In a culture that prizes status and expertise over wisdom, industry leaders expect themselves to know all the right answers. When they don’t, they often attempt to conceal that ignorance. This can prove disastrous—in medicine, mountaineering and many other fields in which lives depend on informed decisions. Author and Stanford lecturer Andrew Todhunter explores the writer’s life, and how we all may benefit from ignorance, humility and the beginner’s mind.

An award-winning writer, filmmaker, and lecturer at Stanford, Andrew Todhunter is the author of three books, including the PEN USA Literary Award-winning A Meal Observed, and dozens of articles for national publications including National Geographic, The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He has worked on numerous film projects, including productions for Lucasfilm and National Geographic Television. Todhunter teaches writing and interdisciplinary creativity as a Resident Fellow at Stanford, where he co-founded The Senior Reflection, a creative capstone program in Biology, and Stanford's LifeWorks program. An avid diver, climber and sea kayaker, he has served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. He is currently based in Northern California with his wife and three children.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx