Last week, we were stoked to go to TEDxSydney and learn a whole lot about life, career, and empathy from a suite of amazing speakers.

The speakers, varying in experience, age, and subject areas, taught us a whole bunch about life. Namely — well, for us at least — how to be a really good person.

#1 A Good Apology Has Three Parts

Jahan Kalantar is a criminal defence lawyer and university lecturer, so you know he’s seen his fair share of apologies. But adults, he told us, were never taught how to say sorry properly.

In his talk, Jahan gave us the framework for the right way to say “sorry”. It goes like so: Why, because, and. The example he gave is, “Sorry I couldn’t make it to your TEDxSydney talk Jahan because I know you worked very hard on it. And if you ever give another talk, I’ll be there!”

A good apology requires the person delivering it to be vulnerable and authentic. Next time you need to say sorry, truly mean it.

#2 We Need To Seperate Fact From Fake News

As Fact Check Editor for The Conversation, Lucinda Beaman can smell bullshit (“fake news”) from a mile away. In her talk, she stressed the importance of seeking out the truth, listening to other people, and being OK with changing your mind.

She says, “In an age when we’re inundated with conflicting messages, and there’s so much information out there that is designed to mislead and deceive us, being able to assess what is quality information and what is not is one of the most important skills we can teach each other.”

She told us that yelling at each other isn’t constructive. Sitting down and listening to someone (really listening) with the intent of understanding their perspective is what’s going to help get us through this age of fake news and confusion without turning against each other.

#3 Get To Know Your Neighbour

You know those extremely heartwarming signs outside of Gosford Anglican Church that go viral every few months? Like this one, and this one? They’re the kind of signs you’d never expect outside of a Christian church, which is why they’re so remarkable. And the man responsible for them is Father Rod Bower.

In his TEDxSydney talk, he spoke about making these signs and why it’s important to have the bravery to be a good neighbour to others. “Who is my neighbour?” he asked. “The answer to that question is disturbing because the answer is the one who I have excluded.”

If you have preconceived notions about someone, he says, especially if they’re based on race, religion or sexuality, then you have even more of a responsibility to reach out to them and lend a helping hand. That hand can be in the form of helping them when their car breaks down, or by just being a friendly presence in their life.

You can watch this year’s TEDxSydney talks here. 

(All images: provided)