention to her, she went mad." So how can we graduate from sheepishly identifying Cassandras in hindsight, to recognizing and acting on their real predictions before the impending chaos hits? It's tough because everyone and their uncle is trying to get in on the prediction game. Who can you trust? Fortunately, Clarke and his research partner R.P. Eddy have used case studies to build a detailed template of the four aspects that determine whether we can avoid a Cassandra event: the quality and personal traits of the Cassandra themselves, the reaction of the audience or decision makers in power, the nature of the predicted event (is it too ridiculous to believe?), and the critics of the Cassandra. Even today, there are potential Cassandras predicting events that could be catastrophic to humanity this century. Can we learn from our mistakes in time? Richard A. Clarke and R.P. Eddy's new book is Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes. Read more at BigThink.com: http://ift.tt/2voSUsN Follow Big Think here: YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5 Facebook: http://ift.tt/1qJMX5g Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink Transcript: So we talk about a failed warning as a Cassandra event. And we try to ask ourselves in the book why did this Cassandra event happen. We find that there are four overall factors. There is the quality of the Cassandra herself or himself. Then there’s the issue itself and the qualities about the issue that make a warning relevant to it hard for people to accept. And then the last is the critics. The critics of the person giving the warning. The critics of the Cassandra. What did they say and what did they not say. And in those four column headings – the Cassandra, the decision maker, the issue itself and the critics. Under each of them there are several different criteria. Applying that template to a potential Cassandra event we think we can begin to tell who’s right and who’s Chicken Little. When we look at the Cassandra herself or himself that’s probably the most important determinant that whether or not we have a Cassandra event coming. It’s the most important determinate in what we call the Cassandra coefficient is that human being. The Cassandras typically have never predicted a disaster before. They’re experts. They’ve never predicted a disaster before and they are data driven. Usually they run the program that collects the data that convinces them. And when they look at the data something pops right out at them. They all feel a personal sense of agency, responsibility. They have to give the warning and when they are not heated. When they are ignored. When they are ridiculed. When in some cases they are muzzled or fired. That creates a negative feedback loop because they become more strident or insistent on getting their message out. Sometimes that’s off-putting. Sometimes they are accused of being obstreperous or obsessive. Words like doom and gloom and all sorts of criticisms are leveled on them. They don’t want to hear about something that would pull them off from that agenda. Decision makers also in many of these cases frankly are not experts and not trained in any way to understand what the decision maker is saying. In the case of the Ponzi scheme by Bernie Madoff, Harry Markopolos came into the Securities & Exchange Commission six times with mathematical formulas and projections and charts to show the people at the SEC that Madoff was a Ponzi scheme. He was a quant. He had lots of data. He was talking to lawyers. They didn’t get it. Very frequently the problem is decision makers don’t understand, fundamentally don’t understand the science or the math that the Cassandra is giving them.