ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lux Narayan - Entrepreneur
Lux Narayan is a perpetual learner of various things -- from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy.

Why you should listen

Lakshmanan aka Lux Narayan mans the helm of Unmetric, a social media intelligence company that helps digital marketers, social media analysts, and content creators harness social signals to track and analyze competitive content and campaigns, and to create better content and campaigns of their own.

Prior to founding Unmetric, Narayan was a co-founder at Vembu Technologies, an online data backup company. He also helped found and volunteered at ShareMyCake, a non-profit started by his wife that focuses on encouraging children to use their birthdays to channel monetary support towards a cause of their choosing.

As Unmetric's CEO, he leads a team of 70 people distributed across the company's operations in Chennai and New York City.

Outside of work, he is a perpetual learner of various things -- from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy. He enjoys reading obituaries and other non-fiction and watching documentaries with bad ratings. Narayan makes time every year for trekking in the Himalayas or scuba diving in tropical waters, and once he learns to fly, he hopes to spend more time off land than on it.

More profile about the speaker
Lux Narayan | Speaker | TED.com
TEDNYC

Lux Narayan: What I learned from 2,000 obituaries

Luks Narajan (Lux Narayan): Šta sam naučio iz 2 000 čitulja?

Filmed:
1,705,669 views

Luks Narajan započinje dan uz kajganu i pitanje „ko je umro danas?“ Zašto? Analizirajući 2 000 čitulja iz „Njujork Tajmsa“ tokom perioda od 20 meseci, Narajan je prikupio podatke, u samo nekoliko reči, kako dostignuća izgledaju tokom jednog životnog veka. Ovde deli čemu nas oni koji su ovekovečeni u štampi mogu naučiti o životu koji je kvalitetno proživljen.
- Entrepreneur
Lux Narayan is a perpetual learner of various things -- from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Džozef Keler je imao običaj da džogira
oko studentskog doma u Stenfordu
00:12
JosephJoseph KellerKeller used to jogpodstaklo
around the StanfordStanford campusкампус,
0
879
4072
i bio je zapanjen tolikim ženama
koje su tamo takođe džogirale.
00:16
and he was struckударио by all the womenЖене
joggingџогинг there as well.
1
4975
4717
00:21
Why did theirњихова ponytailsrepa swingсвинг
from sideстрана to sideстрана like that?
2
9716
3589
Zašto su se njihovi konjski repovi
tako ljuljali sa strane na stranu?
Kako je bio matematičar,
rešio je da razume zašto.
00:25
BeingBiti a mathematicianматематичар,
he setкомплет out to understandРазумем why.
3
13867
3138
00:29
(LaughterSmeh)
4
17029
1151
(Smeh)
Profesoru Keleru su mnoge stvari
budile radoznalost:
00:30
ProfessorProfesor KellerKeller was curiousрадознао
about manyмноги things:
5
18204
2306
zašto iz čajnika kaplje
00:32
why teapotsчајници dribbledribling
6
20534
1967
ili kako se kišne gliste uvijaju.
00:34
or how earthwormsgliste wrigglese migoljim.
7
22525
1830
Do pre nekoliko meseci,
nisam čuo za Džozefa Kelera.
00:36
UntilSve do a fewнеколико monthsмесеци agoпре,
I hadn'tније heardслушао of JosephJoseph KellerKeller.
8
24847
3048
Čitao sam o njemu u Njujork Tajmsu,
00:40
I readчитати about him in the NewNovi YorkYork TimesPuta,
9
28581
2852
u čituljama.
00:43
in the obituariesumrlice.
10
31457
1432
Tajms je imao pola stranice
uvodnog teksta posvećenog njemu,
00:44
The TimesPuta had halfпола a pageстрана
of editorialeditorijalom dedicatedпосвећен to him,
11
32913
3772
za šta možete pretpostaviti
da je izvanredan prostor
00:48
whichкоја you can imagineзамислити is premiumPremium spaceпростор
for a newspaperновине of theirњихова statureugled.
12
36709
3922
za novine njihovog ugleda.
Čitam čitulje skoro svaki dan.
00:53
I readчитати the obituariesumrlice almostскоро everyсваки day.
13
41368
2342
Moja žena s razlogom misli
da sam prilično morbidan
00:56
My wifeжена understandablyRazumljivo thinksмисли
I'm ratherприлично morbidmorbidno
14
44690
3022
jer počinjem dan uz kajganu
i „da vidimo ko je umro danas.“
00:59
to beginзапочети my day with scrambledkajgana eggsjaja
and a "Let's see who diedумро todayданас."
15
47736
4400
(Smeh)
01:04
(LaughterSmeh)
16
52160
1150
Ali ako razmislite o tome,
01:06
But if you think about it,
17
54025
1292
na prednjoj strani novina
obično su loše vesti
01:07
the frontфронт pageстрана of the newspaperновине
is usuallyобично badлоше newsвести,
18
55341
3413
i ukazuje se na čovekove neuspehe.
01:10
and cuessignale man'sчовека failuresпропусти.
19
58778
1975
Primer u kome loše vesti
ukazuju na dostignuće
01:12
An instanceпример where badлоше newsвести
cuessignale accomplishmentдостигнуће
20
60777
2666
je na kraju novina, u čituljama.
01:15
is at the endкрај of the paperпапир,
in the obituariesumrlice.
21
63467
3235
U svom svakodnevnom poslu,
01:19
In my day jobпосао,
22
67405
1364
upravljam kompanijom
koja se fokusira na buduće uvide
01:20
I runтрцати a companyкомпанија that focusesфокусира
on futureбудућност insightsувиде
23
68793
2476
koje trgovci mogu da izvedu
iz prošlih podataka -
01:23
that marketersмаркетинга can deriveизводити
from pastпрошлост dataподаци --
24
71293
2420
nešto poput analize u retrovizoru.
01:25
a kindкинд of rearview-mirrorretrovizor analysisанализа.
25
73737
2944
Počeli smo da razmišljamo
01:29
And we beganпочела to think:
26
77092
1155
šta bi bilo kada bismo stavili
u retrovizor čitulje iz „Njujork Tajmsa“?
01:30
What if we heldОдржан a rearviewiza mene mirrorогледало
to obituariesumrlice from the NewNovi YorkYork TimesPuta?
27
78271
5118
Da li je tu bilo lekcija
o tome kako da vam istaknu čitulju -
01:36
Were there lessonsлекције on how you could get
your obituaryнебројено featurednastupili su --
28
84514
3468
čak i ako niste tu
da biste u tome uživali?
01:40
even if you aren'tнису around to enjoyуживати it?
29
88006
1977
(Smeh)
01:42
(LaughterSmeh)
30
90007
1484
Da li bi to bolje išlo uz kajganu?
01:43
Would this go better with scrambledkajgana eggsjaja?
31
91515
2628
(Smeh)
01:46
(LaughterSmeh)
32
94167
1150
Tako smo pogledali podatke.
01:48
And so, we lookedпогледао at the dataподаци.
33
96163
2998
Dve hiljade tekstova urednika,
neplaćenih čitulja
01:51
2,000 editorialeditorijalom, non-paidkoji nije platio obituariesumrlice
34
99869
4494
tokom perioda od 20 meseci
između 2015. i 2016. godine.
01:56
over a 20-month-mesec dana periodраздобље
betweenизмеђу 2015 and 2016.
35
104387
3642
Čemu nas je ovih 2 000 smrti,
odnosno života, naučilo?
02:00
What did these 2,000 deathsсмрти --
ratherприлично, livesживи -- teachнаучити us?
36
108053
4824
Pa, prvo smo pogledali reči.
02:04
Well, first we lookedпогледао at wordsречи.
37
112901
2033
Ovo ovde je jedan naslov čitulje.
02:06
This here is an obituaryнебројено headlineнаслов.
38
114958
1761
To je čitulja neverovatnog Lija Guangjaoa.
02:08
This one is of the amazingНевероватно LeeLee KuanKuan YewYew-a.
39
116743
2296
Ako uklonite početak i kraj,
02:11
If you removeуклонити the beginningпочетак and the endкрај,
40
119063
2522
ostaje vam lepo sročeni opis
02:13
you're left with a beautifullyлијепо
wordedNe mogu sada descriptoropisa
41
121609
3334
koji nastoji da, u samo nekoliko reči,
obuhvati dostignuće jednog životnog veka.
02:16
that triesпокушава to, in just a fewнеколико wordsречи,
captureхватање an achievementдостигнуће or a lifetimeживотни век.
42
124967
4675
Samo gledanje ovoga je fascinantno.
02:21
Just looking at these is fascinatingфасцинантан.
43
129666
2161
Evo nekoliko poznatih, ljudi koji su umrli
tokom poslednje dve godine.
02:24
Here are a fewнеколико famousпознат onesоне,
people who diedумро in the last two yearsгодине.
44
132301
3295
Pokušajte da pogodite ko su.
02:27
Try and guessпретпостављам who they are.
45
135620
1319
[Umetnik koji se opirao
svrstavanju u žanr]
02:28
[An ArtistIzvođač who DefiedPrkosio GenreŽanr]
46
136963
1440
02:30
That's PrincePrinc.
47
138427
1185
To je Prins.
02:32
[TitanTitan of BoxingBoks and the 20thтх CenturyVeka]
48
140497
1837
[Titan boksa i 20. veka]
O, da.
02:34
Oh, yes.
49
142358
1160
[Muhamed Ali]
02:35
[MuhammadMuhamed Ali AliAlija]
50
143542
1224
[Inovativni arhitekta]
02:36
[GroundbreakingRevoluciju ArchitectArhitekta]
51
144790
1546
Zaha Hadid.
02:38
ZahaZaha HadidHadid.
52
146360
1251
Uzeli smo ove opise
02:40
So we tookузела these descriptorsopisi
53
148843
1748
i sproveli ono što se naziva
obrada prirodnog jezika,
02:42
and did what's calledпозвани
naturalприродно languageЈезик processingобрада,
54
150615
2524
gde ubacite ovo u program,
02:45
where you feedнапајање these into a programпрограм,
55
153163
1771
a on izbacuje suvišne reči -
02:46
it throwsбаци out the superfluoussuvišne wordsречи --
56
154958
1865
članove, „i“ - one reči koje lako možete
da pokažete u igri pantomime -
02:48
"the," "and," -- the kindкинд of wordsречи
you can mimeMIME easilyлако in "CharadesPantomime," --
57
156847
4223
i ostavlja vam najznačajnije reči.
02:53
and leavesоставља you with the mostнајвише
significantзначајно wordsречи.
58
161094
2193
Ovo smo uradili ne samo za ova četiri,
02:55
And we did it not just for these fourчетири,
59
163311
1821
već za svih 2 000 opisa.
02:57
but for all 2,000 descriptorsopisi.
60
165156
2519
Ovako to izgleda.
02:59
And this is what it looksизглед like.
61
167699
1743
Film, pozorište, muzika, ples i, naravno,
umetnost, su veoma zastupljeni.
03:03
FilmFilm, theatrepozorište, musicмузика, danceплес
and of courseкурс, artуметност, are hugeогромно.
62
171004
4827
Preko 40 procenata.
03:08
Over 40 percentпроценат.
63
176485
1946
Morate se zapitati
zašto u toliko mnogo društava
03:10
You have to wonderпитати се
why in so manyмноги societiesдруштва
64
178455
2528
insistiramo da se naša deca bave
03:13
we insistInsistiram that our kidsклинци pursueгонити
engineeringинжењеринг or medicineмедицина or businessбизнис or lawзакон
65
181007
4435
inženjerstvom, medicinom,
biznisom ili pravom
da bi ih smatrali uspešnim.
03:17
to be construedshvatiti as successfulуспјешно.
66
185466
1587
03:19
And while we're talkingпричају professionпрофесија,
67
187871
1693
Dok smo kod zanimanja,
razmotrimo godine -
03:21
let's look at ageстарост --
68
189588
1151
prosečne godine
u kojima su ostvarili nešto.
03:22
the averageпросек ageстарост at whichкоја
they achievedпостићи things.
69
190763
2510
Taj broj je 37.
03:25
That numberброј is 37.
70
193297
1846
To znači da morate da čekate 37 godina
03:28
What that meansзначи is,
you've got to wait 37 yearsгодине ...
71
196274
3656
pre svog prvog značajnog dostignuća
po kome će vas pamtiti -
03:31
before your first significantзначајно achievementдостигнуће
that you're rememberedсетио for --
72
199954
3395
u proseku -
03:35
on averageпросек --
73
203373
1151
44 godine kasnije,
kada umrete u 81. godini -
03:36
44 yearsгодине laterкасније, when you
dieумрети at the ageстарост of 81 --
74
204548
2478
u proseku.
03:39
on averageпросек.
75
207050
1168
(Smeh)
03:40
(LaughterSmeh)
76
208242
1001
To se zove strpljenje.
03:41
Talk about havingимати to be patientпацијент.
77
209267
1684
(Smeh)
03:42
(LaughterSmeh)
78
210975
1057
Naravno, to se razlikuje
u zavisnosti od zanimanja.
03:44
Of courseкурс, it variesvarira by professionпрофесија.
79
212056
2089
Ako ste sportska zvezda,
03:46
If you're a sportsспорт starЗвезда,
80
214566
1193
verovatno ćete dostići vrhunac
u svojim 20-im godinama.
03:47
you'llти ћеш probablyвероватно hitхит
your stridehodu in your 20s.
81
215783
2127
03:49
And if you're in your 40s like me,
82
217934
2645
A ako ste u 40-im kao ja,
možete se priključiti
zabavnom svetu politike.
03:52
you can joinпридружити the funзабавно worldсвет of politicsполитика.
83
220603
1991
03:54
(LaughterSmeh)
84
222618
1056
(Smeh)
Političari ostvare svoje prvo,
a ponekad i jedino delo vredno pohvale,
03:55
PoliticiansPolitičari do theirњихова first and sometimesпонекад
only commendableza svaku pohvalu actчинити in theirњихова mid-мид-40s.
85
223698
3915
sredinom 40-ih godina.
03:59
(LaughterSmeh)
86
227637
1257
(Smeh)
04:00
If you're wonderingпитајући се what "othersдруги" are,
87
228918
1937
Ako se pitate ko su „ostali“,
evo nekih primera.
04:02
here are some examplesпримери.
88
230879
1476
04:04
Isn't it fascinatingфасцинантан, the things people do
89
232821
2116
Zar nije fascinantno šta ljudi rade
04:06
and the things they're rememberedсетио for?
90
234961
1882
i po čemu ostaju upamćeni?
04:08
(LaughterSmeh)
91
236867
1752
(Smeh)
Naša radoznalost je uhvatila zamah
04:12
Our curiosityрадозналост was in overdriveili alkohol,
92
240136
1844
i rešili smo da analiziramo
i više od opisa.
04:14
and we desiredželjeni to analyzeанализирај
more than just a descriptoropisa.
93
242004
3788
Uneli smo čitav prvi pasus
svih 2 000 čitulja,
04:18
So, we ingestedprogutali the entireцео
first paragraphpasus of all 2,000 obituariesumrlice,
94
246998
4946
ali smo to uradili zasebno
za dve grupe ljudi -
04:23
but we did this separatelyодвојено
for two groupsгрупе of people:
95
251968
2774
za ljude koji su poznati
i one koji nisu poznati.
04:26
people that are famousпознат
and people that are not famousпознат.
96
254766
2777
Poznati ljudi - Prins, Ali, Zaha Hadid -
04:29
FamousPoznati people -- PrincePrinc,
AliAlija, ZahaZaha HadidHadid --
97
257567
2689
ljudi koji nisu poznati
su osobe poput Džoslin Kuper,
04:32
people who are not famousпознат
are people like JocelynJocelyn CooperCooper,
98
260280
4235
Velečasni Kari
04:36
ReverendVelečasni CurryKari
99
264539
1154
i Lorna Keli.
04:37
or LornaLorna KellyKelly.
100
265717
1169
Spreman sam da se kladim
da niste čuli većinu njihovih imena.
04:38
I'm willingспремни to betопклада you haven'tније heardслушао
of mostнајвише of theirњихова namesимена.
101
266910
3188
Neverovatni su ljudi,
fantastična dostignuća, ali nisu poznati.
04:42
AmazingNeverovatno people, fantasticфантастичан achievementsdostignuća,
but they're not famousпознат.
102
270122
3812
Dakle, šta ako analiziramo
ove dve grupe odvojeno -
04:46
So what if we analyzeанализирај
these two groupsгрупе separatelyодвојено --
103
274720
2788
poznate i nepoznate?
04:49
the famousпознат and the non-famousNe poznate?
104
277532
1525
Šta bi nam to pokazalo?
04:51
What mightМожда that tell us?
105
279081
1419
Pogledajte.
04:52
Take a look.
106
280524
1240
Dve stvari mi upadaju u oči.
04:56
Two things leapскок out at me.
107
284556
1469
Prvo:
04:58
First:
108
286569
1170
„Džon“
05:00
"JohnJohn."
109
288106
1198
(Smeh)
05:01
(LaughterSmeh)
110
289328
1300
Ko god se ovde zove Džon
treba da zahvali svojim roditeljima -
05:03
AnyoneNikome here namedназван JohnJohn
should thank your parentsродитељи --
111
291914
3388
(Smeh)
05:07
(LaughterSmeh)
112
295326
1329
i podseti decu da izrežu
njegovu čitulju kad ga više ne bude.
05:08
and remindПодсетите your kidsклинци to cutрез out
your obituaryнебројено when you're goneотишла.
113
296679
3082
Drugo:
05:13
And secondдруго:
114
301061
1356
„pomoć“.
05:15
"help."
115
303849
1154
Otkrili smo mnogo lekcija
iz kvalitetno proživljenih života
05:18
We uncoveredsu otkrili, manyмноги lessonsлекције
from livesживи well-ledDobro koje predvode,
116
306524
3465
i ono čemu nas mogu naučiti
ti ljudi ovekovečeni u štampi.
05:22
and what those people immortalizedbesmrtan
in printпринт could teachнаучити us.
117
310013
2836
Ova vežba je bila fascinantno svedočanstvo
kaleidoskopa koji predstavlja život,
05:24
The exerciseвежбање was a fascinatingфасцинантан testamentтестамент
to the kaleidoscopeкалеидоскоп that is life,
118
312873
4738
a još fascinantnija
05:29
and even more fascinatingфасцинантан
119
317635
2715
bila je činjenica
da je velika većina čitulja
05:32
was the factчињеница that the overwhelmingпреовлађујуће
majorityвећина of obituariesumrlice
120
320374
3068
isticala poznate i nepoznate ljude,
05:35
featurednastupili su people famousпознат and non-famousNe poznate,
121
323466
2998
koji su uradili naizgled izuzetne stvari.
05:38
who did seeminglyнаизглед extraordinaryизузетно things.
122
326488
2433
Napravili su pozitivan trag
u strukturi života.
05:41
They madeмаде a positiveпозитивно dentDent
in the fabricтканина of life.
123
329574
3110
Pomogli su.
05:44
They helpedпомогао.
124
332708
1237
Zato se zapitajte kad se vratite
svom svakodnevnom životu
05:46
So askпитати yourselvesсами as you go
back to your dailyдневно livesживи:
125
334772
2591
kako koristite svoje talente
da biste pomogli društvu.
05:49
How am I usingКористећи my talentsталенте to help societyдруштво?
126
337387
2920
Jer je ovde najsnažnija lekcija da bi,
05:52
Because the mostнајвише powerfulмоћан lessonлекцију here is,
127
340331
2973
ako bi više ljudi živelo svoj život
nastojeći da budu poznati nakon smrti,
05:55
if more people livedживели theirњихова livesживи
tryingпокушавајући to be famousпознат in deathсмрт,
128
343328
4336
svet bi bio mnogo bolje mesto.
05:59
the worldсвет would be a much better placeместо.
129
347688
2605
Hvala.
06:03
Thank you.
130
351062
1169
(Aplauz)
06:04
(ApplauseAplauz)
131
352255
2848
Translated by Ivana Krivokuća
Reviewed by Tijana Mihajlović

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lux Narayan - Entrepreneur
Lux Narayan is a perpetual learner of various things -- from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy.

Why you should listen

Lakshmanan aka Lux Narayan mans the helm of Unmetric, a social media intelligence company that helps digital marketers, social media analysts, and content creators harness social signals to track and analyze competitive content and campaigns, and to create better content and campaigns of their own.

Prior to founding Unmetric, Narayan was a co-founder at Vembu Technologies, an online data backup company. He also helped found and volunteered at ShareMyCake, a non-profit started by his wife that focuses on encouraging children to use their birthdays to channel monetary support towards a cause of their choosing.

As Unmetric's CEO, he leads a team of 70 people distributed across the company's operations in Chennai and New York City.

Outside of work, he is a perpetual learner of various things -- from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy. He enjoys reading obituaries and other non-fiction and watching documentaries with bad ratings. Narayan makes time every year for trekking in the Himalayas or scuba diving in tropical waters, and once he learns to fly, he hopes to spend more time off land than on it.

More profile about the speaker
Lux Narayan | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee