Embracing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary | Manika Raikwar | TEDxIILM
The speaker, a journalist with over 30 years of experience, asserts that true fulfillment is found in the "extraordinary in the ordinary"—the depth of genuine human connection rather than the curated drama of social media. He urges the young audience to prioritize self-discovery through rigorous questioning and resilience, drawing parallels between enduring global events and maintaining one's personal passion. He concludes by advising that lasting value lies in in-person connections, which no technology or algorithm can replicate.
## Speakers & Context
- Speaker is a journalist, currently serving as a Consulting Editor for the platform *decoder*, which was started by Pranav Roy.
- Speaker has managed over 250 journalists and newsroom staff while working as managing editor of NDTV 247.
- Context involves speaking to young people in a university auditorium, a rare opportunity the speaker cherishes.
- The speaker notes the modern habit of looking at phones, referencing a humorous anecdote from heaven or hell about people constantly looking at their phones.
## Theses & Positions
- The true beauty and fulfillment lie in the "extraordinary in the ordinary" moments of everyday life.
- Joy is deeply personal and subjective, following a "one shoe doesn't fit all" concept, making it impossible to define universally.
- The narrative arc of life is often found in the relentless "Quest For Truth," more so than in achieving a typical happy ending.
- Constant pressure for external validation, amplified by smartphones, obscures the value of ordinary, meaningful existence.
- The key to navigating modern life is to "look within," ask questions, and perform thorough research rather than accepting presented information.
- The ability to adapt, grow, and embrace discomfort is the most invaluable skill for the future.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Joy:** Deeply personal and deeply subjective; definitions are merely "descriptions of the way people want to use the word."
- **The Extraordinary in the Ordinary:** Fulfillment found in mundane, normal aspects of life, contrasted with glamorous or dramatic events.
- **Passion:** Defined by the speaker not as a specific activity, but as *the act of discovering what you truly want to do*.
- **Resilience:** The capacity to endure setbacks; the world does not end despite overwhelming events (e.g., "the sun rose again").
- **Status Quo:** The established state or existing conditions, which the speaker encourages questioning.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Journalistic Perseverance:** During the COVID shutdown, journalists at NDTV 247 continued to work daily despite the difficulty, characterizing this effort as the "extraordinary value" made daily.
- **Quest for Truth:** Referenced via the TV series *Patal Lok*, which is praised not for its plot or happy ending, but for its focus on the pursuit of truth.
- **Questioning the Status Quo:** Encouraged through consuming media like the film *Monna Smile*, which teaches the value of inquiry over acceptance.
- **Developing Core Principles:** Identifying "what is non-negotiable" for oneself provides a guide for decision-making, sometimes requiring the discipline of "saying no."
## Named Entities
- **NDTV 247:** One of India's leading news channels where the speaker worked.
- **Bombay:** City where many of the speaker's film school friends moved.
- **Patal Lok:** TV series referenced for its non-traditional narrative structure and focus on truth.
- **Black Warrant:** TV series referenced for chronicling ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances.
- **Fe:** Udu poet whose poem is recited to illustrate themes of love and work.
- **Monna Smile:** Julia Roberts film recommended for teaching questioning the status quo.
## Numbers & Data
- Speaker's age: **53 years old**.
- Duration of journalistic experience: **Over 30 years**.
- Number of journalists managed: **Over 250**.
- Election coverage period: **From 1996 to 2019**.
## Examples & Cases
- **Journalistic Coverage:** Covering major events including the IC 814 Kandahar hijacking, the Gujarat earthquake, the Carill War, and the tsunami that hit India and South Asia.
- **COVID-19 Experience:** The necessity of going to work every day at NDTV 247 during the lockdown; describing it as "extremely difficult" and "mundane."
- **Poetic Reflection (Fe's poem):** *"I loved a little and I worked a little"* — describing how sometimes love obstructed work, and sometimes duty prevented full passion, leaving both "incomplete."
- **Disruptors:** Examples include the **internet** (early disruptor) and current potential disruptors like **Quantum Computing** or **AI**.
- **Pop Culture Observation:** The film *Monna Smile* is cited as an example of media that teaches curiosity.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Smartphones:** Identified as the primary modern tool causing distraction and reinforcing external validation cycles.
- **Social Platforms (e.g., Instagram):** Cited for creating a "glorification of extraordinary achievements."
- **AI (Artificial Intelligence) / Quantum Computing:** Mentioned as future disruptive technologies.
## References Cited
- **Pranav Roy:** Individual who started the consulting platform *decoder*.
- **Udu Poet (Fe):** Source of the poem on love and work.
- **Julia Roberts' film *Monna Smile***: Recommended source for learning to question the status quo.
- **Pop Culture:** General reference point used to help connect the abstract concepts being discussed.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The speaker acknowledges the difficulty in giving definitive life advice: "I can't tell you what to do."
- He preempts judgment regarding emotional depth by stating, "Don't take it literally [the poem]," clarifying that the poetry speaks of *passion*, not literal jobs or loves.
- Acknowledges the difficulty of the audience's stage of life: "At your age... it's natural to not know what you're searching for."
## Methodology
- **Experiential Witnessing:** Gaining insight through physically covering major historical and political events as a journalist.
- **Personal Reflection & Anecdotes:** Using personal experiences (e.g., post-film school life) to structure philosophical points.
- **Cultural Cross-Referencing:** Using specific media (TV series, movies, poetry) to anchor abstract concepts (e.g., Quest for Truth).
- **Internal Focus:** Stressing the need to stop external input ("shut it all out") to achieve internal clarity.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The true measure of success is not visible on a phone screen ("not measured by engagement likes and Views").
- Focus on the internal dialogue: "what is it that you truly want from your life and what are you willing to do to achieve it."
- **Embrace Challenges:** The speaker strongly advises stepping outside comfort zones because fear often masks the next major growth experience.
- **Patience and Curiosity:** The fundamental action items are to "think once, think twice, think again," maintaining a dialogue with unfamiliar people.
## Implications & Consequences
- The permanence of human connection is posited as the only enduring resource: "People will connect with people and and those are the connections that will always always remain."
- Continual adaptation and growth are necessary responses to constant global change ("a world that is constantly evolving").
- Failure is framed not as an endpoint, but as a necessary component of growth.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"The extraordinary in the ordinary."*
- *"It's about the phone."*
- *"The hero is on a Relentless Quest For Truth."*
- *"What is Joy? ... I don't think so, I think it's like the one shoe doesn't fit all concept."*
- *"getting on with it because that's really the extraordinary the value ad that you're making every day of just doing what you are meant to do or asked to do."*
- *"If nothing else time is your friend so just breathe."*
- *"The extraordinary is not measured by your phone it is not measured by engagement likes and Views it's not nor by your followers."*
- *"People will connect with people and and those are the connections that will always always remain."*
- *"Think once think twice think again."*