"You have something to offer the world in your experience and your creativity that no one else has to offer in exactly that way.⁣ Which means that if you don’t, if you allow status games or social norms or internal fears to curb your weirdness, the universe will be fundamentally less complex and beautiful.⁣" A pleasure to join you, thanks TEDx!

'You can escape competition through authenticity because no one can beat you in being you'. This quote is everything!

I find this particularly interesting and truthful. I just want to share a story about my growing up. In the 70s I as a teenager and I was truly obsessed with Disneyland and Walt Disney World and I would bring a small tape recorder into Disneyland just to record the rides. Now remember this was before EVERYBODY had a phone in their pockets along with a video camera connected to the phone, so bringing in a small cassette recorder was very peculiar to people. I would record all the rides and just listen to the tapes in my room and yes, people found me a bit odd to say the least. When people were listening to Pink Floyd and Zeppelin I was in my bedroom listening to Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion tapes. Years later I became a voice actor and it was due to my obsession with listening to the voices on my Disney tapes. When I turned 29 after many auditions I was hired by Walt Disney Imagineering to narrate a brand new ride for Walt Disney World called The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The ride is now almost 30 years old and is now one of the icons of the entire Walt Disney World Resort and one of the most popular Disney rides of all time. When I hear my voice on the ride it is the most satisfying feeling I can possibly imagine. I stayed with my weirdness and I could not have been more happy I did.

Yayyy!! Amazing.

I've saved this video as everyone needs to see it. I'm a huge fan of Chris's content but this is absolute gold.

10:49 "The persona is incapable of receiving love. It can only receive praise."

I really loved this. This is why vulnerability leads to connection: because we're all weird and other people being weird gives us permission to express our own weirdness :P

A lot of Ted talks these days sound like people trying to sell something. This is one one of the best I've heard in a long time. Open, honest and just trying to help people

Embracing my weirdness at work has improved my life tenfold. I no longer get anxious trying to contain myself & instead lean into it. So awesome. Congrats Chris!

You got me when you said that it's okay to not have the local accent of the place where you grew up. This talk touched by heart. Thank you, Chris😭🖤

This is literally exactly what I needed to hear in my life right now

At age 41 I've got more confidence than ever. I don't care about being liked as much and I have more friends than ever. I have found genuine brilliant friends as a result. I find it surprising and inspiring that people like me so much.

Really well writen and performed. "Embrace your uniqueness" is such a hard concept to express. Good job.

I always knew I was a quirky unique person but didn’t realise quite how much. Thank you for your reflections which have encouraged me to not care about normal.

Class Chris! You have no idea how often I talk about these subjects. Every work site or office on this planet is a movie set where each person is playing an unfulfilling role as someone else. The best actors get paid the most, but to be paid to be truly YOU is the pinnacle of human existence 🙏🏼❤️ Thank you brother, you emit so much genuine authenticity of being weirdly you! That’s inspiring!

Thanks for this eye opening reminder. I finally understood my uniqueness thanks to my (weird) special side and embracing it is the best thing ever so I totally relate on your message.

Truly inspires me to embrace all that I am- not just the parts I think the world wants to see. Much gratitude for sharing !

I've been working on my self-esteem and trying to accept myself. I'm an honest, genuine person but I'm pretty introverted, which means it's hard for me to put myself in situations where I can meet new people so that I have more chance of meeting my kind of people. So, being among anyone means I'm more likely to not quite BE myself or embrace my weirdness, rather than to put on a persona.

Goosebumps! Brief period of awakeness between two eternities of sleep ... that got to me ... Brilliant talk Chris x

This was really good, Chris! Well done! It made me think of all those times I've forced myself to do things with my free time that I don't genuinely enjoy because it's popular.

Brilliant, I love this talk. They should show this at schools and to older people

Just stumbled on you tonight, Chris. You are amazing and I will be following you devoutly.

Embracing the eccentric is crucial to creativity and innovation--to a point. We also have to embrace the conventional when we have to collaborate. Also, where precision is crucial, such as in engineering, "weird" just isn't considered. So it has to be a compromise, or "whole-brain living" as Julie Bolte-Taylor wrties in the book of the same title. A quote I always return to is from Eno: "Go t an extreme and retreat to a more useful position". For him it wenr from the manic "Baby's On Fire" to "Thursday Afternoon". "Weird" definitely has a holistic function.

Wow!! This was incredible!!😅 I truly felt understood by him! Especially his story of hiding from socializing on the play ground, I did that too!! I wish every teacher would play this for their students, even in High Schools this would be a really good time to see this perspective of truly liking yourself for your differences! I’m SO happy he gave this TED talk! 🙏🏻🙏🏻✨✨

How does this not have a million views? So well explained. I always have an internal celebration inside when I meet someone who is authentically and confidently being their true self - "Yay, it's really YOU!"

He spoke volumes with an economy of words, what a gift for everyone. Thank you!

My favorite TED talk evah!! Be who you are and own it! So refreshing!! ❤

This hit me right in the heart. Didn't just resonate it prised open a long time sealed crack! Thank you so much Chris. I highly recommend subscribing to Chris's YT channel

I've always been a stutterer. Naturally I always tried to hide it, so I can be seen as perfectly "normal". It was just recently that I started to embrace how i was, that i felt more and more confident. Found a girl who is now my wife, found a job in an advertising firm where most of job revolves around speaking to high profile clients. I wish I had seen this at the age of 18. Life changing advice!

I really love how Chris has this discussion, he is gifted in the way he speaks, as if he was a very trusted old friend. Thank you Chris.

So good! Profound insights that need to be understood by young adults. Keep the content train rolling! Love the process! Thank you Chris

Really powerful Chris. Great stories delivered with humility and sincerity. Thanks for sharing.

BEYOND INSPIRATION! To be True to Ourselves is our Human Right and Divine Nature. With Gratitude and Appreciation for your Enlightened Expression.

This really spoke to my heart and soul, thank you 🙏 this should get a million+ views!!!

So much strong advice here. We are a rare treasure. So too is our life. When I was a young misfit, people use to tell me: "Just be yourself." It was kinda silly to me, because I cannot be anything other than me. It just so happens that being myself didn't work well for me when I was young. When I got a little older, (27, specifically) I finally found my path. It came in a strange shape (the only girl who dated me in high school, found me again after 9 years) but the reality of the situation was undeniable. I was here to make this beautiful woman whole. It was no easy task (nor is it today) but totally worth it. She gives me focus and direction and the family I always wanted. She is the light in my world. Now that I am older and wiser, I have updated my goals. I now look for a way to help anyone that I can. It keeps things interesting. Anyway, very nice advice. Put very accurately. I wish I could have heard this sooner. Probably would have helped me as a teenager. Always something new and useful from Chris. Keep up the good work.

Excellent! Very helpful and clarifying. one of the best TEDx talks I've heard. Many thanks!

Beautifully said, very poised and eloquent, poetic even. Always a pleasure hearing acrid speak.

So powerful, amazing work Chris

Love it! I have grown up having always embraced my weirdness and quirks. I'm glad you are encouraging others to celebrate and champion our weirdness! Well done Chris!

Love this ❤️ it’s time we all embraced our weirdness

Beautiful message, one we all could hear more. Thank you for sharing, Chris.

Yeay!!!! Go for weirdness! So much more interesting and exciting!

"You have something to offer the world in your experience and your creativity that no one else has to offer in exactly that way." *I* now that. Thing is, nobody else wants to know.

I usually always feel like I don't fit in! And against the odds here I am. "Embracing your weirdness is your duty." Such a great point. Thank you!

I relate to this. Hard! Lockdown this last year has allowed me to realise how much I created a persona. This video has come at such a cool time. Thank you 😃

Hi Chris, really good talk. I have long wondered if the kind of depression and substance abuse that occur in people my age (mid-50s) can be tied to the lack of developing their unique characters when they were younger. Time after time, I encounter these middle-aged people 'on the edge' who just seem empty and don't have a clue how to live fulfilling lives. This is especially true given the pandemic we've all been dealing with. The people who have weathered it well had loads of interests, quirky personalities, and myriad ways of filling the hours, days, weeks, and months. I decided from a young age I wanted to live a 'weird' life - learning languages, living in various parts of the world, encountering lots of different people from all walks of life. I count among my friends: business professionals, authors, artists, an opera singer, technicians of various stripes - and in both English and French. The weird path I've carved for myself has attracted other weirdos, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Kudos on your TEDx Talk!

You're speaking my language! I fully embrace my inner weirdo. I loved this!

Great job Chris! You are really coming into your own. First JBP, now this. You are killing it dude. 100% truth too. The one thing people receiving this msg need to be careful of in pursuing it is to first determine what unique quirks are REALLY you. Really core. Versus things that may just be performative for attention. There is a huge difference between the two that is not always immediately apparent. Its all about the underlying motivations.

This is amazing, Chris! It made me smile and reflect on myself. When you show your authentic self, you become invincible. Shared this to my colleagues, friends and family ❤️ looking forward to more TEDx Talks sessions by Chris Williamson!

This popped up in my feed on Valentine’s Day. Luckily, I’ve been happily married for 2 decades to a my-kind-of-weird person. But I imagine this would be excellent to listen to if you’re alone and haven’t found someone to embrace your quirks yet. 👍💕

Thanks for this talk 🙏 touched my heart.

The chances of any of us existing are in fact 100%

From one alleged weirdo to another, these ideas are worth embracing. Thanks for putting so much time and effort in to this project Chris- beautiful stuff.

I needed to hear this today. Thank you, Chris! I highly recommend his podcast by the way!

Absolutely awesome Chris mate!

Class. Very well done Chris. Very proud.

Thank you for sharing 😊🙏

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! Thank you for this.

Fantastic talk Chris, I really enjoyed it!

This gave me genuine hope Thank you:)

Best ted ex i have ever watched, and i watched a lot of them!!!! Though it is a thin line between trying to impress and just being your weird self, but yes, great way to live this life!

Excellent insight, ver well shared - thank you Chris

great speech, I loved it. And it is so true. during almost all my childhood in school I was so badly bullied, and now I have a quite "uncommon" job and I could not fir in there better. (Entomolgist/Arachnologist) very encouraging.

Possibly my new favourite TEDx talk. Been a subscriber of Chris’s podcast for a while now but haven’t heard anything quite like this until now. This is possibly the most concise, scientific and yet also deeply spiritual explanation of our human condition I have come across. I believe this talk a should be played in schools around the world.

OMG, I hear you brother. Existential crisis' are best shared with as many people as possible. I do it all the time on KZfaq. Carry on.

Thank you so much for this video! I really need these amazing Words Chris Williamson! :D

Great speak - Thank you Chris 🙏

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is what the world needs. excellent talk. thank you all.

Bravo, my man! I will continue to recommend your podcast.

Great talk Chris!!

Well done. So much untaped potential when this is realized.

Enjoyed this. Congratulations 👏👏👏

Wow! Powerful!

Beautifully executed. Well done.

Great job Chris! I love this

Your channel is amazing.

Great work Chris got quite a bit from this thanks.

Amazing Chris! 👌😊

This was a great one! Amazing job Chris! May we all live in a world where we embrace our weirdness and forget the social confines we were brought up to follow.

I love this talk

This was awesome. "Your life is your story - where you are the narrator, illustrator, author" great words. Such a beautiful TEDXSession.

nice one mate! well presented.

love it mate well done!

Very nicely done

Fantastic !

Interesting talk that has me thinking, thanks!

Amen brother! 🙏

First, I instantly related to what you very straightforwardly expressed. Secondly, I realized I better continue with keeping to myself, in order to survive mediocrity. But thank you for something valuable and actually having the perkiness to come up with this video.

Awesome Job! Keep up the great work Chris! Peace

This is amazing. Thank you :)

Brilliantly delivered I am touched. I AM WIERD!

Awesome. Normal is average. Weird can be spectacular. Abandoned normal years ago and have never regretted it. Aim high not average it is far more satisfying. This speaker sums it all up perfectly and powerfully

What a wonderful talk 😍

Christ this is brilliant!

So beautiful and true. I cried. Thanks for your insight on life.

Great talk

Very well said 👏🏼 Embracing one’s peculiarities is what paints the world with all kinds of colors, textures & styles... otherwise, it would all just be bleak, monochrome & boring. Looking forward to more weird stuff from you 😝

Wonderful!

Chris, great presentation. Reminds me of some things I still need to do to let my weird out. I'm also a fan of yours. And I like your weird. :)

Very good one! Thank you by a fellow weirdo ☺️🙂🙋🏼‍♀️❤️🌷