On being Wrong.docx
- 文档编号:2234877
- 上传时间:2022-10-28
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:7
- 大小:26.63KB
On being Wrong.docx
《On being Wrong.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《On being Wrong.docx(7页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
OnbeingWrong
OnBeingWrong
KathrynSchulz
Soit's1995, I'mincollege, andafriendandIgoonaroadtrip fromProvidence,RhodeIslandtoPortland,Oregon. Andyouknow,we'reyoungandunemployed, sowedothewholethingonbackroads throughstateparks andnationalforests-- basicallythelongestroutewecanpossiblytake. AndsomewhereinthemiddleofSouthDakota, Iturntomyfriend andIaskheraquestion that'sbeenbotheringme for2,000miles. "What'supwiththeChinesecharacterIkeepseeingbythesideoftheroad?
" Myfriendlooksatmetotallyblankly. There'sactuallyagentlemaninthefrontrow who'sdoingaperfectimitationofherlook. (Laughter) AndI'mlike,"Youknow, allthesignswekeepseeing withtheChinesecharacteronthem." Shejuststaresatmeforafewmoments, andthenshecracksup, becauseshefiguresoutwhatI'mtalkingabout. AndwhatI'mtalkingaboutisthis. (Laughter) Right,thefamousChinesecharacterforpicnicarea.
(Laughter)
I'vespentthelastfiveyearsofmylife thinkingaboutsituations exactlylikethis-- whywesometimesmisunderstand thesignsaroundus, andhowwebehavewhenthathappens, andwhatallofthiscantellusabouthumannature. Inotherwords,asyouheardChrissay, I'vespentthelastfiveyears thinkingaboutbeingwrong. Thismightstrikeyouasastrangecareermove, butitactuallyhasonegreatadvantage:
nojobcompetition. (Laughter) Infact,mostofusdoeverythingwecan toavoidthinkingaboutbeingwrong, oratleasttoavoidthinkingaboutthepossibility thatweourselvesarewrong. Wegetitintheabstract. Weallknoweverybodyinthisroommakesmistakes. Thehumanspecies,ingeneral,isfallible--okayfine.
Butwhenitcomesdowntome,rightnow, toallthebeliefsIhold, hereinthepresenttense,suddenlyallofthisabstractappreciationoffallibility goesoutthewindow-- andIcan'tactuallythinkofanythingI'mwrongabout. Andthethingis,thepresenttenseiswherewelive. Wegotomeetingsinthepresenttense; wegoonfamilyvacationsinthepresenttense;wegotothepollsandvoteinthepresenttense. Soeffectively,weallkindofwinduptravelingthroughlife, trappedinthislittlebubble offeelingveryrightabouteverything.
Ithinkthisisaproblem. Ithinkit'saproblemforeachofusasindividuals, inourpersonalandprofessionallives, andIthinkit'saproblemforallofuscollectivelyasaculture. SowhatIwanttodotoday is,firstofall,talkaboutwhywegetstuck insidethisfeelingofbeingright.Andsecond,whyit'ssuchaproblem. Andfinally,Iwanttoconvinceyou thatitispossible tostepoutsideofthatfeeling andthatifyoucandoso, itisthesinglegreatest moral,intellectualandcreativeleapyoucanmake.
Sowhydowegetstuck inthisfeelingofbeingright?
Onereason,actually,hastodowithafeelingofbeingwrong. Soletmeaskyouguyssomething-- oractually,letmeaskyouguyssomething,becauseyou'rerighthere:
Howdoesitfeel--emotionally-- howdoesitfeeltobewrong?
Dreadful.Thumbsdown. Embarrassing.Okay,wonderful,great. Dreadful,thumbsdown,embarrassing-- thankyou,thesearegreatanswers, butthey'reanswerstoadifferentquestion. Youguysareansweringthequestion:
Howdoesitfeeltorealizeyou'rewrong?
(Laughter) Realizingyou'rewrongcanfeellikeallofthatandalotofotherthings,right?
Imeanitcanbedevastating,itcanberevelatory, itcanactuallybequitefunny, likemystupidChinesecharactermistake. Butjustbeingwrong doesn'tfeellikeanything.
I'llgiveyouananalogy. DoyourememberthatLoonyTunescartoon wherethere'sthispatheticcoyote who'salwayschasingandnevercatchingaroadrunner?
Inprettymucheveryepisodeofthiscartoon, there'samomentwherethecoyoteischasingtheroadrunner andtheroadrunnerrunsoffacliff, whichisfine--he'sabird,hecanfly. Butthethingis,thecoyoterunsoffthecliffrightafterhim. Andwhat'sfunny-- atleastifyou'resixyearsold-- isthatthecoyote'stotallyfinetoo. Hejustkeepsrunning-- rightupuntilthemomentthathelooksdown andrealizesthathe'sinmid-air. That'swhenhefalls. Whenwe'rewrongaboutsomething-- notwhenwerealizeit,butbeforethat-- we'relikethatcoyote afterhe'sgoneoffthecliffandbeforehelooksdown. Youknow,we'realreadywrong, we'realreadyintrouble, butwefeellikewe'reonsolidground. SoIshouldactuallycorrectsomethingIsaidamomentago. Itdoesfeellikesomethingtobewrong; itfeelslikebeingright.
(Laughter)
Sothisisonereason,astructuralreason, whywegetstuckinsidethisfeelingofrightness. Icallthiserrorblindness. Mostofthetime, wedon'thaveanykindofinternalcue toletusknowthatwe'rewrongaboutsomething, untilit'stoolate. Butthere'sasecondreasonthatwegetstuckinsidethisfeelin
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- On being Wrong
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)