In an unmissable talk, journalist Carole Cadwalladr digs into one of the most perplexing events in recent times: the UK's super-close 2016 vote to leave the European Union. So how did it happen, and could it happen again? Alex Gendler and Anthony Hazard dive into the history and circumstances that allowed Hitler to become Führer of Germany.įacebook's role in Brexit- and the threat to democracy How though do we know that we'll really get paradise in return? We've seen it on television.Watch these recommended TED-Ed Lessons and TED Talks:ĭecades after the fall of the Third Reich, it feels impossible to understand how Adolf Hitler, the tyrant who orchestrated one of the largest genocides in human history, could ever have risen to power in a democratic country. This is the first religion in history whose followers actually do what they are asked to do.
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The new ethic promises paradise on condition that the rich remain greedy and spend their time making more money and that the masses give free reign to their cravings and passions and buy more and more. In contrast, most people today successfully live up to the capitalist–consumerist ideal. Most Christians did not imitate Christ, most Buddhists failed to follow Buddha, and most Confucians would have caused Confucius a temper tantrum. The history of ethics is a sad tale of wonderful ideals that nobody can live up to. They were promised paradise, but only if they cultivated compassion and tolerance, overcame craving and anger, and restrained their selfish interests. Most previous ethical systems presented people with a pretty tough deal. The supreme commandment of the rich is ‘Invest!’ The supreme commandment of the rest of us is ‘Buy!’ The capitalist–consumerist ethic is revolutionary in another respect. “The capitalist and consumerist ethics are two sides of the same coin, a merger of two commandments. Eventually, he sits down on the sand and just allows the waves to come and go as they please. Day in, day out, the man stands on the beach, driving himself crazy with this fruitless exercise. It is like a man standing for decades on the seashore, embracing certain ‘good’ waves and trying to prevent them from disintegrating, while simultaneously pushing back ‘bad’ waves to prevent them from getting near him. The resulting serenity is so profound that those who spend their lives in the frenzied pursuit of pleasant feelings can hardly imagine it. You live in the present moment instead of fantasising about what might have been. All kinds of feelings go on arising and passing – joy, anger, boredom, lust – but once you stop craving particular feelings, you can just accept them for what they are. When the pursuit stops, the mind becomes very relaxed, clear and satisfied. In meditation, you are supposed to closely observe your mind and body, witness the ceaseless arising and passing of all your feelings, and realise how pointless it is to pursue them. This is the aim of Buddhist meditation practices. People are liberated from suffering not when they experience this or that fleeting pleasure, but rather when they understand the impermanent nature of all their feelings, and stop craving them. Even when experiencing pleasure, it is not content, because it fears this feeling might soon disappear, and craves that this feeling should stay and intensify. Due to this pursuit, the mind is never satisfied. Rather, the real root of suffering is this never-ending and pointless pursuit of ephemeral feelings, which causes us to be in a constant state of tension, restlessness and dissatisfaction. “According to Buddhism, the root of suffering is neither the feeling of pain nor of sadness nor even of meaninglessness.
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