TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道.docx

TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道.docx

《TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道

TED英语演讲稿：

改善工作的快乐之道

WhenIwassevenyearsoldandmysisterwasjustfiveyearsold,wewereplayingontopofabunkbed.Iwastwoyearsolderthanmysisteratthetime--Imean,I’mtwoyearsolderthanhernow--butatthetimeitmeantshehadtodoeverythingthatIwantedtodo,andIwantedtoplaywar.Sowewereupontopofourbunkbeds.Andononesideofthebunkbed,IhadputoutallofmyG.I.Joesoldiersandweaponry.Andontheothersidewereallmysister’sMyLittlePoniesreadyforacavalrycharge.

Therearedifferingaccountsofwhatactuallyhappenedthatafternoon,butsincemysisterisnotherewithustoday,letmetellyouthetruestory--（Laughter）--whichismysister’salittlebitontheclumsyside.Somehow,withoutanyhelporpushfromherolderbrotheratall,suddenlyAmydisappearedoffofthetopofthebunkbedandlandedwiththiscrashonthefloor.NowInervouslypeeredoverthesideofthebedtoseewhathadbefallenmyfallensisterandsawthatshehadlandedpainfullyonherhandsandkneesonallfoursontheground.

IwasnervousbecausemyparentshadchargedmewithmakingsurethatmysisterandIplayedassafelyandasquietlyaspossible.AndseeingashowIhadaccidentallybrokenAmy’sarmjustoneweekbefore...（Laughter）...heroicallypushingheroutofthewayofanoncomingimaginarysniperbullet,（Laughter）forwhichIhaveyettobethanked,IwastryingashardasIcould--shedidn’tevenseeitcoming--IwastryingashardasIcouldtobeonmybestbehavior.

AndIsawmysister’sface,thiswailofpainandsufferingandsurprisethreateningtoeruptfromhermouthandthreateningtowakemyparentsfromthelongwinter’snapforwhichtheyhadsettled.SoIdidtheonlythingmylittlefranticsevenyear-oldbraincouldthinktodotoavertthistragedy.Andifyouhavechildren,you’veseenthishundredsoftimesbefore.Isaid,“Amy,Amy,wait.Don’tcry.Don’tcry.Didyouseehowyoulanded?

Nohumanlandsonallfourslikethat.Amy,Ithinkthismeansyou’reaunicorn.”

（Laughter）

Nowthatwascheating,becausetherewasnothingintheworldmysisterwouldwantmorethannottobeAmythehurtfiveyear-oldlittlesister,butAmythespecialunicorn.Ofcourse,thiswasanoptionthatwasopentoherbrainatnopointinthepast.Andyoucouldseehowmypoor,manipulatedsisterfacedconflict,asherlittlebrainattemptedtodevoteresourcestofeelingthepainandsufferingandsurpriseshejustexperienced,orcontemplatinghernew-foundidentityasaunicorn.Andthelatterwonout.Insteadofcrying,insteadofceasingourplay,insteadofwakingmyparents,withallthenegativeconsequencesthatwouldhaveensuedforme,insteadasmilespreadacrossherfaceandshescrambledrightbackupontothebunkbedwithallthegraceofababyunicorn...（Laughter）...withonebrokenleg.

Whatwestumbledacrossatthistenderageofjustfiveandseven--wehadnoideaatthetime--wassomethingthatwasgoingbeatthevanguardofascientificrevolutionoccurringtwodecadeslaterinthewaythatwelookatthehumanbrain.Whatwehadstumbledacrossissomethingcalledpositivepsychology,whichisthereasonthatI’mheretodayandthereasonthatIwakeupeverymorning.

WhenIfirststartedtalkingaboutthisresearchoutsideofacademia,outwithcompaniesandschools,theveryfirstthingtheysaidtoneverdoistostartyourtalkwithagraph.TheveryfirstthingIwanttodoisstartmytalkwithagraph.Thisgraphlooksboring,butthisgraphisthereasonIgetexcitedandwakeupeverymorning.Andthisgraphdoesn’tevenmeananything;it’sfakedata.Whatwefoundis--

（Laughter）

IfIgotthisdatabackstudyingyouhereintheroom,Iwouldbethrilled,becausethere’sveryclearlyatrendthat’sgoingonthere,andthatmeansthatIcangetpublished,whichisallthatreallymatters.Thefactthatthere’soneweirdreddotthat’supabovethecurve,there’soneweirdointheroom--Iknowwhoyouare,Isawyouearlier--that’snoproblem.That’snoproblem,asmostofyouknow,becauseIcanjustdeletethatdot.Icandeletethatdotbecausethat’sclearlyameasurementerror.Andweknowthat’sameasurementerrorbecauseit’smessingupmydata.

Sooneoftheveryfirstthingsweteachpeopleineconomicsandstatisticsandbusinessandpsychologycoursesishow,inastatisticallyvalidway,doweeliminatetheweirdos.Howdoweeliminatetheoutlierssowecanfindthelineofbestfit?

WhichisfantasticifI’mtryingtofindouthowmanyAdviltheaveragepersonshouldbetaking--two.ButifI’minterestedinpotential,ifI’minterestedinyourpotential,orforhappinessorproductivityorenergyorcreativity,whatwe’redoingiswe’recreatingthecultoftheaveragewithscience.

IfIaskedaquestionlike,“Howfastcanachildlearnhowtoreadinaclassroom?

”scientistschangetheanswerto“Howfastdoestheaveragechildlearnhowtoreadinthatclassroom?

”andthenwetailortheclassrighttowardstheaverage.Nowifyoufallbelowtheaverageonthiscurve,thenpsychologistsgetthrilled,becausethatmeansyou’reeitherdepressedoryouhaveadisorder,orhopefullyboth.We’rehopingforbothbecauseourbusinessmodelis,ifyoucomeintoatherapysessionwithoneproblem,wewanttomakesureyouleaveknowingyouhave10,soyoukeepcomingbackoverandoveragain.We’llgobackintoyourchildhoodifnecessary,buteventuallywhatwewanttodoismakeyounormalagain.Butnormalismerelyaverage.

AndwhatIpositandwhatpositivepsychologypositsisthatifwestudywhatismerelyaverage,wewillremainmerelyaverage.Theninsteadofdeletingthosepositiveoutliers,whatIintentionallydoiscomeintoapopulationlikethisoneandsay,why?

Whyisitthatsomeofyouaresohighabovethecurveintermsofyourintellectualability,athleticability,musicalability,creativity,energylevels,yourresiliencyinthefaceofchallenge,yoursenseofhumor?

Whateveritis,insteadofdeletingyou,whatIwanttodoisstudyyou.Becausemaybewecangleaninformation--notjusthowtomovepeopleuptotheaverage,buthowwecanmovetheentireaverageupinourcompaniesandschoolsworldwide.

Thereasonthisgraphisimportanttomeis,whenIturnonthenews,itseemslikethemajorityoftheinformationisnotpositive,infactit’snegative.Mostofit’saboutmurder,corruption,diseases,naturaldisasters.Andveryquickly,mybrainstartstothinkthat’stheaccurateratioofnegativetopositiveintheworld.Whatthat’sdoingiscreatingsomethingcalledthemedicalschoolsyndrome--which,ifyouknowpeoplewho’vebeentomedicalschool,duringthefirstyearofmedicaltraining,asyoureadthroughalistofallthesymptomsanddiseasesthatcouldhappen,suddenlyyourealizeyouhaveallofthem.

Ihaveabrotherin-lawnamedBobo--whichisawholeotherstory.BobomarriedAmytheunicorn.BobocalledmeonthephonefromYaleMedicalSchool,andBobosaid,“Shawn,Ihaveleprosy.”（Laughter）Which,evenatYale,isextraordinarilyrare.ButIhadnoideahowtoconsolepoorBobobecausehehadjustgottenoveranentireweekofmenopause.

（Laughter）

Seewhatwe’refindingisit’snotnecessarilytherealitythatshapesus,butthelensthroughwhichyourbrainviewstheworldthatshapesyourreality.Andifwecanchangethelens,notonlycanwechangeyourhappiness,wecanchangeeverysingleeducationalandbusinessoutcomeatthesametime.

WhenIappliedtoHarvard,Iappliedonadare.Ididn’texpecttogetin,andmyfamilyhadnomoneyforcollege.WhenIgotamilitaryscholarshiptwoweekslater,theyallowedmetogo.Suddenly,somethingthatwasn’tevenapossibilitybecameareality.WhenIwentthere,Iassumedeveryoneelsewouldseeitasaprivilegeaswell,thatthey’dbeexcitedtobethere.Evenifyou’reinaclassroomfullofpeoplesmarterthanyou,you’dbehappyjusttobeinthatclassroom,whichiswhatIfelt.ButwhatIfoundthereis,whilesomepeopleexperiencethat,whenIgraduatedaftermyfouryearsandthenspentthenexteightyearslivinginthedormswiththestudents--Harvardaskedmeto;Iwasn’tthatguy.（Laughter）IwasanofficerofHarvardtocounselstudentsthroughthedifficultfouryears.AndwhatIfoundinmyresearchandmyteachingisthatthesestudents,nomatterhowhappytheywerewiththeiroriginalsuccessofgettingintotheschool,twoweekslatertheirbrainswerefocused,notontheprivilegeofbeingthere,norontheirphilosophyortheirphysics.Theirbrainwasfocusedonthecompetition,theworkload,thehassles,thestresses,thecomplaints.

WhenIfirstwentinthere,Iwalkedintothefreshmendininghall,whichiswheremyfriendsfromWaco,Texas,whichiswhereIgrewup--Iknowsomeofyouhaveheardofit.Whenthey’dcometovisitme,they’dlookaround,they’dsay,“ThisfreshmandininghalllookslikesomethingoutofHogwart’sfromthemovie“HarryPotter,”whichitdoes.ThisisHogwart’sfromthemovie“HarryPotter”andthat’sHarvard.Andwhentheyseethis,theysay,“Shawn,whydoyouwasteyourtimestudyinghappinessatHarvard?

Seriously,whatdoesaHarvardstudentpossiblyhavetobeunhappyabout?

”

Embeddedwithinthatquestionisthekeytounderstandingthescienceofhappiness.Becausewhatthatquestionassumesisthatourexternalworldispredictiveofourhappinesslevels,wheninreality,ifIknoweverythingaboutyourexternalworld,Icanonlypredict10percentofyourlong-termhappiness.90percentofyourlong-termhappinessispredictednotbytheexternalworld,butbythewayyourbrainprocessestheworld.Andifwechangeit,ifwechangeourformulaforhappin