Name: Why you should disappoint your parents
Uploaded: 2024-04-11T14:42:19Z
Duration: 9 min 36 s
Description: When filmmaker Desiree Akhavan told her Iranian immigrant parents she was in love with a woman, she knew they would object. She explains why it's worth the risk to let people get to know the real you.

Desiree Akhavan: Why you should disappoint your parents

Why you should disappoint your parents

When filmmaker Desiree Akhavan told her Iranian immigrant parents she was in love with a woman, she knew they would object. She explains why it's worth the risk to let people get to know the real you.

Family rules and cultural traditions often shape lives in rigid ways, especially for children of immigrants. When one woman revealed her love for another woman to her traditional Iranian parents, she risked losing everything but discovered a life without fear. Breaking from her family's expectations led to creative success and a more genuine connection with those she loves. Sometimes, the greatest act of love is daring to be fully yourself, even when it goes against everything you've been taught.

True Freedom Begins With Disappointing Expectations

*You're Embarrassing Yourself: Stories of Love, Lust, and Movies*

personal growth

family

community

self

identity

LGBTQIA+

creativity

storytelling

TED Stage Talk