Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career. Eu quero discutir com você esta tarde por que você vai deixar de ter uma grande carreira.

(Laughter)

I’m an economist.

I do dismal. Eu sou sombrio. End of the day, it’s ready for dismal remarks. No final do dia, está pronto para observações sombrias. Конец дня, он готов к мрачным замечаниям. I only want to talk to those of you who want a great career. I know some of you have already decided you want a good career. You’re going to fail, too — (Laughter) — because — Goodness, you’re all cheery about failing. Você vai falhar também – (Risos) – porque – Meu Deus, você está todo feliz por falhar. Вы тоже потерпите неудачу - (Смех) - потому что - Боже, вы все радуетесь неудаче. (Laughter) Canadian group, undoubtedly. (Risos) Grupo canadense, sem dúvida. (Смех) Канадская группа, несомненно. (Laughter) Those trying to have good careers are going to fail, because, really, good jobs are now disappearing. (Смех) Те, кто пытается сделать хорошую карьеру, потерпят неудачу, потому что действительно хорошие рабочие места теперь исчезают. There are great jobs and great careers, and then there are the high-workload, high-stress, bloodsucking, soul-destroying kinds of jobs, and practically nothing in between Existem ótimos empregos e ótimas carreiras, e depois há os tipos de trabalho de alta carga de trabalho, alto estresse, sanguessugas, destruidores da alma, e praticamente nada entre eles. Есть отличные рабочие места и отличная карьера, а затем - высокая нагрузка, стресс, кровосос, разрушающие душу виды работ, и практически ничего промежуточного So the people looking for good jobs are going to fail. Так что люди, которые ищут хорошую работу, потерпят неудачу.

I’m going to talk about those looking for great jobs, great careers, and why you’re going to, why you’re going to fail. Я собираюсь поговорить о тех, кто ищет отличную работу, отличную карьеру, и почему вы собираетесь, почему вы потерпите неудачу. First reason is that no matter how many times people tell you, "If you want a great career, you have to pursue your passion, you have to pursue your dreams, you have to pursue, the greatest fascination in your life," you hear it again and again and then you decide not to do it. Первая причина в том, что независимо от того, сколько раз люди говорят вам: «Если вы хотите отличную карьеру, вы должны преследовать свою страсть, вы должны преследовать свои мечты, вы должны преследовать, величайшее увлечение в вашей жизни», вы слышите это снова и снова, и тогда вы решите не делать этого. It doesn’t matter how many times you download Steven J. Неважно, сколько раз вы скачали Steven J. 's Stanford commencement address, you still look at it and decide not to do it. I’m not quite sure why you decide not to do it.

You’re too lazy to do it. Ты слишком ленив, чтобы сделать это. It’s too hard. Это слишком сложно. You’re afraid if you look for your passion and don’t find it, you’ll feel like you’re an idiot, so then you make excuses about why you’re not going to look for your passion. Вы боитесь, если вы ищете свою страсть и не находите ее, вы чувствуете, что вы идиот, поэтому вы извиняетесь, почему вы не собираетесь искать свою страсть. And they are excuses, ladies and gentlemen We’re going to go through a whole long list, your creativity, and thinking of excuses not to do what you really need to do if you want to have a great career. И они - оправдания, дамы и господа. Мы рассмотрим весь длинный список, ваш творческий потенциал и подумаем о оправданиях не делать то, что вам действительно нужно делать, если вы хотите сделать большую карьеру. So, for example, one of your great excuses is, "Well, great careers are really and truly, for most people, just a matter of luck, so I’m going to stand around, I’m going to try to be lucky, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have a great career. Então, por exemplo, uma de suas grandes desculpas é: "Bem, grandes carreiras são realmente, para a maioria das pessoas, apenas uma questão de sorte, então vou ficar por aqui, vou tentar ter sorte , e se eu tiver sorte, terei uma grande carreira. Так, например, одно из ваших великих оправданий: «Что ж, отличная карьера действительно и по-настоящему, для большинства людей, просто вопрос удачи, так что я собираюсь постоять, постараюсь быть удачливым и если мне повезет, у меня будет отличная карьера.

If not, I’ll have a good career." Если нет, у меня будет хорошая карьера. " But a good career is an impossibility, so that’s not going to work. Но хорошая карьера невозможна, так что это не сработает. Then, your other excuse is, "Yes, there are special people who pursue their passions, but they are geniuses. Então, sua outra desculpa é: "Sim, existem pessoas especiais que perseguem suas paixões, mas são gênios.

They are Steven J. I’m not a genius. Это Стивен Дж. Я не гений. When I was five, I thought I was a genius, but my professors have beaten that idea out of my head long since." Quando eu tinha cinco anos, eu achava que era um gênio, mas meus professores tiraram essa ideia da minha cabeça há muito tempo." Когда мне было пять лет, я думал, что я гений, но мои профессора давно выбили эту идею из головы ». (Laughter) Mm? "And now I know I am completely competent." «И теперь я знаю, что я полностью компетентен». Now, you see, if this was 1950, being completely competent, that would have given you a great career But guess what? Теперь, вы видите, если бы это был 1950 год, будучи полностью компетентным, это дало бы вам большую карьеру. Но угадайте, что? This is almost 2012, and saying to the world, "I am totally, completely competent," is damning yourself with the faintest of praise. Estamos quase em 2012, e dizer ao mundo: "Sou totalmente, completamente competente" é condenar a si mesmo com o menor dos elogios. Это почти 2012 год, и говорить миру: «Я полностью, полностью компетентен» - это чертовски похвалить себя. And then, of course, another excuse: "Well, I would do this, I would do this, but, but, well, after all, I’m not weird. И затем, конечно, еще одно оправдание: «Ну, я бы сделал это, я бы сделал это, но, но, в конце концов, я не странный.

Everybody knows that people who pursue their passions are somewhat obsessive. Все знают, что люди, которые преследуют свои страсти, являются одержимыми. A little strange? Немного странно? Mm? Mm? Okay? You know, a fine line between madness and genius. Вы знаете, тонкая грань между безумием и гением. I’m not weird.

I’ve read Steven J. 's biography. Oh my goodness. I am not that person. I am nice I am normal. Я хороший, я нормальный. I’m a nice, normal person, and nice, normal people don’t have passion. Я хороший, нормальный человек, и хорошие, нормальные люди не имеют страсти. Ah. But I still want a great career. I’m not prepared to pursue my passion, so I know what I’m going to do, because I have, I have a solution, I have a strategy. Я не готов следовать своей страсти, поэтому я знаю, что собираюсь делать, потому что у меня есть решение, у меня есть стратегия. It’s the one Mommy and Daddy told me about. Это то, о чем мне говорили мама и папа. Mommy and Daddy told me that if I worked hard, I’d have a good career. So, if you work hard and have a good career, if you work really, really, really hard, you’ll have a great career. Doesn’t that, like, mathematically make sense?" Разве это не имеет смысла математически? " Hmm. Not (Laughter) But you’ve managed to talk yourself into that. Нет (смех) Но тебе удалось убедить себя в этом. You know what?

Here’s a little secret. You want to work? You want to work really, really, really hard? You know what?

You’ll succeed. Вы добьетесь успеха. The world will give you the opportunity to work really, really, really, really hard, but are you so sure that that’s going to give you a great career when all the evidence is to the contrary? Мир даст вам возможность работать очень, очень, очень, очень тяжело, но уверены ли вы, что это даст вам отличную карьеру, когда все доказательства обратные? So let’s assume, let’s deal with those of you who are trying to find your passion. Então vamos supor, vamos lidar com aqueles de vocês que estão tentando encontrar sua paixão. Итак, давайте предположим, давайте иметь дело с теми из вас, кто пытается найти вашу страсть.

You actually understand that you really had better do it, never mind the excuses. Você realmente entende que é melhor fazer isso, não importa as desculpas. Вы на самом деле понимаете, что вам действительно лучше это делать, не говоря уже об оправданиях. You’re trying to find your passion, and you’re so happy. Вы пытаетесь найти свою страсть, и вы так счастливы. You found something you’re interested in. I have an interest!

I have an interest!

You tell me. You say, "I have an interest!" Вы говорите: «У меня есть интерес!» I say, "That’s wonderful! And what, what are you trying to tell me? That you — " "Well, I have an interest." I say, "Do you have passion?" "I have an interest," you say Your interest is compared to what? «У меня есть интерес», вы говорите, что ваш интерес по сравнению с чем? "Well, I’m interested in this." And what about the rest of humanity’s activities? А как насчет остальной деятельности человечества? "I’m not interested in them." You’ve looked at them all, have you? Вы смотрели на них всех, не так ли? "No. Not exactly. Не совсем. Passion is your greatest love. Страсть ваша самая большая любовь.

Passion is the thing that will help you create the highest expression of your talent. Страсть - это то, что поможет вам создать высшее выражение вашего таланта. Passion, interest -- it’s not the same thing. Страсть, интерес - это не одно и то же. Are you really going to go to your sweetie and say, "Marry me! Ты действительно собираешься пойти к своему любимому и сказать: «Выходи за меня! You’re interesting." Ты интересный." (Laughter) Won’t happen. (Смех) Не произойдет. Won’t happen, and you will die alone (Laughter) Не случится, и ты умрешь один (Смех) What you want, what you want, what you want, is passion. То, что вы хотите, что вы хотите, что вы хотите, это страсть.

It is beyond interest. You need 20 interests, and then one of them, one of them might grab you, one of them might engage you more than anything else, and then you may have found your greatest love in comparison to all the other things that interest you, and that’s what passion is. Вам нужно 20 интересов, и затем один из них, один из них может захватить вас, один из них может заинтересовать вас больше, чем что-либо еще, и тогда вы, возможно, нашли свою самую большую любовь по сравнению со всеми другими вещами, которые вас интересуют, и вот что такое страсть. I have a friend, proposed to his sweetie. У меня есть друг, предложенный его конфетка.

He was an economically rational person. He said to his sweetie, "Let us marry. Let us merge our interests. (Laughter)

Yes he did.

"I love you truly," he said. "I love you deeply I love you more than any other woman I’ve ever encountered. I love you more than Mary, Jane, Susie, Penelope, Ingrid, Gertrude, Gretel -- I was on a German exchange program then." (Laughter) "I love you more than — " All right! She left the room halfway through his enumeration of his love for her. After he got over his surprise at being, you know, turned down, he concluded he’d had a narrow escape from marrying an irrational person, although he did make a note to himself that the next time he proposed, it was perhaps not necessary to enumerate all of the women he had auditioned for the part. После того, как он преодолел свое удивление от того, что, как вы знаете, отказался, он пришел к выводу, что ему удалось избежать женитьбы на иррациональном человеке, хотя он и сделал для себя пометку, что в следующий раз, когда он предложил, это, возможно, не было необходимости перечислить всех женщин, которых он прослушивал на роль. (Laughter)

But the point stands. Но дело в том.

You must look for alternatives so that you find your destiny, or are you afraid of the word "destiny"? Вы должны искать альтернативы, чтобы найти свою судьбу, или вы боитесь слова «судьба»? Does the word "destiny" scare you? That’s what we’re talking about, and if you don’t find the highest expression of your talent, if you settle for "interesting," what the hell ever that means, do you know what will happen at the end of your long life? É disso que estamos falando, e se você não encontrar a maior expressão de seu talento, se você se contentar com "interessante", o que diabos isso significa, você sabe o que acontecerá no final de sua longa vida? ? Это то, о чем мы говорим, и если вы не найдете высочайшего выражения своего таланта, если вы согласитесь на «интересное», что, черт возьми, это значит, знаете ли вы, что произойдет в конце вашей долгой жизни ? Your friends and family will be gathered in the cemetery, and there, beside your gravesite will be a tombstone, and inscribed on that tombstone, it will say, "Here lies a distinguished engineer who invented Velcro." Seus amigos e familiares estarão reunidos no cemitério, e lá, ao lado de sua sepultura, haverá uma lápide, e inscrito nessa lápide, estará escrito: "Aqui jaz um distinto engenheiro que inventou o velcro". Ваши друзья и семья будут собраны на кладбище, и там, рядом с вашим могильным местом будет надгробная плита, и на этой надгробной плите будет написано: «Здесь лежит выдающийся инженер, который изобрел липучку». But what that tombstone should have said, in an alternative lifetime, what it should have said if it was your highest expression of talent, was, "Here lies the last Nobel Laureate in Physics, who formulated the Grand Unified Field Theory and demonstrated the practicality of warp drive. Mas o que aquela lápide deveria ter dito, em uma vida alternativa, o que deveria ter dito se fosse sua maior expressão de talento, era: "Aqui jaz o último Prêmio Nobel de Física, que formulou a Grande Teoria do Campo Unificado e demonstrou a praticidade de warp drive. Но то, что должен был сказать этот надгробный камень в альтернативной жизни, то, что он должен был сказать, если бы это было ваше высшее проявление таланта, заключалось в следующем: «В этом заключается последний Нобелевский лауреат по физике, который сформулировал Теорию Великого Объединенного Поля и продемонстрировал практичность. деформации диска. (Laughter) Velcro, indeed.

(Laughter)

One was a great career.

One was a missed opportunity But then, there are some of you, in spite of all these excuses, you will find, you will find your passion, and you’ll still fail. Uma foi uma oportunidade perdida Mas então, alguns de vocês, apesar de todas essas desculpas, encontrarão, encontrarão sua paixão e ainda falharão. Одна из них была упущенной возможностью. Но некоторые из вас, несмотря на все эти оправдания, обнаружат, найдут свою страсть и все равно потерпят неудачу. You’re going to fail, because, because you’re not going to do it, because you will have invented a new excuse, any excuse to fail to take action, and this excuse I’ve heard so many times. Вы потерпите неудачу, потому что, потому что вы не собираетесь делать это, потому что вы придумали новое оправдание, любое оправдание, чтобы не предпринять действия, и это оправдание я слышал много раз.

"Yes, I would pursue a great career, but I value human relationships more than accomplishment. "Sim, eu seguiria uma grande carreira, mas valorizo mais as relações humanas do que as realizações. «Да, я бы выбрал отличную карьеру, но я ценю человеческие отношения больше, чем достижения. I want to be a great friend. I want to be a great spouse. I want to be a great parent, and I will not sacrifice them on the altar of great accomplishment. (Laughter)

What do you want me to say?

Now, do you really want me to say now, tell you, "Really, I swear I don’t kick children." Agora, você realmente quer que eu diga agora, diga a você: “Realmente, eu juro que não chuto crianças”. (Laughter) Hmm? Look at the worldview you’ve given yourself. Olhe para a visão de mundo que você deu a si mesmo. Посмотрите на мировоззрение, которое вы дали себе. You’re a hero no matter what, and I, by suggesting, ever so delicately, that you might want a great career, must hate children. Você é um herói, não importa o que aconteça, e eu, ao sugerir, tão delicadamente, que você pode querer uma grande carreira, devo odiar crianças. Ты герой, несмотря ни на что, и я, деликатно предполагая, что ты хочешь сделать хорошую карьеру, должен ненавидеть детей. I don’t hate children I don’t kick them. Yes, there was a little kid wandering through this building when I came here, and no, I didn’t kick him. Да, когда я пришел сюда, по этому зданию бродил маленький ребенок, и нет, я его не пинал. (Laughter)

Course, I had to tell him that the building was for adults only and to get out. Claro, eu tive que dizer a ele que o prédio era apenas para adultos e sair. Конечно, я должен был сказать ему, что здание было только для взрослых и выйти.

He mumbled something about his mother, and I told him she’d probably find him outside anyway. Ele murmurou algo sobre sua mãe, e eu disse a ele que ela provavelmente o encontraria lá fora de qualquer maneira. Он пробормотал что-то о своей матери, и я сказал ему, что она все равно найдет его снаружи. Last time I saw him, he was on the stairs crying. (Laughter) What a wimp. (Risos) Que covarde. (Laughter)

But what do you mean?

That’s what you expect me to say. You really think, you really think it’s appropriate that you should actually take children and use them as a shield? You know what will happen someday, you, you ideal parent, you? Ты знаешь, что когда-нибудь случится, ты, идеальный родитель, ты? The kid will come to you someday and say, "I know what I want to be. I know what I’m going to do with my life." You are so happy It’s the conversation a parent wants to hear, because your kid’s good in math, and you know you’re going to like what comes next. Says your kid, "I have decided I want to be a magician. Diz seu filho: "Decidi que quero ser um mágico. I want to perform magic tricks on the stage." (Laughter)

And what do you say?

You say, you say, "Umm ... that’s risky, kid. Might fail, kid. Don’t make a lot of money at that, kid. You know, I don’t know, kid, you should think about that again, kid, you’re so good at math, why don’t you — " And the kid interrupts you, and says, "But it is my dream It is my dream to do this.

And what are you going to say? You know what you’re going to say? "Look kid. I had a dream once, too, but -- but." So how are you going to finish the sentence with your "but"? "... But. I had a dream too, once, kid, but I was afraid to pursue it." Or, are you going to tell him this? "I had a dream once, kid. But then you were born" (Laughter) (Laughter) (Applause)

Do you, do you really want to use your family, do you really ever want to look at your spouse and your kid and see your jailers? Você, você realmente quer usar sua família, você realmente quer olhar para seu cônjuge e seu filho e ver seus carcereiros? Вы, вы действительно хотите использовать свою семью, вы действительно когда-нибудь хотели посмотреть на своего супруга и своего ребенка и увидеть своих тюремщиков?

There was something you could have said to your kid when he or she said, "I have a dream." You could have said, looked the kid in the face, and said, "Go for it, kid, just like I did." But you won’t be able to say that because you didn’t. So you can’t. (Laughter)

And so the sins of the parents are visited on the poor children. E assim os pecados dos pais são visitados nos pobres filhos.

Why will you seek refuge in human relationships as your excuse not to find and pursue your passion? Por que você buscará refúgio em relacionamentos humanos como sua desculpa para não encontrar e perseguir sua paixão? You know why. In your heart of hearts, you know why, and I’m being deadly serious. You know why you would get all warm and fuzzy and wrap yourself up in human relationships. Você sabe por que você ficaria todo caloroso e confuso e se envolveria em relacionamentos humanos. It is because you are — You know what you are. You’re afraid to pursue your passion You’re afraid to look ridiculous.

You’re afraid to try. You’re afraid you may fail. Great friend, great spouse, great parent, great career. Is that not a package? Isso não é um pacote? Is that not who you are? How can you be one without the other? But you’re afraid. And that’s why you’re not going to have a great career, unless -- unless, that most evocative of all English words -- unless. E é por isso que você não vai ter uma grande carreira, a menos - a menos que, a mais evocativa de todas as palavras em inglês - a menos.

But the unless word is also attached to that other, most terrifying phrase, "If only I had ... " "If only I had ... " If you ever have that thought ricocheting in your brain, it will hurt a lot. Mas a palavra a não ser também está ligada àquela outra frase mais aterrorizante: "Se eu tivesse..." "Se eu tivesse..." Se você tiver esse pensamento ricocheteando em seu cérebro, vai doer muito. So, those are the many reasons why you are going to fail to have a great career, unless ...

Unless. A não ser que.

Thank you.

(Applause)