TED英文演讲稿：内向性格的力量.doc

TED英文演讲稿：内向性格的力量 WhenIwasnineyearsoldIwentofftosummercampforthefirsttime.Andmymotherpackedmeasuitcasefullofbooks,whichtomeseemedlikeaperfectlynaturalthingtodo.Becauseinmyfamily,readingwastheprimarygroupactivity.Andthismightsoundantisocialtoyou,butforusitwasreallyjustadifferentwayofbeingsocial.Youhavetheanimalwarmthofyourfamilysittingrightnexttoyou,butyouarealsofreetogoroamingaroundtheadventurelandinsideyourownmind.AndIhadthisideathatcampwasgoingtobejustlikethis,butbetter.(Laughter)Ihadavisionof10girlssittinginacabincozilyreadingbooksintheirmatchingnightgowns. (Laughter) Campwasmorelikeakegpartywithoutanyalcohol.Andontheveryfirstdayourcounselorgatheredusalltogetherandshetaughtusacheerthatshesaidwewouldbedoingeverydayfortherestofthesummertoinstillcampspirit.Anditwentlikethis:R-O-W-D-I-E,thatsthewaywespellrowdie.Rowdie,rowdie,letsgetrowdie.Yeah.SoIcouldntfigureoutforthelifeofmewhyweweresupposedtobesorowdy,orwhywehadtospellthiswordincorrectly.(Laughter)ButIrecitedacheer.Irecitedacheeralongwitheverybodyelse.Ididmybest.AndIjustwaitedforthetimethatIcouldgooffandreadmybooks. ButthefirsttimethatItookmybookoutofmysuitcase,thecoolestgirlinthebunkcameuptomeandsheaskedme,Whyareyoubeingsomellow?-mellow,ofcourse,beingtheexactoppositeofR-O-W-D-I-E.AndthenthesecondtimeItriedit,thecounselorcameuptomewithaconcernedexpressiononherfaceandsherepeatedthepointaboutcampspiritandsaidweshouldallworkveryhardtobeoutgoing. AndsoIputmybooksaway,backintheirsuitcase,andIputthemundermybed,andtheretheystayedfortherestofthesummer.AndIfeltkindofguiltyaboutthis.Ifeltasifthebooksneededmesomehow,andtheywerecallingouttomeandIwasforsakingthem.ButIdidforsakethemandIdidntopenthatsuitcaseagainuntilIwasbackhomewithmyfamilyattheendofthesummer. Now,Itellyouthisstoryaboutsummercamp.Icouldhavetoldyou50othersjustlikeit-allthetimesthatIgotthemessagethatsomehowmyquietandintrovertedstyleofbeingwasnotnecessarilytherightwaytogo,thatIshouldbetryingtopassasmoreofanextrovert.AndIalwayssenseddeepdownthatthiswaswrongandthatintrovertswereprettyexcellentjustastheywere.ButforyearsIdeniedthisintuition,andsoIbecameaWallStreetlawyer,ofallthings,insteadofthewriterthatIhadalwayslongedtobe-partlybecauseIneededtoprovetomyselfthatIcouldbeboldandassertivetoo.AndIwasalwaysgoingofftocrowdedbarswhenIreallywouldhavepreferredtojusthaveanicedinnerwithfriends.AndImadetheseself-negatingchoicessoreflexively,thatIwasntevenawarethatIwasmakingthem. Nowthisiswhatmanyintrovertsdo,anditsourlossforsure,butitisalsoourcolleagueslossandourmunitiesloss.Andattheriskofsoundinggrandiose,itistheworldsloss.Becausewhenitestocreativityandtoleadership,weneedintrovertsdoingwhattheydobest.Athirdtoahalfofthepopulationareintroverts-athirdtoahalf.Sothatsoneoutofeverytwoorthreepeopleyouknow.Soevenifyoureanextrovertyourself,Imtalkingaboutyourcoworkersandyourspousesandyourchildrenandthepersonsittingnexttoyourightnow-allofthemsubjecttothisbiasthatisprettydeepandrealinoursociety.Weallinternalizeitfromaveryearlyagewithoutevenhavingalanguageforwhatweredoing. Nowtoseethebiasclearlyyouneedtounderstandwhatintroversionis.Itsdifferentfrombeingshy.Shynessisaboutfearofsocialjudgment.Introversionismoreabout,howdoyourespondtostimulation,includingsocialstimulation.Soextrovertsreallycravelargeamountsofstimulation,whereasintrovertsfeelattheirmostaliveandtheirmostswitched-onandtheirmostcapablewhentheyreinquieter,morelow-keyenvironments.Notallthetime-thesethingsarentabsolute-butalotofthetime.Sothekeythentomaximizingourtalentsisforusalltoputourselvesinthezoneofstimulationthatisrightforus. Butnowhereswherethebiasesin.Ourmostimportantinstitutions,ourschoolsandourworkplaces,theyaredesignedmostlyforextrovertsandforextrovertsneedforlotsofstimulation.AndalsowehavethisbeliefsystemrightnowthatIcallthenewgroupthink,whichholdsthatallcreativityandallproductivityesfromaveryoddlygregariousplace. Soifyoupicturethetypicalclassroomnowadays:WhenIwasgoingtoschool,wesatinrows.Wesatinrowsofdeskslikethis,andwedidmostofourworkprettyautonomously.Butnowadays,yourtypicalclassroomhaspodsofdesks-fourorfiveorsixorsevenkidsallfacingeachother.Andkidsareworkingincountlessgroupassignments.Eveninsubjectslikemathandcreativewriting,whichyouthinkwoulddependonsoloflightsofthought,kidsarenowexpectedtoactasmitteemembers.Andforthekidswhoprefertogooffbythemselvesorjusttoworkalone,thosekidsareseenasoutliersoftenor,worse,asproblemcases.Andthevastmajorityofteachersreportsbelievingthattheidealstudentisanextrovertasopposedtoanintrovert,eventhoughintrovertsactuallygetbettergradesandaremoreknowledgeable,aordingtoresearch.(Laughter) Okay,samethingistrueinourworkplaces.Now,mostofusworkinopenplanoffices,withoutwalls,wherewearesubjecttotheconstantnoiseandgazeofourcoworkers.Andwhenitestoleadership,introvertsareroutinelypassedoverforleadershippositions,eventhoughintrovertstendtobeverycareful,muchlesslikelytotakeoutsizerisks-whichissomethingwemightallfavornowadays.AndinterestingresearchbyAdamGrantattheWhartonSchoolhasfoundthatintrovertedleadersoftendeliverbetteroutesthanextrovertsdo,becausewhentheyaremanagingproactiveemployees,theyremuchmorelikelytoletthoseemployeesrunwiththeirideas,whereasanextrovertcan,quiteunwittingly,getsoexcitedaboutthingsthattheyreputtingtheirownstamponthings,andotherpeoplesideasmightnotaseasilythenbubbleuptothesurface. Nowinfact,someofourtransformativeleadersinhistoryhavebeenintroverts.Illgiveyousomeexamples.EleanorRoosevelt,RosaParks,Gandhi-allthesepeopleddescribedthemselvesasquietandsoft-spokenandevenshy.Andtheyalltookthespotlight,eventhougheveryboneintheirbodieswastellingthemnotto.Andthisturnsouttohaveaspecialpowerallitsown,becausepeoplecouldfeelthattheseleaderswereatthehelm,notbecausetheyenjoyeddirectingothersandnotoutofthepleasureofbeinglookedat;theyweretherebecausetheyhadnochoice,becausetheyweredriventodowhattheythoughtwasright. NowIthinkatthispointitsimportantformetosaythatIactuallyloveextroverts.Ialwaysliketosaysomeofmybestfriendsareextroverts,includingmybelovedhusband.Andweallfallatdifferentpoints,ofcourse,alongtheintrovert/extrovertspectrum.EvenCarlJung,thepsychologistwhofirstpopularizedtheseterms,saidthattheresnosuchthingasapureintrovertorapureextrovert.Hesaidthatsuchamanwouldbeinalunaticasylum,ifheexistedatall.Andsomepeoplefallsmackinthemiddleoftheintrovert/extrovertspectrum,andwecallthesepeopleambiverts.AndIoftenthinkthattheyhavethebestofallworlds.Butmanyofusdorecognizeourselvesasonetypeortheother. AndwhatImsayingisthatculturallyweneedamuchbetterbalance.Weneedmoreofayinandyangbetweenthesetwotypes.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenitestocreativityandtoproductivity,becausewhenpsychologistslookatthelivesofthemostcreativepeople,whattheyfindarepeoplewhoareverygoodatexchangingideasandadvancingideas,butwhoalsohaveaseriousstreakofintroversioninthem. Andthisisbecausesolitudeisacrucialingredientoftentocreativity.SoDarwin,hetooklongwalksaloneinthewoodsandemphaticallyturneddowndinnerpartyinvitations.TheodorGeisel,betterknownasDr.Seuss,hedreamedupmanyofhisamazingcreationsinalonelybelltowerofficethathehadinthebackofhishouseinLaJolla,California.AndhewasactuallyafraidtomeettheyoungchildrenwhoreadhisbooksforfearthattheywereexpectinghimthiskindofjollySantaClaus-likefigureandwouldbedisappointedwithhismorereservedpersona.SteveWozniakinventedthefirstAppleputersittingaloneinhiscubicalinHewlett-Packardwherehewasworkingatthetime.Andhesaysthatheneverwouldhavebeesuchanexpertinthefirstplacehadhenotbeentoointrovertedtoleavethehousewhenhewasgrowingup. Nowofcourse,thisdoesnotmeanthatweshouldallstopcollaborating-andcaseinpoint,isSteveWoznia