TED英语演讲稿改善工作的快乐之道.docx
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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,imtwoyearsolderthanhernow--butatthetimeitmeantshehadtodoeverythingthatiwantedtodo,andiwantedtoplaywar.sowewereupontopofourbunkbeds.andononesideofthebunkbed,ihadputoutallofmyg.i.joesoldiersandweaponry.andontheothersidewereallmysistersmylittleponiesreadyforacavalrycharge.
therearedifferingaccountsofwhatactuallyhappenedthatafternoon,butsincemysisterisnotherewithustoday,letmetellyouthetruestory--(laughter)--whichismysistersalittlebitontheclumsyside.somehow,withoutanyhelporpushfromherolderbrotheratall,suddenlyamydisappearedoffofthetopofthebunkbedandlandedwiththiscrashonthefloor.nowinervouslypeeredoverthesideofthebedtoseewhathadbefallenmyfallensisterandsawthatshehadlandedpainfullyonherhandsandkneesonallfoursontheground.
iwasnervousbecausemyparentshadchargedmewithmakingsurethatmysisterandiplayedassafelyandasquietlyaspossible.andseeingashowihadaccidentallybrokenamysarmjustoneweekbefore...(laughter)...heroicallypushingheroutofthewayofanoncomingimaginarysniperbullet,(laughter)forwhichihaveyettobethanked,iwastryingashardasicould--shedidntevenseeitcoming--iwastryingashardasicouldtobeonmybestbehavior.
andisawmysistersface,thiswailofpainandsufferingandsurprisethreateningtoeruptfromhermouthandthreateningtowakemyparentsfromthelongwintersnapforwhichtheyhadsettled.soididtheonlythingmylittlefranticsevenyear-oldbraincouldthinktodotoavertthistragedy.andifyouhavechildren,youveseenthishundredsoftimesbefore.isaid,amy,amy,wait.dontcry.dontcry.didyouseehowyoulanded?
nohumanlandsonallfourslikethat.amy,ithinkthismeansyoureaunicorn.
(laughter)
nowthatwascheating,becausetherewasnothingintheworldmysisterwouldwantmorethannottobeamythehurtfiveyear-oldlittlesister,butamythespecialunicorn.ofcourse,thiswasanoptionthatwasopentoherbrainatnopointinthepast.andyoucouldseehowmypoor,manipulatedsisterfacedconflict,asherlittlebrainattemptedtodevoteresourcestofeelingthepainandsufferingandsurpriseshejustexperienced,orcontemplatinghernew-foundidentityasaunicorn.andthelatterwonout.insteadofcrying,insteadofceasingourplay,insteadofwakingmyparents,withallthenegativeconsequencesthatwouldhaveensuedforme,insteadasmilespreadacrossherfaceandshescrambledrightbackupontothebunkbedwithallthegraceofababyunicorn...(laughter)...withonebrokenleg.
whatwestumbledacrossatthistenderageofjustfiveandseven--wehadnoideaatthetime--wassomethingthatwasgoingbeatthevanguardofascientificrevolutionoccurringtwodecadeslaterinthewaythatwelookatthehumanbrain.whatwehadstumbledacrossissomethingcalledpositivepsychology,whichisthereasonthatimheretodayandthereasonthatiwakeupeverymorning.
whenifirststartedtalkingaboutthisresearchoutsideofacademia,outwithcompaniesandschools,theveryfirstthingtheysaidtoneverdoistostartyourtalkwithagraph.theveryfirstthingiwanttodoisstartmytalkwithagraph.thisgraphlooksboring,butthisgraphisthereasonigetexcitedandwakeupeverymorning.andthisgraphdoesntevenmeananything;itsfakedata.whatwefoundis--
(laughter)
ifigotthisdatabackstudyingyouhereintheroom,iwouldbethrilled,becausetheresveryclearlyatrendthatsgoingonthere,andthatmeansthaticangetpublished,whichisallthatreallymatters.thefactthattheresoneweirdreddotthatsupabovethecurve,theresoneweirdointheroom--iknowwhoyouare,isawyouearlier--thatsnoproblem.thatsnoproblem,asmostofyouknow,becauseicanjustdeletethatdot.icandeletethatdotbecausethatsclearlyameasurementerror.andweknowthatsameasurementerrorbecauseitsmessingupmydata.
sooneoftheveryfirstthingsweteachpeopleineconomicsandstatisticsandbusinessandpsychologycoursesishow,inastatisticallyvalidway,doweeliminatetheweirdos.howdoweeliminatetheoutlierssowecanfindthelineofbestfit?
whichisfantasticifimtryingtofindouthowmanyadviltheaveragepersonshouldbetaking--two.butifiminterestedinpotential,ifiminterestedinyourpotential,orforhappinessorproductivityorenergyorcreativity,whatweredoingiswerecreatingthecultoftheaveragewithscience.
ifiaskedaquestionlike,howfastcanachildlearnhowtoreadinaclassroom?
scientistschangetheanswertohowfastdoestheaveragechildlearnhowtoreadinthatclassroom?
andthenwetailortheclassrighttowardstheaverage.nowifyoufallbelowtheaverageonthiscurve,thenpsychologistsgetthrilled,becausethatmeansyoureeitherdepressedoryouhaveadisorder,orhopefullyboth.werehopingforbothbecauseourbusinessmodelis,ifyoucomeintoatherapysessionwithoneproblem,wewanttomakesureyouleaveknowingyouhave10,soyoukeepcomingbackoverandoveragain.wellgobackintoyourchildhoodifnecessary,buteventuallywhatwewanttodoismakeyounormalagain.butnormalismerelyaverage.
andwhatipositandwhatpositivepsychologypositsisthatifwestudywhatismerelyaverage,wewillremainmerelyaverage.theninsteadofdeletingthosepositiveoutliers,whatiintentionallydoiscomeintoapopulationlikethisoneandsay,why?
whyisitthatsomeofyouaresohighabovethecurveintermsofyourintellectualability,athleticability,musicalability,creativity,energylevels,yourresiliencyinthefaceofchallenge,yoursenseofhumor?
whateveritis,insteadofdeletingyou,whatiwanttodoisstudyyou.becausemaybewecangleaninformation--notjusthowtomovepeopleuptotheaverage,buthowwecanmovetheentireaverageupinourcompaniesandschoolsworldwide.
thereasonthisgraphisimportanttomeis,wheniturnonthenews,itseemslikethemajorityoftheinformationisnotpositive,infactitsnegative.mostofitsaboutmurder,corruption,diseases,naturaldisasters.andveryquickly,mybrainstartstothinkthatstheaccurateratioofnegativetopositiveintheworld.whatthatsdoingiscreatingsomethingcalledthemedicalschoolsyndrome--which,ifyouknowpeoplewhovebeentomedicalschool,duringthefirstyearofmedicaltraining,asyoureadthroughalistofallthesymptomsanddiseasesthatcouldhappen,suddenlyyourealizeyouhaveallofthem.
ihaveabrotherin-lawnamedbobo--whichisawholeotherstory.bobomarriedamytheunicorn.bobocalledmeonthephonefromyalemedicalschool,andbobosaid,shawn,ihaveleprosy.(laughter)which,evenatyale,isextraordinarilyrare.butihadnoideahowtoconsolepoorbobobecausehehadjustgottenoveranentireweekofmenopause.
(laughter)
seewhatwerefindingisitsnotnecessarilytherealitythatshapesus,butthelensthroughwhichyourbrainviewstheworldthatshapesyourreality.andifwecanchangethelens,notonlycanwechangeyourhappiness,wecanchangeeverysingleeducationalandbusinessoutcomeatthesametime.
wheniappliedtoharvard,iappliedonadare.ididntexpecttogetin,andmyfamilyhadnomoneyforcollege.whenigotamilitaryscholarshiptwoweekslater,theyallowedmetogo.suddenly,somethingthatwasntevenapossibilitybecameareality.wheniwentthere,iassumedeveryoneelsewouldseeitasaprivilegeaswell,thattheydbeexcitedtobethere.evenifyoureinaclassroomfullofpeoplesmarterthanyou,youdbehappyjusttobeinthatclassroom,whichiswhatifelt.butwhatifoundthereis,whilesomepeopleexperiencethat,whenigraduatedaftermyfouryearsandthenspentthenexteightyearslivinginthedormswiththestudents--harvardaskedmeto;iwasntthatguy.(laughter)iwasanofficerofharvardtocounselstudentsthroughthedifficultfouryears.andwhatifoundinmyresearchandmyteachingisthatthesestudents,nomatterhowhappytheywerewiththeiroriginalsuccessofgettingintotheschool,twoweekslatertheirbrainswerefocused,notontheprivilegeofbeingthere,norontheirphilosophyortheirphysics.theirbrainwasfocusedonthecompetition,theworkload,thehassles,thestresses,thecomplaints.
whenifirstwentinthere,iwalkedintothefreshmendininghall,whichiswheremyfriendsfromwaco,texas,whichiswhereigrewup--iknowsomeofyouhaveheardofit.whentheydcometovisitme,theydlookaround,theydsay,thisfreshmandininghalllookslikesomethingoutofhogwartsfromthemovieharrypotter,whichitdoes.thisishogwartsfromthemovieharrypotterandthatsharvard.andwhentheyseethis,theysay,shawn,whydoyouwasteyourtimestudyinghappinessatharvard?
seriously,whatdoesaharvardstudentpossiblyhavetobeunhappyabout?
embeddedwithinthatquestionisthekeytounderstandingthescienceofhappiness.becausewhatthatquestionassumesisthatourexternalworldispredictiveofourhappinesslevels,wheninreality,ifiknoweverythingaboutyourexternalworld,icanonlypredict10percentofyourlong-termhappiness.90percentofyourlong-termhappinessispredictednotbytheexternalworld,butbythewayyourbrainprocessestheworld.andifwechangeit,ifwechangeourformulaforhappinessandsuccess,whatwe