Revolution of Semiotics | Yemi A.D. | TEDxUNYP
The speaker argues that a person's name and self-perception constitute the most important "brand," which is far more valuable than commercial labels because it requires one to be true to oneself. He illustrate this by detailing his personal journey from being labeled in his home country to eventually earning respect for his talent in Amsterdam and the US. The ultimate message is that by controlling one's thoughts, words, actions, and habits, one can build a personal brand that shapes one's destiny.
## Speakers & Context
- Speaker: A person giving a talk, apologetic for using broken English and making detours.
- The talk aims to discuss signs, symbols, labels, and brands in life.
- Speaking context includes: working with Kanye West during the Yeezus tour in the States.
## Theses & Positions
- The most important "brand" is a person's name, representing the most complex set of values and the biggest promise given to others.
- Building a personal brand requires being true to oneself, which is difficult due to external expectations from family, school, and job.
- Labels are temporary classifications, whereas a personal brand is meant for your whole life.
- The speaker's personal brand developed by realizing labels are "manageable" and something bigger and more valuable inside the self is what truly creates the personal brand.
- Caring for one's thoughts, words, actions, and habits is crucial because they sequentially build the personal brand that forms one's destiny.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Symbols/Signs/Labels/Brands:** Items used to memorize, identify, and learn meaning, to which we bond emotionally and sometimes fight for.
- **Personal Brand:** The most important brand; it is the person's name, consisting of a person's core values and promises to others.
- **Onion Layers:** Metaphor for the accumulating expectations from family, school, and job, causing the true self ("our own ass") to become smaller.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Labeling Process:** External groups or society apply temporary labels (e.g., "African girl," "poor Asians") to individuals.
- **Self-Correction/Development:** Moving to Amsterdam allowed the speaker to "see other black people on the street" and feel "not abnormal," enabling him to focus on his passions (dance).
- **Brand Building (The Funnel):** Thoughts $\rightarrow$ Words $\rightarrow$ Actions $\rightarrow$ Habits $\rightarrow$ Personal Brand $\rightarrow$ Destiny.
- **Audition Approach:** Treating the audition setting like an act of empowerment, treating people with respect (e.g., having every dancer show their talent, thanking them even if not cast).
## Named Entities
- **Kanye West:** Artist whose merchandising shirts and jackets were discussed; used a Confederate flag as a symbol.
- **Prague / Czech Republic:** Origin location of the speaker.
- **Amsterdam:** Location the speaker moved to for the freedom to feel "not abnormal."
- **Showbiz industry:** Context for the speaker's professional experiences and aspirations.
## Numbers & Data
- Year of birth: **1981**.
- Time elapsed since the speaker was labeled: Difficult to specify, but the shift in realization occurred after moving to Amsterdam.
- Number of auditions in the US: Estimated **20-30 times** in different places.
## Examples & Cases
- **The Yeezus Tour Merchandise:** Kanye West used a Confederate flag symbol for merchandising, sparking discussion regarding its connection to slavery and the African American community.
- **Speaker's Labels:** Labeled initially as "the only black guy in the town" in his city, later evolving to "the black gay guy."
- **Victoria/Heritage:** Speaker identifies as mixed, father from **Nigeria**, mother from the **North**, and speaks of his mother's birthplace, **Ceska Lipa**.
- **The Cinema Incident:** When the speaker was the only black guy in a town, people recognized him even without knowing his name, treating him as a visible label.
- **The Amsterdam Experience:** Finding a community where seeing other black people on the street meant one could be "whoever you are" and feel at peace with oneself.
- **The US Audition:** Auditioning for a show called *Saturday Night Live*; spent six hours, shook hands with all dancers, and treated everyone with investment and respect, contrasting it with the perceived "livestock" treatment in the States.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Merchandising shirts/jackets:** Merchandise line created by Kanye West.
- **Google:** Not explicitly mentioned, but the concept of searching for meaning is implied through the narrative arc.
## References Cited
- **Dalai Lama's words:** Referenced concept: "you should take care of your thoughts because they become your words and you should take care of your words because they become your actions and you should take care of your actions because they will become your habits and you should take care of your habits because they will become your personal brand and your personal brand will form your destiny."
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The speaker acknowledged the difficulty in realizing the philosophical points, admitting the presentation was structured with detours.
## Methodology
- Narrative personal storytelling used to illustrate an abstract philosophical concept (personal branding).
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The personal brand must be built from within (self-acceptance and truthfulness) rather than imposed by outside labels.
- To build a strong personal brand, one must actively control their thoughts, words, actions, and habits.
- Inspiration and the positive impact on others are key elements of a strong personal brand, not just self-improvement.
## Implications & Consequences
- Uncontrolled labels or expectations can cause the true self to shrink, leading to disconnection and the creation of superficial "masks."
- The control over one's foundational elements (thought, word, action, habit) determines one's ultimate life trajectory or "destiny."
## Verbatim Moments
- *"yummy energy is always good you might create conflict you might create discussion but it normally means big amount of energy and it's only up to you how you're gonna use it"* (Kanye West's comment, relayed by speaker).
- *"The most important brand in our life is our name"*
- *"is it you or is it what you think you are is it what you want to be or is it what you think you should be is it what others think you are or is it what you think others want you to be"*
- *"I collect onion more and more layers"*
- *"label is temporary but personal brand is for your life"*
- *"they treat us like livestock they line up in lines stick numbers on us look at us whisper and then they cut us 23:25"*
- *"I said hey girls so today I have to select a cast for one show I don't know if you know it it's it's it's a show here on local television it's called Saturday night Saturday Night Live"*
- *"you should take care of your thoughts because they become your words and you should take care of your words because they become your actions and you should take care of your actions because they will become your habits and you should take care of your habits because they will become your personal brand and your personal brand will form your destiny"*