The Ted Commandments

In the early days of the TED organization the accepted speakers were sent a physical stone plate as a prop. It was meant as playful reference to the biblical Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. But with the deliberate intent to (lightly) intimidate the speakers with the importance and seriousness with which TED treats the quality of its presentations

...you've got mail!

While the TED commandments are ambitious and deliberately meant to slightly intimidate the speakers, it’s important to notice that the do not impose a tool for screening out novices and only favor experienced speaker - Quite the opposite, then commandments are universally relevant to all speakers in the world. They set a standard for the speaker’s behavior, effort, ambition, engagement, entertainment.

1. Thou Shalt Not Simply Trot Out thy Usual Shtick
2. Thou Shalt Dream a Great Dream, or Show Forth a Wondrous New Thing, Or Share Something Thou Hast Never Shared Before
3. Thou Shalt Reveal thy Curiosity and Thy Passion
4. Thou Shalt Tell a Story
5. Thou Shalt Freely Comment on the Utterances of Other Speakers for the Sake of Blessed Connection and Exquisite Controversy
6. Thou Shalt Not Flaunt thine Ego. Be Thou Vulnerable. Speak of thy Failure as well as thy Success.
7. Thou Shalt Not Sell from the Stage: Neither thy Company, thy Goods, thy Writings, nor thy Desperate need for Funding; Lest Thou be Cast Aside into Outer Darkness.
8. Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good.
9. Thou Shalt Not Read thy Speech.
10. Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them that Follow Thee

Also read out post on how to become a speaker or head straight to…

Submit a proposal