TED英语演讲稿：改善工作的快乐之道.doc

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. Therearedifferingaountsofwhatactuallyhappenedthatafternoon,butsincemysisterisnotherewithustoday,letmetellyouthetruestory-(Laughter)-whichismysistersalittlebitontheclumsyside.Somehow,withoutanyhelporpushfromherolderbrotheratall,suddenlyAmydisappearedoffofthetopofthebunkbedandlandedwiththiscrashonthefloor.NowInervouslypeeredoverthesideofthebedtoseewhathadbefallenmyfallensisterandsawthatshehadlandedpainfullyonherhandsandkneesonallfoursontheground. IwasnervousbecausemyparentshadchargedmewithmakingsurethatmysisterandIplayedassafelyandasquietlyaspossible.AndseeingashowIhadaidentallybrokenAmysarmjustoneweekbefore.(Laughter).heroicallypushingheroutofthewayofanoningimaginarysniperbullet,(Laughter)forwhichIhaveyettobethanked,IwastryingashardasIcould-shedidntevenseeiting-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-wassomethingthatwasgoingbeatthevanguardofascientificrevolutionourringtwodecadeslaterinthewaythatwelookatthehumanbrain.Whatwehadstumbledacrossissomethingcalledpositivepsychology,whichisthereasonthatImheretodayandthereasonthatIwakeupeverymorning. WhenIfirststartedtalkingaboutthisresearchoutsideofacademia,outwithpaniesandschools,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,ifyoueintoatherapysessionwithoneproblem,wewanttomakesureyouleaveknowingyouhave10,soyoukeepingbackoverandoveragain.Wellgobackintoyourchildhoodifnecessary,buteventuallywhatwewanttodoismakeyounormalagain.Butnormalismerelyaverage. AndwhatIpositandwhatpositivepsychologypositsisthatifwestudywhatismerelyaverage,wewillremainmerelyaverage.Theninsteadofdeletingthosepositiveoutliers,whatIintentionallydoiseintoapopulationlikethisoneandsay,why?Whyisitthatsomeofyouaresohighabovethecurveintermsofyourintellectualability,athleticability,musicalability,creativity,energylevels,yourresiliencyinthefaceofchallenge,yoursenseofhumor?Whateveritis,insteadofdeletingyou,whatIwanttodoisstudyyou.Becausemaybewecangleaninformation-notjusthowtomovepeopleuptotheaverage,buthowwecanmovetheentireaverageupinourpaniesandschoolsworldwide. Thereasonthisgraphisimportanttomeis,whenIturnonthenews,itseemslikethemajorityoftheinformationisnotpositive,infactitsnegative.Mostofitsaboutmurder,corruption,diseases,naturaldisasters.Andveryquickly,mybrainstartstothinkthatstheaurateratioofnegativetopositiveintheworld.Whatthatsdoingiscreatingsomethingcalledthemedicalschoolsyndrome-which,ifyouknowpeoplewhovebeentomedicalschool,duringthefirstyearofmedicaltraining,asyoureadthroughalistofallthesymptomsanddiseasesthatcouldhappen,suddenlyyourealizeyouhaveallofthem. Ihaveabrotherin-lawnamedBobo-whichisawholeotherstory.BobomarriedAmytheunicorn.BobocalledmeonthephonefromYaleMedicalSchool,andBobosaid,Shawn,Ihaveleprosy.(Laughter)Which,evenatYale,isextraordinarilyrare.ButIhadnoideahowtoconsolepoorBobobecausehehadjustgottenoveranentireweekofmenopause. (Laughter) Seewhatwerefindingisitsnotnecessarilytherealitythatshapesus,butthelensthroughwhichyourbrainviewstheworldthatshapesyourreality.Andifwecanchangethelens,notonlycanwechangeyourhappiness,wecanchangeeverysingleeducationalandbusinessouteatthesametime. WhenIappliedtoHarvard,Iappliedonadare.Ididntexpecttogetin,andmyfamilyhadnomoneyforcollege.WhenIgotamilitaryscholarshiptwoweekslater,theyallowedmetogo.Suddenly,somethingthatwasntevenapossibilitybecameareality.WhenIwentthere,Iassumedeveryoneelsewouldseeitasaprivilegeaswell,thattheydbeexcitedtobethere.Evenifyoureinaclassroomfullofpeoplesmarterthanyou,youdbehappyjusttobeinthatclassroom,whichiswhatIfelt.ButwhatIfoundthereis,whilesomepeopleexperiencethat,whenIgraduatedaftermyfouryearsandthenspentthenexteightyearslivinginthedormswiththestudents-Harvardaskedmeto;Iwasntthatguy.(Laughter)IwasanofficerofHarvardtocounselstudentsthroughthedifficultfouryears.AndwhatIfoundinmyresearchandmyteachingisthatthesestudents,nomatterhowhappytheywerewiththeiroriginalsuessofgettingintotheschool,twoweekslatertheirbrainswerefocused,notontheprivilegeofbeingthere,norontheirphilosophyortheirphysics.Theirbrainwasfocusedonthepetition,theworkload,thehassles,thestresses,theplaints. WhenIfirstwentinthere,Iwalkedintothefreshmendininghall,whichiswheremyfriendsfromWaco,Texas,whichiswhereIgrewup-Iknowsomeofyouhaveheardofit.Whentheydetovisitme,theydlookaround,theydsay,ThisfreshmandininghalllookslikesomethingoutofHogwartsfromthemovieHarryPotter,whichitdoes.ThisisHogwartsfromthemovieHarryPotterandthatsHarvard.Andwhentheyseethis,theysay,Shawn,whydoyouwasteyourtimestudyinghappinessatHarvard?Seriously,whatdoesaHarvardstudentpossiblyhavetobeunhappyabout? Embeddedwithinthatquestionisthekeytounderstandingthescienceofhappiness.Becausewhatthatquestionassumesisthatourexternalworldispredictiveofourhappinesslevels,wheninreality,ifIknoweverythingaboutyourexternalworld,Icanonlypredict10percentofyourlong-termhappiness.90percentofyourlong-termhappinessispredictednotbytheexternalworld,butbythewayyourbrainprocessestheworld.Andifwechangeit,ifwechangeourformulaforhappinessandsuess,whatwecandoischangethewaythatwecanthenaffectreality.Whatwefoundisthatonly25percentofjobsuessesarepredictedbyI.Q.75percentofjobsuessesarepredictedbyyouroptimismlevels,yoursocialsupportandyourabilitytoseestressasachallengeinsteadofasathreat. ItalkedtoaboardingschoolupinNewEngland,probablythemostprestigiousboardingschool,andtheysaid,Wealreadyknowthat.Soeveryyear,insteadofjustteachingourstudents,wealsohaveawellnessweek.Andweresoexcited.Mondaynightwehavetheworldsleadingexpertingintospeakaboutadolescentdepression.Tuesdaynightitsschoolviolenceandbullying.Wednesdaynightiseatingdisorders.Thursdaynightiselicitdruguse.AndFridaynightweretryingtodecidebetweenriskysexorhappiness.(Laughter)Isaid,ThatsmostpeoplesFridaynights.(Laughter)(Applause)WhichImgladyouliked,buttheydidnotlikethatatall.Silenceonthephone.Andintothesilence,Isaid,Idbehappytospeakatyourschool,butjustsoyouknow,thatsnotawellnessweek,thatsasicknessweek.Whatyouvedoneisyouveoutlinedallthenegativethingsthatcanhappen,butnottalkedaboutthepositive. Theabsenceofdiseaseisnothealth.Hereshowwegettohealth:Weneedtoreversetheformulaforhappinessandsuess.Inthelastthreeyears,Ivetraveledto45differentcountries,workingwithschoolsandpaniesinthemidstofaneconomicdownturn.AndwhatIfoundisthatmostpaniesandschoolsfollowaformulaforsuess,whichisthis:IfIworkharder,Illbemoresuessful.AndifImmoresuessful,thenIllbehappier.Thatundergirdsmostofourparentingstyles,ourmanagingstyles,thewaythatwemotivateourbehavior. Andtheproblemisitsscientificallybrokenandbackwardsfortworeasons.First,everytimeyourbrainhasasuess,youjustchangedthegoalpostofwhatsuesslookedlike.Yougotgoodgrades,nowyouhavetogetbettergrades,yougotintoagoodschoolandafteryougetintoabetterschool,yougotagoodjob,nowyouhavetogetabetterjob,youhityoursalestarget,weregoingtochangeyoursalestarget.Andifhappinessisontheoppositesideofsuess,yourbrainnevergetsthere.Whatwevedoneiswevepushedhappinessoverthecognitivehorizonasasociety.Andthatsbecausewethinkwehavetobesuessful,thenwellbehappier. Buttherealproblemisourbrainsworkintheoppositeorder.Ifyoucanraisesomebodyslevelofpositivityinthepresent,thentheirbrainexperienceswhatwenowcallahappinessadvantage,whichisyourbrainatpositiveperformssignificantlybetterthanitdoesatnegative,neutralorstressed.Yourintelligencerises,yourcreativityrises,yourenergylevelsrise.Infact,whatwevefoundisthateverysinglebusinessouteimproves.Yourbrainatpositiveis31percentmoreproductivethanyourbrainatnegative,neutralorstressed.Youre37percentbetteratsales.Doctorsare19percentfaster,moreaurateatingupwiththecorrectdiagnosiswhenpositiveinsteadofnegative,neutralorstressed.Whichmeanswecanreversetheformula.Ifwecanfindawayofbeingpositiveinthepresent,thenourbrainsworkevenmoresuessfullyaswereabletoworkharder,fasterandmoreintelligently. Whatweneedtobeabletodoistoreversethisformulasowecanstarttoseewhatourbrainsareactuallycapableof.Becausedopamine,whichfloodsintoyoursystemwhenyourepositive,hastwofunctions.Notonlydoesitmakeyouhappier,itturnsonallofthelearningcentersinyourbrainal