TED英语演讲稿：改善工作的快乐之道

Word文档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,whatwecandoischangethewaythatwecanthenaffectreality.Whatwefoundisthatonly25percentofjobsuccessesarepredictedbyI.Q.75percentofjobsuccessesarepredictedbyyouroptimismlevels,yoursocialsupportandyourabilitytoseestressasachallengeinsteadofasathreat.

ItalkedtoaboardingschoolupinNewEngland,probablythemostprestigiousboardingschool,andtheysaid,Wealreadyknowthat.Soeveryyear,insteadofjustteachingourstudents,wealsohaveawellnessweek.Andweresoexcited.Mondaynightwehavetheworldsleadingexpertcomingintospeakaboutadolescentdepression.Tuesdaynightitsschoolviolenceandbullying.Wednesdaynightiseatingdisorders.Thursdaynightiselicitdruguse.AndFridaynightweretryingtodecidebetweenriskysexorhappiness.(Laughter)Isaid,ThatsmostpeoplesFridaynights.(Laughter)(Applause)WhichImgladyouliked,buttheydidnotlikethatatall.Silenceonthephone.Andintothesilence,Isaid,Idbehappytospeakatyourschool,butjustsoyouknow,thatsnotawellnessweek,thatsasicknessweek.Whatyouvedoneisyouveoutlinedallthenegativethingsthatcanhappen,butnottalkedaboutthepositive.

Theabsenceofdiseaseisnothealth.Hereshowwegettohealth:Weneedtoreversetheformulaforhappinessandsuccess.Inthelastthreeyears,Ivetraveledto45differentcountries,workingwithschoolsandcompaniesinthemidstofaneconomicdownturn.AndwhatIfoundisthatmostcompaniesandschoolsfollowaformulaforsuccess,whichisthis:IfIworkharder,Illbemoresuccessful.AndifImmoresuccessful,thenIllbehappier.Thatundergirdsmostofourparentingstyles,ourmanagingstyles,thewaythatwemotivateourbehavior.

Andtheproblemisitsscientificallybrokenandbackwardsfortworeasons.First,everytimeyourbrainhasasuccess,youjustchangedthegoalpostofwhatsuccesslookedlike.Yougotgoodgrades,nowyouhavetogetbettergrades,yougotintoagoodschoolandafteryougetintoabetterschool,yougotagoodjob,nowyouhavetogetabetterjob,youhityoursalestarget,weregoingtochangeyoursalestarget.Andifhappinessisontheoppositesideofsuccess,yourbrainnevergetsthere.Whatwevedoneiswevepushedhappinessoverthecognitivehorizonasasociety.Andthatsbecausewethinkwehavetobesuccessful,thenwellbehappier.

Buttherealproblemisourbrainsworkintheoppositeorder.Ifyoucanraisesomebodyslevelofpositivityinthepresent,thentheirbrainexperienceswhatwenowcallahappinessadvantage,whichisyourbrainatpositiveperformssignificantlybetterthanitdoesatnegative,neutralorstressed.Yourintelligencerises,yourcreativityrises,yourenergylevelsrise.Infact,whatwevefoundisthateverysinglebusinessoutcomeimproves.Yourbrainatpositiveis31percentmoreproductivethanyourbrainatnegative,neutralorstressed.Youre37percentbetteratsales.Doctorsare19percentfaster,moreaccurateatcomingupwiththecorrectdiagnosiswhenpositiveinsteadofnegative,neutralorstressed.Whichmeanswecanreversetheformula.Ifwecanfindawayofbecomingpositiveinthepresent,thenourbrainsworkevenmoresuccessfullyaswereabletoworkharder,fasterandmoreintelligently.

Whatweneedtobeabletodoistoreversethisformulasowecanstarttoseewhatourbrainsareactuallycapableof.Becausedopamine,whichfloodsintoyoursystemwhenyourepositive,hastwofunctions.Notonlydoesitmakeyouhappier,itturnsonallofthelearningcentersinyourbrainallowingyou