TED2019
Derren Brown: Mentalism, mind reading and the art of getting inside your head
Filmed:
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"Magic is a great analogy for how we edit reality and form a story -- and then mistake that story for the truth," says psychological illusionist Derren Brown. In a clever talk wrapped around a dazzling mind-reading performance, Brown explores the seductive appeal of finding simple answers to life's complex and subtle questions.
Derren Brown - Psychological illusionist, author
With beguiling feats of mind reading and suggestion, Derren Brown explores psychological manipulation and its implications for the human experience. Full bio
With beguiling feats of mind reading and suggestion, Derren Brown explores psychological manipulation and its implications for the human experience. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
We are all trapped
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inside our own heads,
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and our beliefs and our understandings
about the world are limited
about the world are limited
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by that perspective,
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which means we tell ourselves stories.
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Right? So here we are
in this infinite data source.
in this infinite data source.
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There's an infinite number of things
that we could think about,
that we could think about,
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but we edit and delete.
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We choose what to think about,
what to pay attention to.
what to pay attention to.
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We make up a story ...
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to make sense of what's going on,
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and we all get it wrong.
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Because we're all trying to navigate
with our own skewed compasses,
with our own skewed compasses,
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and we all have our own baggage,
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but the stories themselves
are utterly convincing.
are utterly convincing.
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And we all do this,
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and a lot of the stories
that we live by aren't even our own.
that we live by aren't even our own.
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The first ones we inherit
at a young age from our parents,
at a young age from our parents,
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who of course have
their own skewed beliefs,
their own skewed beliefs,
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their own frustrations,
their own unlived lives.
their own unlived lives.
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And for better or worse,
we take all that onboard,
we take all that onboard,
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and then we go out into the world
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thinking maybe we have to
be successful to be loved;
be successful to be loved;
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or that we always have to put
other people's needs first;
other people's needs first;
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or that we have some big terrible secret
we couldn't possible tell people.
we couldn't possible tell people.
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And it's just fiction, it's just stories,
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and we'd worry a lot less
about what other people think of us
about what other people think of us
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if we realized how seldom they do.
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(Laughter)
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So I feel that magic is a great analogy
for how we edit reality and form a story
for how we edit reality and form a story
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and then mistake that story for the truth,
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and I've had a 20-year career in the UK
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staging big psychological
experiments on TV,
experiments on TV,
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and now that's on Netflix.
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I also have a stage show.
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I've got my first Broadway show actually
coming up, called "Secret."
coming up, called "Secret."
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Just throwing that out there. No pressure.
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(Laughter)
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That should be this year.
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02:09
And I try to do something new
with mentalism, mentalism,
with mentalism, mentalism,
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which is the dubious art
of getting inside your head.
of getting inside your head.
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So there was a heyday
for this kind of stage mind-reading,
for this kind of stage mind-reading,
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which was the 1930s.
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That's why I'm dressed like this,
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in my most un-TED-like garb.
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And there was an act,
an act known as the Oracle Act.
an act known as the Oracle Act.
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And in the Oracle Act,
members of the audience,
members of the audience,
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as I know you have done,
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would write down secret questions,
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the sort of questions
you might ask a psychic,
you might ask a psychic,
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seal that question into an envelope,
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and on the outside of the envelope
they would write their initials
they would write their initials
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and then roughly
where they sat in the audience.
where they sat in the audience.
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And then the Oracle, the mind reader,
would take an envelope one at a time,
would take an envelope one at a time,
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he wouldn't open it,
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but he would attempt to divine
what question was sealed inside.
what question was sealed inside.
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And if he got that right,
he would try and answer the question
he would try and answer the question
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for the person too.
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And the act spread like wildfire.
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It's a testament, I think,
to the seductive appeal
to the seductive appeal
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of some powerful figure
offering you easy, simple answers
offering you easy, simple answers
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to life's complex and subtle questions
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and anxieties.
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So thank you all of you
that wrote questions.
that wrote questions.
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I haven't seen these.
I know somebody's guarding them.
I know somebody's guarding them.
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Thank you so much.
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I will take those now.
Thank you all of you that did this.
Thank you all of you that did this.
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I should say, probably,
a couple of things before I start.
a couple of things before I start.
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In absolute honesty,
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first of all I can't see
through these envelopes.
through these envelopes.
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They are sealed.
They are thick black envelopes.
They are thick black envelopes.
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You'll know if you wrote one.
I can't see through them.
I can't see through them.
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Secondly, importantly,
I don't know any of you
I don't know any of you
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and nobody is playing along.
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That's not what this is.
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Thirdly ...
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I don't believe for a second that I have
any special psychological gifts,
any special psychological gifts,
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let alone any psychic ones.
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So let's begin.
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Nope.
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(Laughter)
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OK, this --
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Oh, nice.
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OK, this one's interesting.
There's a couple here.
There's a couple here.
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I will start with maybe this one.
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This one's interesting,
because the writing undulates.
because the writing undulates.
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There's a sort of an up and down thing,
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which normally -- not always --
normally means
normally means
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that the person doesn't know
the answer to the question themselves,
the answer to the question themselves,
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so it's normally a question
about the future, right?
about the future, right?
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That sort of suggests uncertainty.
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So I would say it's a lady,
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age-wise it's a little difficult to tell
from this minimal handwriting,
from this minimal handwriting,
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but I would expect maybe 30s,
maybe 40s, but let's find out.
maybe 40s, but let's find out.
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It says -- and a question
about the future --
about the future --
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it says, "JN, center."
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So it's going to be somebody
in this big central section here.
in this big central section here.
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If you think this is you,
if you wrote one,
if you wrote one,
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could you make a fuss?
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It's a bit difficult for me
to see in the center.
to see in the center.
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Hi, give us a wave.
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So J ...
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Jane? Jessica?
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Jessica: Yes.
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Derren Brown: Which one?
Jessica: Jessica.
Jessica: Jessica.
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05:13
DB: Thank you. Just a guess.
Little murmur of approval, thank you?
Little murmur of approval, thank you?
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(Laughter)
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I'll take it.
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Alright, so Jessica,
I won't ask your age,
I won't ask your age,
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but is it a question
essentially about the future?
essentially about the future?
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Jessica: Mhm?
DB: Yes?
DB: Yes?
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Jessica: Yes.
DB: Yes. OK.
DB: Yes. OK.
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Alright. So what did we ask?
What did Jessica ask about the future?
What did Jessica ask about the future?
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So am I OK with late-30s, early-40s?
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Jessica: I'll take it. I'm taking it.
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(Laughter)
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DB: OK, so it's important,
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because we ask different questions
depending how old we are.
depending how old we are.
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Just say, "I'll take it" again.
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Jessica: I'll take it.
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DB: Virginia? You're from Virginia?
Jessica: Yes, I am.
Jessica: Yes, I am.
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DB: Yeah. So --
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(Laughter)
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I think this is a lady,
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I think this is a lady
who wants to leave Virginia.
who wants to leave Virginia.
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I think you're looking at plans,
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it's whether or not things
are going to come together to get out.
are going to come together to get out.
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Just show me your hands.
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Other sides so I can see fingernails?
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OK, I think you have a farm
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and it's whether or not you're going
to sell your farm and get out of Virginia?
to sell your farm and get out of Virginia?
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Is this right?
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Jessica: Absolutely, that's the question.
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DB: Alright. Great. Thank you.
It's a great question!
It's a great question!
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What was the actual question?
What did you put?
What did you put?
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Jessica: "Will I sell
the farm in Virginia?"
the farm in Virginia?"
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DB: Will you sell the farm?
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Alright, so look, it's a great question
if you are pretending to be psychic,
if you are pretending to be psychic,
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because it's about the future,
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which means I can give you
a yes or no on this.
a yes or no on this.
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It means nothing.
You have no way of verifying it.
You have no way of verifying it.
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And a dangerous thing to do --
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and if I say yes or no,
it'll just stick in the back of your mind,
it'll just stick in the back of your mind,
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and it can't not start to affect
decisions you make.
decisions you make.
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So a dangerous thing to do. However --
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(Laughter)
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Yes, I think you will sell the farm,
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because I think you're the sort of person
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that in the nicest way
will get what you want.
will get what you want.
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I think when there are things you want,
you tend to focus on them
you tend to focus on them
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at the expense of other things
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that you know you probably
should be focusing on more,
should be focusing on more,
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would you agree?
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Educated, you spent a few years in --
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Say yes again, the word "yes" quickly?
Jessica: Yes.
Jessica: Yes.
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DB: No?
Jessica: No.
Jessica: No.
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DB: California? Berkeley?
A bit of a guess, but ...
A bit of a guess, but ...
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Jessica: I went to Berkeley, yes.
Stop doing this!
Stop doing this!
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DB: So it's a yes.
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Oh, and you've been
to India recently as well.
to India recently as well.
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There's just a tiny, tiny little thing
going on there. Yes? No?
going on there. Yes? No?
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Jessica: Yes, I just got back from India.
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DB: It's a yes from me, I just don't want
to say it like it's written in the stars
to say it like it's written in the stars
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because it isn't, and you need
to take responsibility for it.
to take responsibility for it.
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DB: Have a seat.
Thank you. Let's do another one.
Thank you. Let's do another one.
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(Applause)
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AH, also in the center? AH.
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This will be a man, a little older,
maybe late 40s, I would say from this.
maybe late 40s, I would say from this.
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AH, center, stand up for me
if you think this is you.
if you think this is you.
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AH. Hi, let's get a microphone to the sky.
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Quick as we can,
on camera would be amazing.
on camera would be amazing.
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Oh, look at that! Freeze.
Don't move. Don't move.
Don't move. Don't move.
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Keep absolutely still.
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Are you standing? Where are you?
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Man: I am standing. I'm not that short.
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DB: OK.
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Alright, now you changed that.
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There was just something
you did as you got up.
you did as you got up.
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Yes or no, have you
put something on here --
put something on here --
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you're not doing it now,
but you did it as you stood up --
but you did it as you stood up --
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to do with your left or your left leg
or your left foot, yes or no?
or your left foot, yes or no?
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Man: Yes.
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DB: Alright. He was giving us
a nice clear signal as he stood up.
a nice clear signal as he stood up.
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Put your weight on your
left-hand side and say "yes."
left-hand side and say "yes."
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Man: Yes.
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DB: Take your hand out of that pocket,
put your weight on the other side,
put your weight on the other side,
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change hands with the mic
and say "yes" again.
and say "yes" again.
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Man: Yes.
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DB: You have a dislocation
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in the big toe on your left-hand side?
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Man: Yes.
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DB: Thank you so much. Great.
Good one! Take a seat. Take a seat.
Good one! Take a seat. Take a seat.
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Can I get the microphone?
I'm going to change microphone for this.
I'm going to change microphone for this.
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Can I grab a mic up? Thank you.
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Thank you so much.
That would be great there.
That would be great there.
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I'm going to change mic because,
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hopefully you can now still hear me?
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So I'm going to blindfold myself.
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And I'm doing this now so I don't
have the clues as you stand up.
have the clues as you stand up.
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I can't see where you put your hands.
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I can't see how you respond
to what I'm saying.
to what I'm saying.
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I can't see what the people
next to you are doing either.
next to you are doing either.
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If they know the answers to the question,
that's always very helpful.
that's always very helpful.
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I won't have those advantages,
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but strangely,
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this frees me up,
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and I want this to free you up as well,
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so if you didn't write a question
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but you wish that you had done,
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you can still take part.
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The point of writing the question
is only that it just kind of gets
is only that it just kind of gets
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a nice, clear, succinct
wording in your head.
wording in your head.
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So if you can just find
a question in your head,
a question in your head,
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make it clear and succinct,
just send it to me,
just send it to me,
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and I'll try and do this now
without anything written down.
without anything written down.
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So just start to form questions
but send me your name as well.
but send me your name as well.
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"My name is," whatever that last guy was,
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and "what's strange about my feet,"
or whatever the question was.
or whatever the question was.
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So name and question.
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There is somebody already,
I'm guessing you're quite near the front,
I'm guessing you're quite near the front,
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because your name is quite clear.
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Feels like you're
in the center at the front.
in the center at the front.
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OK, let me just ... Allan?
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Feels like there's an Allan.
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And you're going to be quite near
the front, vaguely central, I think.
the front, vaguely central, I think.
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Feels like it's coming from right there.
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There's like a man, maybe early 60s,
something like that.
something like that.
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Allan: Yes.
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DB: You've got a mic? Great, thank you.
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Allan, just say "stop" when I get to you
so that I know where you are,
so that I know where you are,
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where to face.
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Allan: Stop.
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DB: You a Capricorn?
Allan: Yes.
Allan: Yes.
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DB: So Allan has something in his head.
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Now, did you hear it,
hear the reserve in his voice?
hear the reserve in his voice?
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It's going to be something really tricky.
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I think with you ...
Just say "yes" again for me?
Just say "yes" again for me?
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Allan: Yes.
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DB: It's going to be either --
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no it's not.
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It's access, it's a password
or access to something.
or access to something.
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Have you got something, just yes or no,
with a password in your head?
with a password in your head?
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Allan: Yes.
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DB: A computer password,
that sort of thing?
that sort of thing?
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Allan: Yes.
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DB: Excellent!
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(Laughter)
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In that case, I'm going
to finish on this one. Let me ---
to finish on this one. Let me ---
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If I get this right,
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they're all going to know what it is,
and millions of people potentially.
and millions of people potentially.
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You will change it, won't you?
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Allan: Of course.
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(Laughter)
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DB: Just say "of course" again?
Allan: Of course.
Allan: Of course.
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DB: Alright. If it's a word --
I imagine it's a word, right --
I imagine it's a word, right --
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just see the password
written in front of you,
written in front of you,
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big clear block capital letters,
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and as you look at it, think for me
of a letter somewhere in the middle,
of a letter somewhere in the middle,
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don't say it out loud,
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just get a letter in your head
that's in the middle.
that's in the middle.
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Have you got one?
Allan: Yeah.
Allan: Yeah.
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DB: OK, stick with that for me.
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Ah, you changed it, OK.
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You changed your mind there.
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I think you settled on a --
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I think that's a "B", yes?
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Allan: No.
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I didn't.
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DB: Then it's an "I"?
Allan: Correct.
Allan: Correct.
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DB: But you had a B.
Allan: Yes.
Allan: Yes.
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DB: Yeah, he changed his mind.
He changed his mind.
He changed his mind.
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(Laughter)
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So see it written there.
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Just keep saying it
to yourself in your head.
to yourself in your head.
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Oh, you play drums, don't you.
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Allan: I do.
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DB: Just get that out of your head,
get that out of your head,
get that out of your head,
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just focus on this one thing for me.
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(Laughter)
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My job is to sell you a story, right?
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I try and do this to all of you,
to get you to pay attention
to get you to pay attention
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to one thing that I want you
to find important,
to find important,
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ignore other things
that I want you to ignore,
that I want you to ignore,
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and then join up those narrative dots
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to tell yourself a certain story
about what I'm doing,
about what I'm doing,
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and this only works because
we are story-forming creatures,
we are story-forming creatures,
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which means we do this every day.
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We go out into this complex
and subtle world
and subtle world
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full of a complex and subtle people
like you and me, Allan,
like you and me, Allan,
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and we reduce them
to these neat characters
to these neat characters
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that fit whatever story
we're telling ourselves,
we're telling ourselves,
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and we say, "She's insecure,"
"He's arrogant," "They can't be trusted."
"He's arrogant," "They can't be trusted."
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And these are just stories like the story
that I can somehow read your mind.
that I can somehow read your mind.
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You're thinking of selling your company
as well, aren't you, at the moment.
as well, aren't you, at the moment.
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Allan: Correct.
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DB: Which is something to do with skin?
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Allan: Yes.
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DB: Skin care or something like this.
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Allan: Uh, yes.
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DB: And I think the reason
why I love doing this
why I love doing this
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is that it reminds me at least
to try and be more alive and alert
to try and be more alive and alert
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to the complexity
and the subtlety of what's real,
and the subtlety of what's real,
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that there's always other stuff
going on that we don't know about,
going on that we don't know about,
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and it means we can get less stuck,
we can be kinder to people
we can be kinder to people
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because we can recognize
there's always fear behind their stress,
there's always fear behind their stress,
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so we don't need
to meet it as defensively,
to meet it as defensively,
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and we can start to see the stories
for what they are
for what they are
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and recognize that life
isn't all about us.
isn't all about us.
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Oh!
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Your password, where are you?
Where are you? Where is he?
Where are you? Where is he?
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Allan: Right here.
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DB: Stand up for me.
Your password is "ariboy."
Your password is "ariboy."
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A-r-i-b-o-y? Is that right?
Allan: That's correct.
Allan: That's correct.
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DB: Then thank you so much.
Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you very much indeed.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Derren Brown - Psychological illusionist, authorWith beguiling feats of mind reading and suggestion, Derren Brown explores psychological manipulation and its implications for the human experience.
Why you should listen
Derren Brown redefines magic through must-see TV and stage events, exhilarating audiences for 20 years in the UK and now worldwide with his brand of psychological illusion. He has gained a reputation as a performer consistently prepared to break down boundaries.
Amid a varied and notorious TV career, Brown has played Russian Roulette live, convinced middle managers to commit armed robbery, led the nation in a séance, stuck viewers at home to their sofas, motivated a shy man to land a packed passenger plane at 30,000 feet, hypnotized another to assassinate Stephen Fry, persuaded a racist to change his ways and lay down his life for an illegal immigrant, and created a zombie apocalypse for an unwitting participant after dramatically ending the world.
Brown's most recent special, Sacrifice, is currently streaming on Netflix, and his show Secret will be playing on Broadway at the Cort Theatre from September 6, 2019 through January 4, 2020. He is the author of Meet the People with Love, Happy: Why More or Less Everything Is Absolutely Fine and Confessions of a Conjuror.
Derren Brown | Speaker | TED.com