Find Your ‘Why’: TEDx St Andrews

Why do we do things that we do? This was the central question to the TEDx conference which I attended on 29 March. Eight dynamic speakers hit the stage, passionately unveiling their groundbreaking work and inspiring purpose. The speakers came from distinct fields which highlighted the diversity, and wealth of knowledge which St Andrews has to offer. I spoke to the two organizers of the event, Riya Singh and Logan Elliot. I was curious as to what went into the speaker selection, and how they are able to mold a theme so elegantly with such a multifaceted group of speakers. Elliot mentioned the selection process requires seeking out people in every possible field to promote not only a range of speakers, but also a more heterogeneous audience. Singh recounted their vetting process, which required them to watch previous speeches each speaker had given to see how well they would fit into the theme. 

Dr Fiston Kitema, was involved in creating a cutting edge piece of technology developed to help poor areas fight vision loss. Albert Surinach Campos advocates for the importance of language in storytelling, transitioning smoothly between the many different languages he spoke, including fictional, and personally invented ones. Professor Tara Spires Jones is at the forefront of the fight against dementia. She spoke about the troubles of dealing with the NHS, drug development, and a lack of funding. Luke Ryan told me not to eat meat, and provided the most convincing argument I have ever heard. Their ‘why’s’ are impressive. All of their lives serve a noble cause. It made me think: ‘Why the hell am I here?’. Now, I had to leave a little bit early to go to my lunch where I would drink a bountiful amount of wine whilst facing an existential crisis. The man at tescos even asked me “Why are you guys buying all this wine?”. I did not expect to be faced with philosophical turmoil before noon on a Saturday.

As I lingered in the Tesco queue faced with such conundrum, I was taken back to what Campos, the language expert, had taught me just an hour prior. “A great story teller is an excellent translator of their own mind”. I thought about this as I stood dumbly at the Tescos counter. “Ah… just having a boozy lunch” I responded. Brilliantly translating my entire purpose for the day so quickly, so elegantly. Thank you, Mr Campos. 

I think the greatest contrast between me and those speakers is that they live their lives devoutly to a ‘why’, to a purpose, to a noble cause. I, on the other hand, live my life for the next thirty minutes. I still bought the meat for my bolognese, but this time, I did think about it for more than 2 seconds.

I think we could all use a bit more of this. Devotion to a cause. Whether that cause is curing cancer, your six-a-side football team, or guzzling 13 pints on a Wednesday, fulfillment comes in puzzling ways. You should devote your life to your own cause. 

I think a diverse selection of causes is crucial to a thriving community, which is why I was disappointed not to see more of my fellow classmates here. The seats did not full up as much as they should have. I am sure everyone was hard at work grinding out the finishing touches of their essays or studying up for upcoming class tests. I do think it’s important to give ourselves a break. A minute to stop, think, and ask yourself: ‘why’? TEDx stimulates the mind and forces you to face questions you otherwise might not encounter, certainly not with your head buried in a main library cubicle. For those less contemplative, head down to The Byre, take a seat, enrich your lives, find your purpose.

Photo by Walt Scott