HALLWARD HW

In Dr. Anne Hallward’s (MD) Ted Talk, she focuses on the main topic of isolation. Rather than closeting stories that make individuals insecure, Hallward believes that opening up these closeted stories would not only be beneficial to the individual by releasing mental stress, but to others around them as well by offering support for similar insecurities. According to Hallward, the sharing of these stories is an “act of courage. It is an act of generosity. And finally it is an act of cultural leadership” (5). On the largest scale, the sharing of these closeted stories can extend as far as becoming a politcal force. This political force can help others, such as minority groups, by encouraging social change to support oppressed groups. In Hallward’s point of view, “telling our vulnerable silence stories is like a form of nonviolent social change and it can be unstoppable” (3). I agree with what Hallward has to say in her Ted Talk. I believe that her idea of telling vulnerable stories leading to positive social change does work. However, I also believe that if someone doesn’t want to share due to things being too personal, others should respect their decision not to share. Telling closeted stories in order to help others overcome a challenge is someting I agree with from Hallward, but I just don’t think it should be someone’s obligation to tell their stories if they don’t want to. One other issue I would beware of is the manipulation of certain closeted stories that would attack a specifc social group rather than contributing to positive social change.