Einfach anfangen: Warum alle die Dinge tun, die wir noch nicht können | Rike Radlader | TEDxMünchen

Quick Overview

The speaker, Rike Radlader, argues that actively engaging in activities one cannot yet do, despite initial fear of failure or external judgment, is crucial for growth and learning, illustrated by her own journey into making and DIY projects like welding and working with tools that initially intimidated her.

Key Points: The core message is 'Ich mach Dinge, die ich noch nicht kann!' (I do things I cannot do yet!), emphasizing action over perceived capability. Rike shares experiences of receiving negative feedback (e.g., comments on her welding attempts) but choosing to proceed anyway, demonstrating resilience against external pressure. She explicitly mentions overcoming the fear of failure by realizing that people who are good at things (like her friends Laura and Simone) also started by doing things they couldn't do initially. The presentation showcases a timeline of her learning process, starting from Day 0 (initial engagement) to Day 7 (producing tangible results like welded pieces and working on a bike). Rike highlights specific tools and projects, including receiving a toolbox, learning to use a grinder, and attempting to connect a lamp with a WAGO connector. She concludes that embracing the discomfort of not knowing leads to self-understanding and growth, contrasting this with simply scrolling social media. The talk took place at TEDxMünchen, themed 'Start Making Sense', in November 2025.

Context: Rike Radlader presents her personal philosophy on learning and overcoming self-doubt at a TEDxMünchen event themed 'Start Making Sense' in November 2025. The talk revolves around the proactive decision to engage in new, challenging activities—specifically DIY and making—even when lacking the necessary skills or facing potential criticism, drawing heavily on her personal experiences during a period of intense self-teaching.

Detailed Analysis

Rike Radlader delivers a talk encouraging the audience to actively pursue things they do not yet know how to do, encapsulated by her motto, 'Ich mach Dinge, die ich noch nicht kann!' (I do things I cannot do yet!). She recounts the initial anxiety she felt when engaging in DIY projects, like learning to use tools or welding, especially when receiving unsolicited critical feedback from friends or strangers (08:28). She uses a visual timeline (03:34) showing her progress over seven days, starting with initial engagement (Day 0) and progressing to producing a welded piece (Day 7) and building a workbench. Rike argues that this process, although often involving fear and potential embarrassment (like the negative comment shown: 'Du bist der Vater den ich nie hatte' at 08:35), is essential because everyone who is skilled started at the same point: not knowing how to do something. She shares that she was inspired by friends like Laura and Simone, who were already skilled makers, and realized they too must have started from zero. The talk stresses that self-understanding and growth come from embracing this initial incompetence and actively seeking challenges, rather than passively consuming content like scrolling social media (11:44). She encourages the audience to allow themselves to be beginners, noting that the positive feedback she eventually received was gratifying, but the real reward was overcoming the internal barrier of not trying.