What you give you get. Self responsibility – only for heroes? Daniel Goetz and Eike Reinhardt at TEDxKoeln
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0:09 - 0:11Eike Reinhardt: In the North American prairies
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0:11 - 0:17people followed the buffalo for hundreds of years.
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0:17 - 0:23It gave them food and material for their clothes,
their tents, their weapons and tools. -
0:23 - 0:25It required great courage
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0:25 - 0:31to face this colossal beast of muscles and horns.
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0:31 - 0:36The buffalo are gone.
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0:36 - 0:38But the people who hunted the buffalo
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0:38 - 0:40still live there.
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0:40 - 0:43The Indians of the plains.
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0:43 - 0:47We had the great fortune to meet
these people on their reserves, -
0:47 - 0:51sit with the Elders at the campfire
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0:51 - 0:56and participate in their rituals.
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0:56 - 1:00Daniel Goetz: And the people
there tell the following story: -
1:00 - 1:04One night a young boy comes running
excitedly into the tepee of his grandfather. -
1:04 - 1:08"Grandpa, grandpa – I dreamed something!
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1:08 - 1:12I dreamed that in my chest two wolves are fighting each other.
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1:12 - 1:15The one wolf was bad, it was spiteful ...
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1:15 - 1:16... and cowardly.
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1:16 - 1:18The other wolf was good.
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1:18 - 1:22It was peaceful, hopeful, and wise."
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1:22 - 1:27The old man smiled: "These two wolves
are fighting in the chest of every human being." -
1:27 - 1:32"And grandpa ...", the boy looked at
the older man with wide eyes. -
1:32 - 1:36"Which wolf will prevail inside of me?"
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1:36 - 1:42The old man says: "The wolf that you feed."
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1:42 - 1:45ER: As the little boy
hears this from his grandfather. -
1:45 - 1:50he is relieved. He knows now
that he himself can influence -
1:50 - 1:55which wolf will gain the upper hand inside him.
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1:55 - 2:00The First Nations People say:
"What you give you get." -
2:00 - 2:03DG: We are interested
in what First Nations People say. -
2:03 - 2:06We are interested in what we can learn today
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2:06 - 2:10from indigenous cultures.
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2:10 - 2:13And, of course, we are often asked:
"OK – what can you learn from them?" -
2:13 - 2:16That's a good second question.
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2:16 - 2:18And we would love to talk about that all day.
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2:18 - 2:21But first, another question is more important.
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2:21 - 2:24Namely: How can we learn from indigenous people?
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2:24 - 2:26To put it differently:
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2:26 - 2:31What is the right attitude we need to be able
to learn from indigenous cultures? -
2:31 - 2:36We are convinced:
Many concepts are exchangeable. -
2:36 - 2:39Evaluations are variable.
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2:39 - 2:43One's own experience, however, is inviolable.
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2:43 - 2:47ER: We believe that one’s own experience
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2:47 - 2:52is the best basis for new insights.
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2:52 - 2:55We would like to take you
on our own hero's journey -
2:55 - 3:00to the Sun Dance
of the Piapot First Nation in Canada. -
3:00 - 3:04The Sun Dance is the supreme ritual
of the Plains Indians. -
3:04 - 3:08There, we fasted four days,
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3:08 - 3:10did not have anything to drink for 2.5 days
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3:10 - 3:14and then sacrificed our own flesh on the fourth day.
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3:14 - 3:18It begins on Thursday with a ritual walk.
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3:18 - 3:20The Walk of Life.
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3:20 - 3:23The tribal Elders
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3:23 - 3:27lead the community to the holy places
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3:27 - 3:30where the Sun Dance is held.
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3:30 - 3:34There, you make your commitment.
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3:34 - 3:38The commitment is an obligation with yourself.
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3:38 - 3:42The commitment is made
between yourself – and the Creator. -
3:42 - 3:45In the Christian tradition
we speak of the Creator, too. -
3:45 - 3:47And what is remarkable:
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3:47 - 3:50No one controls from the outside
if you keep or don't keep your commitment. -
3:50 - 3:52No one keeps track, if you
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3:52 - 3:55secretly eat or drink
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3:55 - 3:58or otherwise betray your own promise.
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3:58 - 4:05You are your own "police".
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4:05 - 4:07DG: The second day, the Friday,
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4:07 - 4:11is devoted to the construction
of the great Sun Dance lodge. -
4:11 - 4:13The lodge is rebuilt every year.
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4:13 - 4:18In the center, it is supported by the Tree of Life.
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4:18 - 4:22The Tree of Life represents and establishes
a link between Mother Earth ... -
4:22 - 4:24and the Creator.
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4:24 - 4:29We were asked not to take pictures –
which we respected, of course. -
4:29 - 4:33ER: On Saturday,
the Sun Dancers have two options: -
4:33 - 4:39Either sitting on a mountain side
in meditation for 16 hours -
4:39 - 4:44from sunrise to sunset – motionless.
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4:44 - 4:49Or dancing in the Sun Dance lodge
without stopping -
4:49 - 4:54to the monotonous sound of the drums.
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4:54 - 4:57The big day is the Sunday.
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4:57 - 5:01It is on that day that the Sun Dancer
sacrifices his own flesh. -
5:01 - 5:03For this, the skin is cut open at the chest.
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5:03 - 5:08Two small sticks are then pushed
under the skin of the chest. -
5:08 - 5:14These sticks are attached to cords
that lead to the Tree of Life. -
5:14 - 5:20Tied in such a way, the Sun Dancer
dances around the Tree of Life four times. -
5:20 - 5:23Then he throws himself backwards
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5:23 - 5:26so that the little sticks are torn out of the skin.
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5:26 - 5:31Thus, he is symbolically reborn.
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5:31 - 5:34DG: What you give – you get.
We experienced personally -
5:34 - 5:38what a difference your own attitude can make:
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5:38 - 5:42For one of us, the Sun Dance
was almost a near death experience. -
5:42 - 5:46Sacrificing yourself for the tribe.
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5:46 - 5:49For the other, it was a proud act
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5:49 - 5:53of an unyielding tribal warrior.
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5:53 - 6:00ER: And as we were standing at the Tree of Life,
exhausted and happy, -
6:00 - 6:03one of the Elders came to us and said:
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6:03 - 6:09"You are warriors now. And when
you are back home, tell your people. -
6:09 - 6:13Tell them how much we love Mother Earth."
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6:13 - 6:17DG: And we are here tonight
to fulfill our commitment. -
6:17 - 6:19ER: Hai-hai.
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6:19 - 6:22DG: And this also clearly shows:
The Sun Dance -
6:22 - 6:24is not about having an adrenaline rush.
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6:24 - 6:26It is not a simple test of courage
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6:26 - 6:29or a new sort of extreme sports.
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6:29 - 6:32And certainly not a folk circus.
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6:32 - 6:35Sacrificing yourself can contribute
to the welfare of the community, -
6:35 - 6:39as is the belief of First Nations People.
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6:39 - 6:41In fact, in our own world,
this idea is not unheard of either. -
6:41 - 6:44Believers fast before sacred holidays.
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6:44 - 6:47Monks traditionally live in deprivation.
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6:47 - 6:52Jesus sacrificed himself
for the salvation of his followers. -
6:52 - 6:55Sacrificing yourself requires courage.
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6:55 - 6:59It requires you to pull
the badge of victimhood off your forehead. -
6:59 - 7:03It requires you to face your own fear.
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7:03 - 7:05Our fear tries to prevent us
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7:05 - 7:08from becoming a victim.
And that's a good thing. -
7:08 - 7:12But courage is not the absence of fear,
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7:12 - 7:15it rather means overcoming your fear.
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7:15 - 7:19We observed a First Nation man who
was trembling with excitement at the Sun Dance. -
7:19 - 7:21The tears ran down his face.
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7:21 - 7:24And yet – he made this sacrifice
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7:24 - 7:28and overcame his fear.
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7:28 - 7:34ER: A ceremony like the Sun Dance
always takes place in the community. -
7:34 - 7:39First Nations People say:
"We are always connected. -
7:39 - 7:43We all belong to a larger oneness."
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7:43 - 7:48During a ceremony the Elder will say:
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7:48 - 7:55The energy of the ceremony
comes from everyone together. -
7:55 - 7:59He himself is primarily
the mediator of the worlds. -
7:59 - 8:03At the end of a ceremony
you traditionally thank everyone, -
8:03 - 8:07with whom you have a connection.
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8:07 - 8:09You say: "To all my relations."
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8:09 - 8:15Or, in the language of the Cree First Nations:
"Kahkiyaw niwahkomak" -
8:15 - 8:19DG: Our world often appears
confusing and restless to us. -
8:19 - 8:22We are looking for guidance and meaning.
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8:22 - 8:25And we experience the world
as very individualistic. -
8:25 - 8:30Therefore, we strive for individual development.
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8:30 - 8:35We often think of ourselves
as the center of the universe ... -
8:35 - 8:38enclosed in a vacuum.
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8:38 - 8:41ER: "To all my relations", however,
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8:41 - 8:44positions you in the community.
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8:44 - 8:47In the First Nations view,
personal development is always connected -
8:47 - 8:52to the development of the community.
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8:52 - 8:56The Mohawk Elder Monture Angus says:
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8:56 - 9:02"When our women and our men
come to understand their place and role -
9:02 - 9:07in the community that they are responsible to,
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9:07 - 9:11then our nations become fully revived."
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9:11 - 9:16Perhaps, you can compare this
to the situation in an orchestra. -
9:16 - 9:23Each musician has his or her own place, too.
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9:23 - 9:27DG: What you give you get.
What does that mean anyhow? -
9:27 - 9:28It is often misunderstood.
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9:28 - 9:31In the sense of "You give and you take."
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9:31 - 9:34But it is not about giving and taking at all.
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9:34 - 9:37It is not like:
"Sometimes you win – sometimes you lose." -
9:37 - 9:41Also not like:
"I give what I want – and I take what I need." -
9:41 - 9:43It is not like that.
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9:43 - 9:46It is no "accounting of favors and courtesy."
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9:46 - 9:49It's not: "I am doing something good for you ...
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9:49 - 9:52and in return I receive
something good from you." -
9:52 - 9:55For example: "I am doing a good job.
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9:55 - 9:58My boss has to reward me for that!"
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9:58 - 10:00It is not meant like that either.
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10:00 - 10:04Rather: What do I stand up for?
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10:04 - 10:07What do I value?
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10:07 - 10:10One’s values can only grow and prosper
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10:10 - 10:14if they are nourished and protected – like a baby.
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10:14 - 10:17Thus, you deposit into your own account,
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10:17 - 10:20when you follow your own values.
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10:20 - 10:24This way you become
the hero of your own story. -
10:24 - 10:26There is a significant difference between
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10:26 - 10:30being a victim – and sacrificing yourself.
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10:30 - 10:35The hero sacrifices himself –
and thus becomes a hero! -
10:35 - 10:37Now, what does "What you give you get" mean?
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10:37 - 10:43Most likely: "What I give – I experience!"
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10:43 - 10:47ER: But isn’t that tedious and exhausting?
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10:47 - 10:50Yes! It sometimes is.
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10:50 - 10:53And all the same ! I'll do it!
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10:53 - 10:58Heroes are not always wise or rational.
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10:58 - 11:03But they listen to their inner voice – and follow it.
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11:03 - 11:06With fighting spirit, if need be.
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11:06 - 11:10Do you remember the story
of the Jamaican bobsled team -
11:10 - 11:13that wanted to travel to the Winter Olympics?
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11:13 - 11:15Indeed – some do.
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11:15 - 11:20How crazy do you have to be
in order to pursue such an idea? -
11:20 - 11:24How much mockery
did these athletes have to endure, initially? -
11:24 - 11:27How many pitying looks?
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11:27 - 11:29And all the same! They did it!
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11:29 - 11:33And in the end they were more successful
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11:33 - 11:37than most had believed before.
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11:37 - 11:43And with that, they have given hope
and courage to many. -
11:43 - 11:47DG: And sometimes, the greatest
competence a hero can possess -
11:47 - 11:49is perseverance.
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11:49 - 11:53When we were meditating
for 16 hours sitting on the hill -
11:53 - 11:55or dancing in the Sun Dance lodge,
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11:55 - 11:58keeping up was essential for us.
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11:58 - 12:02You could say: Stop whining – keep moving!
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12:02 - 12:04Grin and bear it.
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12:04 - 12:06Do not complain – just do it!
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12:06 - 12:09Julius Erving, a basketball star
of the American NBA, says: -
12:09 - 12:14"Being a professional means for me,
doing the things you love to do -
12:14 - 12:18even on those days when
you don't feel like doing them." -
12:18 - 12:22Stop whining – keep moving.
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12:22 - 12:26ER: The First Nations ask:
"What is your medicine?" -
12:26 - 12:27What do they mean by that?
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12:27 - 12:31The question is not asking for a pill or an herb.
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12:31 - 12:34Much rather, it asks:
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12:34 - 12:40How can you contribute with your talents
to the welfare of the community? -
12:40 - 12:44Often, this is expressed in a spiritual name.
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12:44 - 12:48The First Nations start their homework early
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12:48 - 12:52in finding their personal mission in life.
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12:52 - 12:55For that, they do meditation runs
or vision quests, -
12:55 - 12:57in which they retreat
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12:57 - 13:02to the solitude of nature.
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13:02 - 13:06A talent is, therefore,
not a purely private property, -
13:06 - 13:09with which one can boast.
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13:09 - 13:12So following the call of the heart means
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13:12 - 13:17using your talent to the benefit of the community.
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13:17 - 13:24“Passion!” This word already contains heroism.
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13:24 - 13:28For what do I burn?
For what am I willing to sacrifice myself? -
13:28 - 13:30Or even better:
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13:30 - 13:36How can I feed the good wolf inside me?
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13:36 - 13:38DG: But what does that mean for us?
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13:38 - 13:41How can we feed the good wolf?
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13:41 - 13:46Some people say: "Sacrificing yourself –
that doesn't sound like a very good idea!" -
13:46 - 13:48In German, "Opfer" can refer
to two different things. -
13:48 - 13:52The "victim" –
a person that a suffering is forced on to. -
13:52 - 13:57And the "sacrifice" –
the offering someone is willing to give. -
13:57 - 13:59It is based on the word "sacred".
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13:59 - 14:02To sacrifice – referring to an almost holy act.
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14:02 - 14:05In that sense we want it to be understood.
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14:05 - 14:10And sometimes, someone comes to us
and says: "OK, now I can understand it." -
14:10 - 14:13"But how can I become a hero?"
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14:13 - 14:16For this person we have five tips at hand.
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14:16 - 14:20First: "What I give, I experience."
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14:20 - 14:25Choose a person to whom you give
all your positive energy for a while. -
14:25 - 14:29and notice how that person
grows with your support. -
14:29 - 14:32And then notice how you yourself grow.
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14:32 - 14:35ER: Secondly: Spiritual Name.
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14:35 - 14:38What is your spiritual name?
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14:38 - 14:41Or put differently:
What is your mission in life? -
14:41 - 14:44For what are you willing to sacrifice yourself?
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14:44 - 14:47On what occasions in your life
have you already done this? -
14:47 - 14:50DG: Thirdly: "And all the same!"
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14:50 - 14:54Is there a project wherein
you experience resistance, -
14:54 - 14:57and where you can now become a hero
and say, "And all the same – I do it!" -
14:57 - 14:59and then do it?
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14:59 - 15:03Fourthly: "Stop whining – keep moving!"
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15:03 - 15:05Do you have a personal project
that is important to you -
15:05 - 15:09but that stretches like a chewing gum?
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15:09 - 15:14Then it is the time now to put
all your perseverance into it -
15:14 - 15:18and say: „Stop whining – keep moving!“
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15:18 - 15:21DG: Fifthly: "Pull the badge of victimhood
off your forehead!" -
15:21 - 15:25Where are you fed up with the pity of others ...
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15:25 - 15:27or even your own self-pity?
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15:27 - 15:29Where can you become a proud warrior
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15:29 - 15:32and wipe off the pity?
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15:32 - 15:38ER: And if you have done all this –
or even just one of these things -
15:38 - 15:41look in the mirror and try to say that you are no hero.
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15:41 - 15:45We are convinced that you won’t be able to say that.
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15:45 - 15:49DG: : And if you like, place your hand on the chest
of the good wolf in order to strengthen him. -
15:49 - 15:51Have much joy and happiness in doing so.
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15:51 - 15:55ER: To all our relations. Hai-hai.
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15:55 - 15:59(Applause)
- Title:
- What you give you get. Self responsibility – only for heroes? Daniel Goetz and Eike Reinhardt at TEDxKoeln
- Description:
-
Hardship and suffering in the Sun Dance, the supreme ritual of the Plains Indians, is no simple test of courage or an entertaining circus. Rather, the conscious and meaningful devotion is a sacred act in favor of a higher good. Eike Reinhardt and Daniel Goetz share their own experiences of participating in this ritual of the Piapot First Nation (Canada). They ask the question: What can we learn from indigenous cultures? And how? On their travels around the globe they sit with the old men at the campfire and learn other cultures first hand.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 16:28