Love: Notes from Session 4 of TEDNext 2024

Session 4 of TEDNext 2024 explored the full spectrum of love, from romantic love and lost love to self-love and the love we feel for dogs. After all, isn’t this what life is all about?

The event: Discussions from Session 4 of TEDNext 2024, presented by TED’s Ikey Ajavon

When and where: Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers and artists: Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile, Navied Mahdavian, Baron Ryan, UMI, Joon Silverstein, Elias Weiss Friedman, Cloe Shasha Brooks and Rhaina Cohen

Watch TEDNext 2024 on TED Livecheck out more photos from the event and learn more about it attending a future TED conference

The conversations in short:

Sometimes when we decide to do something “different” in our romantic relationships – such as sleeping in separate beds or living apart – we are met with judgment or contempt. But relationship therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile says that rejecting what we’ve always known about “good” relationships is the key to creating a relationship that works for us.

It’s easy to caricature those we’ve lost, says artist Sailing Mahdavianbut when we do – as when we claim that someone was “always great” or “a saint” – we are not dealing with our grief. He talks about how drawing cartoons helped him distill the experience of losing his beloved grandmother and come to terms with her death.

Baron Ryan talks to himself, but doesn’t always listen to what he has to say. In a funny, existential play (in which Ryan plays both himself and his mind), he ponders the irony of people’s pleasure, the efficacy of melatonin gummies, and the twisting questions that keep many of us awake at night.

In a celebration of love, singer-songwriter UMI takes the audience through a short breathing exercise before laying down the grooves of two original songs, ‘Remember Me’ and ‘happy im’.

Fashion brands don’t often design with waste in mind, and that’s a problem for the planet. To remove leather scraps from incinerators and landfills, Jon Silversteinfounder of Coachtopia, explains how Coach is pioneering a circular fashion system where the company designs backwards, starting with what already exists and using creativity to transform those materials into beautiful products.

Elias Weiss Friedman made a name for himself online by photographing dogs on the street. In conversation with TEDs Cloe Shasha Brookshe discusses his journey from dog lover to dog owner, the incredible love he sees between people and their pets and what taking portraits of dogs has taught him about humanity.

We tend to think of our romantic relationships or family ties as our most important relationships, but deep friendships can be just as meaningful. Journalist Rhina Cohen wrote a book about the people who revolve their lives around a close friend, which shows how much more love, care, and companionship we can all get from our platonic relationships.

Watch TEDNext 2024 on TED Livecheck out more photos from the event and learn more about it attending a future TED conference