We should aim for perfection----and stop

fearing failure

Have you ever heard of typosquatting??Well, typosquattingis where companies like Google?post advertisements on websites that arecommonly miskeyed,?and then they sit back and rake in millionsbanking onthe fact that you're visiting something like gmale.com?ormikerowesoft.com.

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(Laughter)

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It just seems kind of silly, doesn't it?

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How about this??On February 28, an engineer atAmazon?made a similar, seemingly small key error.Only I say seeminglysmall?because this one little typo on Amazon's supercode?produced amassive internet slowdown?that cost the company over 160 milliondollars?in the span of just four hours.

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But this is actually really scary.?You see, recently, anemployee at the New England Compound,?which is a pharmaceuticalmanufacturer,?didn't clean a lab properly?and now 76 people havedied?and 700 more have contracted meningitis.

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I mean, these examples are crazy, right??When did we cometo live in a world where these types of typos,?common errors, thisdo-your-best attitude or just good enough was acceptable??At some point, we'vestopped valuing perfection,?and now, these are the type of results that weget.?You see, I think that we should all seek perfection,?all thetime,?and I think we need to get to it quick.

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You see, I run a training facility?where I'm responsible forthe education of professional delivery drivers,?and in my line ofwork,?we have a unique understanding of the cost of failure,?the costof just 99 percent,?because in the world of professionaldriving,?just 99 percent of the job means somebody dies.

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Look, a hundred people die every day?due to vehicularcrashes.?Think about that for a second.?That's like the equivalent offour commercial airliners?crashing every week,?yet we still can'tconvince ourselves to pay perfect attention behind the wheel.?So I teachmy drivers to value perfection.?It's why I have them memorize?our131-word defensive driving program?perfectly,?and then I have themrewrite it.?One wrong word, one misspelled word, one missing comma, it's afailed test.?It's why I do uniform inspections daily.?Undershirts arewhite or brown only,?shoes are black or brown polished leather?andfrankly, don't come to my class wrinkled and expect me to let youstay.?It's why I insist that my drivers are on time.?Don't be late,not to class, not to break, not to lunch.?When you're supposed to besomewhere, be there.?You see, I do this so that my studentsunderstand?that when I'm training them to drive a car and Isay,?"Clear every intersection,"?they understand that I meanevery traffic signal, every cross street,?every side street, every parkinglot, every dirt road, every crosswalk,?every intersection without fail.

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Now, new students will often ask me?why my class is sodifficult, strict, or uniform,?and the answer is simple.?You see,perfectionism is an attitude developed in the small things?and thenapplied to the larger job.?So basically, if you can't get the littlethings right,?you're going to fail when it counts,?and when you'redriving a car, it counts.?A car traveling at 55 miles an hour?coversthe length of an American football field?in just under four and a halfseconds,?but just so happens to be the same amount of time?it takesthe average person to check a text message.?So I don't allow my drivers tolose focus,?and I don't accept anything less than perfection out of them.

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And you know what??I'm tired of everybody else accepting 99percent as good enough.?I mean, being less than perfect has realconsequences, doesn't it??Think about it.?If the makers of our creditcards were only 99.9 percent effective,?there would be over a millioncards in circulation today?that had the wrong information on the magneticstrip on the back.?Or, if the Webster's Dictionary was only 99.9 percentaccurate,?it would have 470 misspelled words in it.?How aboutthis??If our doctors were only 99.9 percent correct,?then every year,4,453,000 prescriptions would be written incorrectly,?and probably evenscarier,?11 newborns would be given to the wrong parents every day?inthe United States.

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(Laughter)

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And those are just the odds, thank you.

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(Laughter)

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The reality is that the US government crashed a1.4-billion-dollar aircraft?because the maintenance crew only did 99percent of their job.?Someone forgot to check a sensor.?The realityis that 16 people are now dead,?180 have now been injured,?and 34million cars are being recalled?because the producers of a car airbagproduced and distributed a product?that they thought was, you know, goodenough.?The reality is that medical errors?are now the third leadingcause of death in America.250,000 people die each year?because somebodywho probably thought they were doing their job good enough?messedup.?And you don't believe me??Well, I can certainly understandwhy.?You see, it's hard for us to believe anything these days?whenless than 50 percent of what news pundits say?is actually grounded infact.

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(Laughter)

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So it comes down to this:?trying our best is not goodenough.?So how do we change??We seek perfection?and settle fornothing less.

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Now, I know. I need to give you a minute on that,?because Iknow what you've been told.?It probably goes something like, perfection isimpossible for humans,?so therefore, seeking perfection will not only ruinyour self-esteem?but it will render you a failure.?But there's theirony.?See, today we're all so afraid of that word failure,?but thetruth is, we need to fail.?Failure is a natural stepping stone towardsperfection,?but at some point, because we became so afraid of that idea offailure?and so afraid of that idea of perfection,?we dismissed itbecause of what might happen to our egos when we fall short.?I mean, doyou really think that failure's going to ruin you??Or is that just theeasy answer that gets us slow websites,?scary healthcare and dangerousroads??I mean, are you ready to make perfection the bad guy in allthis??Look, failure and imperfection are basically the same thing.?Weall know that imperfection exists all around us.?Nothing and nobody isperfect.?But at some point, because it was too difficult or toopainful,?we decided to dismiss our natural ability to deal withfailure?and replace it with a lower acceptance level.?And now we'reall forced to sit back?and just accept this new norm or good-enoughattitude?and the results that come with it.

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So even with all that said,?people will still tell me, youknow,?"Didn't the medical staff, the maintenance crew, theengineer,?didn't they try their best, and isn't that goodenough?"?Well, truthfully, not for me and especially not in theseexamples.?Yeah, but, you know, trying to be perfect is so stressful,right?And, you know, Oprah talked about it, universities study it,?I betyour high school counselor even warned you about it.?Stress is bad for us,isn't it??Well, maybe,?but to say that seeking perfection is toostressful?is like saying that exercise is too exhausting.?In bothcases, if you want the results, you've got to endure the pain.?Sotruthfully, saying that seeking perfection is too stressful?is just anexcuse to be lazy.

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But here's the really scary part.?Today, doctors,therapists?and the nearly 10-billion- dollar-a-year self-helpindustry?are all advocating against the idea of perfection?under thisguise that somehow not trying to be perfect?will save your self-esteem andprotect your ego.?But, see, it's not working,?because the self-helpindustry today has a higher recidivism rate?because it's more focused onteaching you how to accept being a failure?and lower your acceptancelevel?than it is about pushing you to be perfect.

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See, these doctors, therapists and self-help gurus?are allfocused on a symptom and not the illness.The true illness in our society todayis our unwillingness to confront failure.?See, we're more comfortableresting on our efforts?than we are with focusing on our results.?Likeat Dublin Jerome High School in Ohio,?where they name 30 percent of agraduating class valedictorian.?I mean, come on, right??Somebody hadthe highest GPA.?I guarantee you it wasn't a 72-way tie.

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(Laughter)

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But, see, we're more comfortable offering up an equaloutcome?than we are with confronting the failure, the loser or theunderachiever.?And when everybody gets a prize, everybodyadvances,?or everybody gets a pay raise despite results,?theperfectionist in all of us is left to wonder,?what do I have to do to getbetter??How do I raise above the crowd?

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And see, if we continue to cultivate this culture,?wherenobody fails or nobody is told that they will fail,then nobody's going to reachtheir potential, either.?Failure and loss are necessary forsuccess.?It's the acceptance of failure that's not.?Michelangelo iscredited with saying that the greatest danger for most of us?is not thatour aim is too high and we miss it,?but it's too low and we reachit.?Failure should be a motivating force,?not some type of patheticexcuse to give up.

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So I have an idea.?Instead of defining perfectionism as adestructive intolerance for failure,?why don't we try giving it a newdefinition??Why don't we try defining perfectionism as a willingness to dowhat is difficult?to achieve what is right??You see, then we canagree?that failure is a good thing in our quest for perfection,?andwhen we seek perfection without fear of failure,?just think about what wecan accomplish.

09:21

Like NBA superstar Steph Curry:?he hit 77 three-point shotsin a row.?Think about that.?The guy was able to accurately deliver anine-and-a-half inch ball?through an 18-inch rim that's suspended 10 feetin the air?from nearly 24 feet away?almost 80 times withoutfailure.?Or like the computer programmersat the aerospace giant LockheedMartin,?who have now written a program?that uses 420,000 lines ofnear-flawless code?to control every aspect of igniting four million poundsof rocket fuel?and putting a 120-ton spaceship into orbit.?Or maybelike the researchers?at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City,Missouri,?who have now developed a device?that can complete humangenome coding in just 26 hours.?So this device is able to diagnose geneticdiseases?in babies and newborns sooner,?giving doctors an opportunityto start treatments earlier?and potentially save the baby'slife.?See, that's what happens when we seek perfection.

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So maybe we should be more like the professionalathlete,?or we should be more like that tireless programmer,?or likethat passionate researcher.?Then we could stop fearing failure?and wecould stop living in a world filled with the consequences?of good enough.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)

中文翻譯如下：

你們聽說過“誤植域名”這個(gè)概念嗎？?“誤植域名” 就是像谷歌這樣的公司?在那些時(shí)常被打錯(cuò)網(wǎng)址的網(wǎng)站上刊登廣告杯活，?然后他們就可以高枕無憂地賺上幾百萬元匆帚，?這是因?yàn)槟阌锌赡軙L問 像 gmale.com，?或 mikerowesoft.com 這樣的網(wǎng)站旁钧。

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（笑聲）

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聽起來相當(dāng)荒唐吸重，不是嗎？

00:33

那如果是這種情況呢歪今？?在2月28日嚎幸，一位 亞馬遜網(wǎng)站的工程師?犯了一個(gè)相似的錯(cuò)誤，?看似微小寄猩，實(shí)則不然：?他把亞馬遜官網(wǎng)的超碼打錯(cuò)了一處嫉晶，?造成了大規(guī)模網(wǎng)絡(luò)癱瘓，?使公司在短短四小時(shí)內(nèi)?虧損了超過 1.6 億美元田篇。

00:52

這其實(shí)相當(dāng)嚇人替废。?最近在新英格蘭藥物合成中心，?一位職員?沒有妥善清理實(shí)驗(yàn)室泊柬。?導(dǎo)致76人身亡舶担，超過700人感染了腦膜炎。

01:06

我只能說彬呻，這些例子相當(dāng)瘋狂衣陶， 不是嗎柄瑰？?我們從何時(shí)開始竟活在了?一個(gè)連錯(cuò)字，得過且過的態(tài)度 這樣的慣常毛病都隨便湊合的世界里剪况？?我們不再重視完美教沾，?現(xiàn)在就會得到這樣的結(jié)果。?我覺得我們無論在什么時(shí)候?都應(yīng)該追求完美译断，?并且刻不容緩授翻。

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我在經(jīng)營一個(gè)訓(xùn)練機(jī)構(gòu)，?負(fù)責(zé)專業(yè)運(yùn)輸司機(jī)的訓(xùn)練孙咪。?在我們這個(gè)行業(yè)堪唐，?我們對于失敗的代價(jià)， 也就是“99%完美”的代價(jià)?有著獨(dú)到的見解翎蹈。?因?yàn)閷τ趯I(yè)司機(jī)來說淮菠，?只滿足于做到99%， 意味著有人會死于車禍荤堪。

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這么說好了合陵， 每天會有一百個(gè)人?在交通意外中身亡。?花一點(diǎn)時(shí)間仔細(xì)想想澄阳。?那就相當(dāng)于每個(gè)禮拜?有四架民航飛機(jī)墜毀拥知，?但是我們還是無法讓自己 在駕駛座上集中100%的注意力。?所以我教導(dǎo)我的司機(jī)們 珍惜完美的價(jià)值碎赢。?因此我要求他們?牢記我們131字的謹(jǐn)慎駕駛口訣?一絲不差低剔，?然后我會讓他們把它寫下來。?但有錯(cuò)字或拼寫標(biāo)點(diǎn)錯(cuò)誤肮塞，都算不及格襟齿。?這也是我每天都要檢查 儀容儀表的原因。?汗衫只能是白色或棕色的峦嗤，?鞋子只能是黑色或棕色的皮鞋，?坦白地說屋摔，如果你穿著有皺褶的衣服烁设，別指望我會讓你聽我的課。?這也是我要求我的司機(jī)們 要準(zhǔn)時(shí)的原因钓试。?不要遲到装黑，不管是上課，休息弓熏，吃午餐都一樣恋谭。?當(dāng)你應(yīng)該出現(xiàn)在一個(gè)地方， 就要出現(xiàn)挽鞠。?我做這些事疚颊，就是想讓我的學(xué)生知道?當(dāng)我在訓(xùn)練他們開車時(shí)狈孔， 如果我說，?“檢查每個(gè)交叉口材义，”?他們就會知道我說的是 每個(gè)交通標(biāo)志均抽，每個(gè)交叉路口，?每條小巷其掂，每個(gè)停車場油挥，每條泥路，每個(gè)人行道款熬，?每一個(gè)交叉口 深寥，都要毫無差錯(cuò)。

02:56

新學(xué)生常常會問我贤牛，?為什么我的課那么困難惋鹅，嚴(yán)格，制式化盔夜，?而答案其實(shí)很簡單负饲。?完美主義是一種態(tài)度，先從小事做起?然后才能運(yùn)用到大事上喂链。?所以簡單來說返十，如果連小事都無法做好的話，?在重要時(shí)刻你就會失敗椭微，?而當(dāng)你開車時(shí)洞坑，這就是重要時(shí)刻。?一輛以每小時(shí)55英里的速度行駛的汽車?可以在4秒半的時(shí)間內(nèi)?行駛過一整個(gè)美式足球場蝇率，?并且這剛好和一個(gè)人查看一條短信?所需要的平均時(shí)間相同迟杂。?所以我不允許我的司機(jī)分散注意力，?并且我不能接受他們做的任何不完美的事情本慕。

03:32

所以排拷，你們知道嗎？?我受夠了其他所有人接受的 99%就足夠了的這種觀點(diǎn)锅尘。?不達(dá)到完美是會有 真實(shí)后果的监氢，不是嗎？?想想看藤违，?如果信用卡制造商 只保證99.9%的合格率的話浪腐，?就會有一百萬張正在流通的信用卡?背面的磁條里帶著錯(cuò)誤的信息。?或者顿乒，如果韋伯斯特詞典只有99.9%的正確率的話议街，?它里面就會有470個(gè)拼錯(cuò)的單詞。?再想想看璧榄，?如果我們的醫(yī)生的診斷 只有99.9%正確的話?每年就會有 4,453,000個(gè)處方是錯(cuò)誤的特漩。?或者更糟吧雹，?在美國，?每一天會有11位父母 抱錯(cuò)他們的新出生的寶寶。

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（笑聲）

04:19

這還只是按概率算呢，拜托宁炫。

04:21

（笑聲）

04:22

事實(shí)上，美國政府一臺價(jià)值 14億美元的飛機(jī)墜毀了龙亲，?因?yàn)榫S修小組只做了99%的工作。?他們中有人忘了檢查一個(gè)傳感器悍抑。?事實(shí)上鳄炉，已經(jīng)有16個(gè)人身亡，?180個(gè)人受傷搜骡，?3400萬輛車被從市場上召回拂盯，?只因?yàn)槠嚢踩珰饽业闹圃焐讨圃觳N售了?一件他們自認(rèn)為夠好了的商品。?事實(shí)上记靡，醫(yī)療事故?現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是美國造成死亡的 第三大罪魁禍?zhǔn)住?每年有25萬人身亡谈竿，?只因?yàn)橛幸粋€(gè)自以為 把工作做得夠好的人?搞砸了。?你們不相信嗎摸吠？?我完全可以理解為什么空凸。?現(xiàn)在這個(gè)年代 我們已經(jīng)很難相信任何事情了，?特別是當(dāng)只有少于50%的 新聞評論家所說的話?是基于事實(shí)的寸痢。

05:10

（笑聲）

05:12

所以我們總結(jié)出了這個(gè)：?盡我們所能做到最好是不夠的呀洲。?那么我們應(yīng)該如何改變呢？?我們應(yīng)該追求完美啼止，?并且不能退而求其次道逗。

05:25

我現(xiàn)在應(yīng)該給你們一分鐘時(shí)間思考，?因?yàn)槲抑滥阍?jīng)聽過一些話献烦，?它很有可能是一些像 “人無完人” 一類的話滓窍。?因此尋求完美不僅會傷你的自尊心，?還會讓你看起來像個(gè)失敗者巩那。?但這有點(diǎn)諷刺吏夯。?如今我們都如此害怕 “失敗”這個(gè)詞，?但真相是拢操，我們需要失敗锦亦。?失敗是大自然給我們的墊腳石舶替，它引領(lǐng)我們到走向完美令境，?但在某種程度上， 我們因?yàn)樘ε率?和太害怕“完美”這個(gè)概念?而直接忽略了它們顾瞪，只因?yàn)楫?dāng)我們失敗時(shí)自尊心會受傷舔庶。?但你們真的相信失敗會毀了你嗎抛蚁？?還是說這就是為什么我們有了很慢的網(wǎng)速，?嚇人的醫(yī)療制度惕橙，和不安全的公路瞧甩？?你們真的讓“完美” 成為了所有這些壞事的替罪羊嗎？失敗和不完美從根本上來看是一樣的弥鹦。?我們都知道我們周圍 有很多不完美的事物肚逸。?沒有任何事物或人是完美的。?但某種程度上彬坏， 因?yàn)樘y或太痛苦了朦促，?我們決定忽視 我們接受失敗的自然本能?并降低我們對于失敗的容忍度。?現(xiàn)在我們被迫放手不管?并且接受這個(gè)新的準(zhǔn)則栓始， 或者說务冕，這個(gè)盡力就好的態(tài)度以及它造成的所有后果。

06:39

所以即使說了那么多幻赚，?人們還是會告訴我禀忆，?“那些醫(yī)護(hù)人員， 維修人員落恼，和工程師箩退，?他們已經(jīng)盡力做到最好了，這難道還不夠嗎领跛？“?老實(shí)說乏德，對我來說不夠。 對于這些例子來說更是如此吠昭。?嘗試達(dá)到完美是一件很有壓力的事喊括， 不是嗎？?并且矢棚，歐普拉曾經(jīng)談過它郑什，大學(xué)里研究過它，?我相信連你高中班主任 都曾經(jīng)警告過你蒲肋，?壓力對我們有害蘑拯，不是嗎？?好吧兜粘， 也許是的申窘。?但是認(rèn)為追求完美的過程壓力太大就像抱怨鍛煉身體太累。?在這兩個(gè)例子中孔轴，如果你想要成果剃法， 你就要忍受過程的痛苦。?所以說實(shí)話路鹰，說追求完美的過程壓力太大?就像一個(gè)偷懶的借口贷洲。

07:21

不過這也是最讓人害怕的地方收厨。?如今，醫(yī)生优构，心理治療師诵叁，?還有他們那個(gè)每年值上億美元的 自給自足的行業(yè)，?都在宣揚(yáng)著一種“反對完美”的理念钦椭。?在這種理念偽裝下的拧额，其實(shí)是一種“不去追求完美”的心理。?它會挽救并保護(hù)你的自尊彪腔。?可是势腮，這是無效的。?因?yàn)槟切┳越o自足的行業(yè) 都有著很高的累犯率漫仆，它們都把注意力集中在 讓你接受自己是一個(gè)失敗者?并且降低對事物的接受標(biāo)準(zhǔn)上捎拯，?而不是推動著你， 讓你變得更加完美盲厌。

07:50

現(xiàn)在我們可以看到署照，這些醫(yī)生， 心理治療師吗浩，自給自足的權(quán)威們?都把注意力集中在癥狀而非疾病上建芙。我們當(dāng)今社會真正的疾病 在于我們不愿意去面對失敗。?我們更愿意呆在“我們已經(jīng)付出了努力” 這個(gè)舒適圈中懂扼，?而非把注意力集中在我們的成果上禁荸。?比方說俄亥俄州的Dublin Jerome高中?就把百分之三十的畢業(yè)生 都評為了”最優(yōu)秀畢業(yè)生“。?拜托阀湿，別開玩笑了赶熟。?“最優(yōu)秀畢業(yè)生”在美國是 績點(diǎn)最高的學(xué)生啊，難道有72個(gè)學(xué)生并列第一嗎陷嘴？

08:20

（笑聲）

08:21

但是映砖，我們更加愿意 給予他們相同的榮譽(yù)，?而不是直接去面對失敗灾挨， 無論是作為一個(gè)失敗者還是發(fā)揮不佳者邑退。?并且當(dāng)無論成就如何，每個(gè)人都得到了獎勵(lì)劳澄，都升了職地技，?或者都漲了工資時(shí)，?我們當(dāng)中的完美主義者就開始納悶秒拔，?我們要怎么做才能做得更好呢莫矗？?我怎么樣才能把事情做得比周圍的人都要好呢？

08:39

現(xiàn)在我們可以看到， 如果我們繼續(xù)推廣這種理念趣苏，?也就是沒有人會失敗， 或沒有人被告知他們將會失敗梯轻，?那么就沒有人能完全發(fā)揮他們的潛能食磕。?失敗是成功之本。?但輕易放任失敗則不然喳挑。?米開朗琪羅說過彬伦， “對于我們所有人來說，?最危險(xiǎn)的事不是 因目標(biāo)太高而無法達(dá)到伊诵，?而是我們目標(biāo)過低并達(dá)到了它单绑。“?失敗應(yīng)該是一種鼓舞人心的力量曹宴，?而不是一種選擇放棄的無用借口搂橙。

09:08

所以我有一個(gè)想法，?為什么我們要把完美主義消極地定義為對失敗的不容忍笛坦，?而不給它一個(gè)新的定義呢区转？?為什么我們不把完美主義定義為一種?迎難而上，追求完美的態(tài)度版扩？?如此一來废离，我們就可以承認(rèn)，在追求完美時(shí)失敗其實(shí)是一件好事礁芦，?并且當(dāng)我們不畏懼失敗 去追求完美時(shí)蜻韭，?想想我們能夠做成的事吧。

09:33

想想NBA球星斯蒂芬·庫里吧柿扣，?他連續(xù)投進(jìn)了77個(gè)三分球肖方。?想想看，?他能夠準(zhǔn)確地把那個(gè) 直徑9英寸半的球?從差不多24英尺外投進(jìn)那個(gè)離地面10英尺高的?直徑18英寸的籃筐里未状，?差不多80次而不出差錯(cuò)窥妇。或者像航空航天巨頭?洛克希德·馬丁公司里的電腦程序員娩践。?他們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)編寫了一個(gè)程序活翩，?它長達(dá)42萬行，幾乎沒有錯(cuò)誤代碼翻伺，?控制著一個(gè)四百萬英鎊重 點(diǎn)燃的火箭的方方面面?并推動一架120噸重的航天飛機(jī) 進(jìn)入軌道材泄。?或者像密蘇里州堪薩斯城?兒童醫(yī)院里的研究人員，?他們現(xiàn)在正在研究一種?可以在短短的26小時(shí)內(nèi) 完成人類基因組編碼的儀器吨岭。?這種儀器可以更快地診斷?嬰兒和新生兒的基因性遺傳病拉宗，使醫(yī)生們可以更早的開始治療?并挽救嬰兒的生命。?所以現(xiàn)在我們可以看到 我們追求完美時(shí)會有什么事發(fā)生。

10:35

也許我們應(yīng)該學(xué)習(xí)那些專業(yè)運(yùn)動員旦事，?不知疲倦的程序員魁巩，?或者那些熱衷于科學(xué)的研究人員。?這樣我們就會不再畏懼失敗姐浮，?我們也會不再生活在一個(gè)?“已經(jīng)足夠好了”的社會里谷遂。

10:48

謝謝。

10:49

（掌聲）