Own your face | Robert Hoge | TEDxSouthBank

Father, author of the book 'Ugly' and political advisor Robert Hoge explores why we all need to own our own faces. Sharing his own personal story, Robert examines, life, love, beauty, imperfection and pain in this powerful TEDxTalk.

Robert Hoge has worked as a journalist, a speechwriter, a science communicator for the CSIRO and a political advisor to the former Queensland Premier and Deputy Premier. While he never went far with his professional lawn bowls career, Robert did carry the Olympic torch in 2000. He is married and lives in Brisbane with an eleven-year-old daughter who thinks his Olympic torch would make a really great cricket bat.
@RobertHoge
@TEDxSouthBank

[BlackySpeakz]

And then there’s people who get one pimple and start contemplating their entire existence.. Salute to this man. What a strong soul

[davidabarak]

What's interesting to me is that after the first few minutes of noticing the uniqueness of his face it quickly fades and the person behind the face comes to the forefront.

[maddiek]

The way he stutters the part about his mom...you can tell it’s still painful

[iffyfox]

The father loved him unconditionally. Visited him in the baby ward. Didn't want to risk his sons life with surgery. Man thats such a heartwarming thing, yet so heartbreaking that his mom didnt feel the same.

His brother giving him the cinfidence he needed when he was 14 was such a touching moment.

Robert is a beautiful person through and through.

Id give up any semblance of good looks to be loved and cherished as much as he is by his family

[JasonGafar]

I wish this man nothing but a lifetime of happiness and peace!

[christeah]

This man is free in a way that many people will never know.

[eldinphp]

he actually looks badass to me. Respect !

[misstinygenuine]

"I didn't figure I'd necessarily ever be worth painting, but I was done with being the doctors canvas." -Robert Hoge
Love this!

[lib.]

People who embrace their insecurities are the strongest kind...

[SangNguyen-qlqm]

his dad is awesome. 6:28: "why would we risk our son dying for the pride of appearance..."

[Valicore]

I got choked up when he spoke about his siblings voting to keep him. Children are incredible.

[nickger]

I teared up when they had a family meeting about bringing him home, and how his siblings said yes. What a horrible situation, an innocent life being decided on.

[rustyshackleford]

"I was a grade 9 boy, the worst possible form of humanity"
Senior quote material

[nintendopet]

he does kind of look like a bad ass comic book character

[danitreminio]

"What is the point of having a beautiful face if you can't see it and be proud of it" -Robert Hoge's brother

[karatemaster]

He may not look conventional, but there's something really cool about his appearance. Excellent speech

[justinebourke]

Every face is pleasing when you love the person behind it.

[absofreakinglutelymaca]

He may put humor about it, but I know and I can feel the pain he been through when he was younger

[Wrze]

After seeing that photo of him as a baby, it's heart breaking to imagine that poor little guy all alone in the hospital with no visitors. 😢

[MoMadNU]

By half way in, I was totally over his appearance and could completely focus on his story. Then I realized the same thing happens when I watch a talk given by stunningly beautiful people. We are by nature driven to study faces. What this video taught me was it is indeed just a study, and only after the complete experience ends do we judge. And when we judge, it is the complete experience that we are judging.