The Conversations That Could Change Us | Cecilia Puente | TEDxMacatawa

Speakers often weigh what is safe to say before talking, and in debates they tend to aim at winning rather than understanding. In this TEDxMacatawa talk, high school junior Cecilia Puente argues that meaningful conversations require three risks: being heard, being wrong, and being changed. Drawing on the ancient Greek idea of parrhesia, she discusses how courage, curiosity, and openness can turn disagreement into discovery. Puente is a writer and youth leader interested in communication across differences. The talk was given at an independently organized TEDx event that follows the TED conference format.

• Why people often hold back what they say and argue to win
• Three risks in meaningful conversation: being heard, being wrong, being changed
• The ancient Greek idea of parrhesia (frank speech)
• How courage, curiosity, and openness can turn disagreement into discovery

Before we speak, most of us quietly calculate what’s safe to say, and when we do speak, we argue to win. Cecilia Puente makes the case that conversations that matter ask us to take three risks: being heard, being wrong, and being changed. Drawing on the ancient Greek idea of parrhesia, she shows how courage, curiosity, and openness can turn disagreement into discovery. Cecilia Puente is a high school junior, writer, and youth leader interested in how we communicate across differences. She has shared her writing and ideas through essays, competitions, and public forums. Through programs at Georgetown, Harvard, and the University of Chicago, she has studied courageous discourse, public speaking, debate, and approaches to building connected communities. She has carried these experiences into national youth boards and civic leadership initiatives, and is creating opportunities for dialogue in her community. Cecilia also mentors younger students and studied ballet for over a decade. She is particularly interested in dialogue and polarization. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx