Why you should talk to strangers: Aliya Dossa at TEDx Terry Talks
Aliya Dossa at TEDx Terry Talks 2014 | Photo by Sruthi Sreedhar
Aliya has a story to share. Actually, she shared exactly 101 stories through her project called “101 Days, 101 Strangers, 101 Stories,” where she documented the stories of 101 individuals in as many days.
According to Dossa, the conversations she had with these strangers allowed her to learn about their experiences, desires and motivations. Moreover, at the conclusion of the project, she had learned more about the world and herself than ever before – by simply taking the time to talk to a stranger everyday.
Dossa points to the lack of trust as the main issue that stood out for her. Whether it’s the refusal to acknowledge the presence of others in public places or the preoccupation with cellphones – she found that instead of learning from each other, people were more inclined to avoid interaction.
In this TEDx Terry Talk, Dossa shares some of the stories she discovered in the process of compiling this project and what we can learn from strangers. More importantly, she discuss how the environment around us, our economic system and institutions that foster competition over collaboration, can leave us feeling isolated and removed from society.
