2026 SPEAKERS
Steven Harris
Steven Harris
The danger of confusing friendship with familiarity
Do you ever wonder why you seem effortlessly close to some people in your life, yet remain frustratingly distant from others, no matter how hard you try to build a meaningful relationship? Drawing on a particularly harrowing experience, this TedX speaker shares valuable insights into how one experience opened his eyes to what true friendship means, and shaped his understanding of human connection, particularly in terms of the interesting paradox between familiarity and understanding. Join this speaker to explore some very hard-earned lessons, and give yourself the opportunity to use them within your own life to build better bonds with those you hold close.
ABOUT STEVEN
Steven is a devoted husband, humble student of life, and over the hill rugby player who has spent his career keeping workers safe all over the world in dangerous sectors and high-hazard industries. Much of his work has been focussed on helping build effective workplace relationships, which has also allowed him to become an award-winning entrepreneur, and named by the Institute of Directors as one of Scotland’s Top Directors.
INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN
Your topic is called ‘The danger of confusing friendship with familiarity’, can you describe this in more detail and share a bit about what you will be covering in your talk?
I lost a very dear friend because I made the mistake of confusing familiarity with understanding. Effectively, because I was very familiar with the person, I thought I understood them, until a shocking event proved I did not. This entire experience taught me an incredibly tough lesson, and I want to share this so others don’t have to experience what I did.
What has made you so passionate about this topic? How does it relate to you or your background?
A person’s happiness can be largely based on the depth of the connections they have with those they hold close. But do we ever really invest the time and effort we should in building and maintaining those relationships? I didn’t used to, and I don’t think many do, and I want to share what changed my perspective so others can build better friendships.
What do you think people will gain from listening to your talk?
I will try my best to have people revisit what friendship really means to them, and examine the mechanics behind those human-to-human connections. When not presented with an immediate and obvious threat, we are all engineered to become complacent, but doing so creates circumstances that can lead to tragic outcomes. I want people to realise that.
How has your TEDxAberdeen journey been so far? Is there anything you’ve learned that you didn’t expect, or any highlights?
The journey has been brilliant, and I cannot thank our coaches & mentors enough, especially Derrick. The journey has also forced me to address some unresolved trauma and pain that I didn’t realise I was carrying. I am very thankful for that opportunity. My highlight has definitely been being in the company of my fellow speakers, everyone of which wants each other to succeed because we all believe in what we are doing, we believe in each other, and we all ultimately believe in the power of this TEDxAberdeen event.
What are you most looking forward to most on this journey? What are you hoping to get out of this?
I am looking forward to connecting with the audience, and hopefully using that bond to influence those watching on other platforms. I honestly believe that what I am going to talk about can save lives, and feel a deep duty to share it. I fundamentally believe that there is no nobler cause than to do your best to try and save a life.
What does being part of TEDxAberdeen 2026 mean to you?
If you hear the last line of my TedX talk then you will understand what it means to me. Having said that, TEDx is not just a community that I have huge respect for, but Aberdeen is a city that I love. Combining both of those things within this single opportunity is literally a dream come true.