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

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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