The Mask You Wear, and how to Take it Off | Allison Spann | TEDxPrincetonU

Starting from a young age, those growing up in Western cultures are told: "be yourself!" But what does that actually mean? We live in a society that simultaneously prizes individuality and pushes us into a narrow model of what the ideal "individual" looks and acts like. Using masks as a lens through which to view research on the concept of the "self", this talk begs us to take off the ones we're wearing, and recognize the others that we don't see quite so easily, allowing us to lead (statistically) happier, fuller, and longer lives. Undergraduate Student 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