Skip to main content

What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion - Conor Neill

1,024,661 Views

88,840 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Imagine you are one of the world’s greatest violin players, and you decide to conduct an experiment: play inside a subway station and see if anyone stops to appreciate when you are stripped of a concert hall and name recognition. Joshua Bell did this, and Conor Neill channels Aristotle to understand why the context mattered.

According to Neill, why did people refuse to listen to Joshua Bell when he wasn't playing in the symphony hall?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Conor Neill
  • Artist Jason Permenter, Rebecca Whipple Silverstein, Saschka Unseld
  • Narrator Conor Neill

More from The Big Questions