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

Translator: Thu-Huong Ha Reviewer: Morton Bast

Translator: Fran Ontanaya Reviewer: Blanca Busquets

Vull parlar amb vosaltres aquesta tarda

I want to discuss with you this afternoon

why you're going to fail to have a great career.

sobre per què fracassareu en tenir una gran carrera. (Riure)

(Laughter)

I'm an economist.

Sóc un economista. M'encarrego de les depressions.

I do dismal.

End of the day, it's ready for dismal remarks.

S'acaba el dia, és moment de les observacions desesperants.

I only want to talk to those of you who want a great career.

Només vull parlar a aquells de vosaltres que voleu tenir una gran carrera.

I know some of you have already decided you want a good career.

Sé que alguns de vosaltres ja us heu decidit

voleu una bona carrera.

You're going to fail, too.

També fracassareu ― (Riure) ―

(Laughter)

Because -- goodness, you're all cheery about failing.

perquè… Mare meva, fracassar us posa contents. (Riure)

(Laughter)

Sou un grup de canadencs, no n'hi ha dubte. (Riure)

Canadian group, undoubtedly.

(Laughter)

Those trying to have good careers are going to fail,

Aquells que intentin tenir bones carreres fracassaran,

because, really, good jobs are now disappearing.

perquè, la veritat, les bones feines estan desapareixent ara.

There are great jobs and great careers,

Per una banda, hi ha grans feines i grans carreres,

and then there are the high-workload,

i per l'altre hi ha aquells tipus de feina carregosos, estressants,

high-stress, bloodsucking, soul-destroying kinds of jobs,

xucla-sangs i desmoralitzadors,

and practically nothing in-between.

i pràcticament no hi ha terme mig.

So people looking for good jobs are going to fail.

Així que la gent que està buscant bones feines fracassarà.

I want to talk about those looking for great jobs, great careers,

Parlaré sobre aquells de vosaltres que esteu buscant grans feines, grans

carreres, i la raó per la que, per a que fracassareu.

and why you're going to fail.

First reason is that no matter how many times people tell you,

La primera raó és que no importa quantes vegades la gent us digui,

"If you want a great career, you have to pursue your passion,

"Si vols una gran carrera, has de perseguir la teva passió,

you have to pursue your dreams, you have to pursue

has de perseguir els teus somnis, has de buscar,

the greatest fascination in your life,"

la fascinació més gran de la teva vida",

you hear it again and again, and then you decide not to do it.

ho escolteu una i altra vegada i llavors decidiu

no fer-ho. És igual quantes vegades us descarregueu

It doesn't matter how many times you download

el discurs de la cerimònia de graduació a Stanford de Steven J.,

Steven J.'s Stanford commencement address,

you still look at it and decide not to do it.

el veieu i encara decidiu no fer-ho.

I'm not quite sure why you decide not to do it.

No estic gaire segur de la raó per la qual decidiu no fer-ho.

You're too lazy to do it. It's too hard.

Sou massa mandrosos. És massa difícil.

You're afraid if you look for your passion and don't find it,

Teniu por que si busqueu la vostra passió i no la trobeu,

you'll feel like you're an idiot, so then you make excuses

us sentireu com uns idiotes, de manera que us inventeu excuses

about why you're not going to look for your passion.

sobre per què no busqueu la vostra passió.

They are excuses, ladies and gentlemen.

I són excuses, senyors i senyores.

Revisarem sencera una llista llarga, la vostra creativitat,

We're going to go through a whole long list --

your creativity in thinking of excuses not to do what you really need to do

i pensarem excuses per no fer el que de veritat

heu de fer si voleu tenir una gran carrera.

if you want to have a great career.

So, for example, one of your great excuses is:

Així que, per exemple, una de les vostres grans excuses és:

(Sigh)

"Bé, les grans carreres són realment, per la majoria de gent,

"Well, great careers are really and truly, for most people,

just a matter of luck.

només és una qüestió de sort, així que em quedaré per aquí,

So I'm going to stand around, I'm going to try to be lucky,

intentaré tenir sort, i si tinc sort,

and if I'm lucky, I'll have a great career.

tindré una gran carrera. Si no, tindré una bona carrera."

If not, I'll have a good career."

But a good career is an impossibility, so that's not going to work.

Però una bona carrera es una impossibilitat, de manera que això no funcionarà.

Then, your other excuse is,

Llavors, la vostra altra excusa és: "Sí, hi ha gent especial

"Yes, there are special people who pursue their passions,

que persegueix les seves passions, però ells són genis.

but they are geniuses.

They are Steven J.

Són Steven J. Jo no sóc un geni.

I'm not a genius.

When I was five, I thought I was a genius,

Quan tenia cinc anys, pensava que era un geni,

but my professors have beaten that idea out of my head long since."

però els meus professors em van treure a cops

aquesta idea del cap fa molt de temps." (Riure) Mm?

(Laughter)

"And now I know I am completely competent."

"I ara sé que sóc completament competent."

Now, you see, if this was 1950,

Ara bé, si fórem a 1950,

being completely competent --

sent completament competents,

that would have given you a great career.

això us hauria donat una gran carrera.

But guess what?

Peró, sabeu què? Estem quasi al 2012, i dir

This is almost 2012, and saying to the world,

al món, "Sóc totalment, completament competent",

"I am totally, completely competent,"

is damning yourself with the faintest of praise.

és condemnar-se un mateix amb el més feble dels elogis.

I, aleshores, per descomptat, un altra excusa:

And then, of course, another excuse:

"Well, I would do this, I would do this, but, but --

"Bé, jo faria això, jo faria això, però, però,

well, after all, I'm not weird.

bé, al cap i a la fi, no sóc estrany.

Everybody knows that people who pursue their passions

Tothom sap que la gent que persegueix les seves passions

are somewhat obsessive.

són una mica obsessius. Una mica estranys? Mm? Mm? D'acord?

A little strange.

Hmm? Hmm? Okay?

You know, a fine line between madness and genius.

Ja sabeu que hi ha una línia prima entre bogeria i genialitat.

"I'm not weird. I've read Steven J.'s biography.

No sóc estrany. He llegit la biografia de Steven J.

Oh my goodness -- I'm not that person. I am nice.

Mare meva. Jo no sóc aquella persona. Sóc simpàtic.

I am normal.

Sóc normal. Sóc una persona simpàtica i normal,

I'm a nice, normal person, and nice, normal people --

i la gent simpàtica i normal

no té passió.

don't have passion."

(Laughter)

"Ah, but I still want a great career.

Ah. Però, jo encara vull tenir una gran carrera.

I'm not prepared to pursue my passion,

No estic preparat per perseguir la meva passió, així que sé

so I know what I'm going to do,

el que faré, perquè tinc, tinc una solució,

because I have a solution.

I have a strategy.

tinc una estratègia.

It's the one Mommy and Daddy told me about.

És la que la mama i el papa em van dir.

Mommy and Daddy told me that if I worked hard,

La mama i el papa em van dir que si treballava molt,

I'd have a good career.

tindria una bona carrera. Així que, si treballes molt,

So, if you work hard and have a good career,

i tens una bona carrera, si treballes molt, molt i molt,

if you work really, really, really hard,

you'll have a great career.

tendràs una gran carrera." No us sembla que això

Doesn't that, like, mathematically make sense?"

té sentit matemàticament?

Hmm. Not.

Mmh. No. (Riure)

But you've managed to talk yourself into that.

Però us les heu arreglat per a convèncer-vos d'això.

You know what? Here's a little secret:

Sabeu què? Us diré un petit secret.

You want to work? You want to work really, really, really hard?

Voleu treballar? Voleu treballar molt, molt i molt?

You know what? You'll succeed.

Sabeu què? Tindreu èxit. El món us donarà

The world will give you the opportunity

la oportunitat de treballar molt, molt i molt,

to work really, really, really, really hard.

But, are you so sure

però esteu segurs que això us donarà

that that's going to give you a great career,

una gran carrera quan tota l'evidència diu el contrari?

when all the evidence is to the contrary?

So let's deal with those of you who are trying to find your passion.

Així que assumim-ho, posem-nos amb aquells de vosaltres

que esteu intentant trobar la vostra passió.

You actually understand that you really had better do it,

De fet, ja enteneu que més us val fer-ho,

never mind the excuses.

les excuses no tenen importància. Esteu intentant trobar la vostra passió,

You're trying to find your passion --

(Sigh)

and you're so happy.

i sou tan feliços.

You found something you're interested in.

Heu trobat una cosa que us interessa.

"I have an interest! I have an interest!"

Tinc un interès! Tinc un interès! Em dieu.

You tell me.

You say, "I have an interest!" I say, "That's wonderful!

Dieu: "Tinc un interès!" Jo dic: "Això és meravellós!

I què, què m'estàs intentant dir? Que tu…"

And what are you trying to tell me?"

"Well, I have an interest."

"Bé, que tinc un interès."

I say, "Do you have passion?"

Jo dic: "Tens una passió?"

"I have an interest," you say.

"Tinc un interès", dieu.

"Your interest is compared to what?"

"El teu interès és comparat amb què?"

"Well, I'm interested in this."

"Bé, estic interessat en això."

"And what about the rest of humanity's activities?"

"I què n'hi ha de la resta d'activitats de la humanitat?"

"No estic interessat en elles."

"I'm not interested in them."

"You've looked at them all, have you?"

Les has mirat totes, no?"

"No. Not exactly."

"No. No exactament."

Passion is your greatest love.

La passió és el vostre amor més gran.

Passion is the thing

La passió és la cosa que us ajudarà a crear

that will help you create the highest expression of your talent.

la màxima expressió del vostre talent.

Passion, interest -- it's not the same thing.

La passió, l'interès… no són la mateixa cosa.

Are you really going to go to your sweetie and say,

Realment us acostareu a la parella i direu:

"Marry me! You're interesting."

"Cassa't amb mi! Ets interessant." (Riure)

(Laughter)

Won't happen.

De cap manera. De cap manera, i morireu sols. (Riure)

Won't happen, and you will die alone.

(Laughter)

What you want,

El que voleu, el que voleu, el que voleu,

what you want, what you want,

és passió. Va més enllà de l'interès.

is passion.

It is beyond interest.

You need 20 interests, and then one of them,

Necessiteu 20 interessos, i llavors un d'ells,

one of them might grab you,

un d'ells us podria atrapar, un d'ells un podria implicar

one of them might engage you more than anything else,

més que qualsevol altra cosa, i llavors potser que hagueu trobat

and then you may have found your greatest love,

el vostre amor més gran en comparació amb totes les altres coses

in comparison to all the other things that interest you,

que us interessen, i això és la passió.

and that's what passion is.

I have a friend, proposed to his sweetie.

Tinc un amic, li va demanar a la seva noia que es casés amb ell.

He was an economically rational person.

Era una persona econòmicament racional.

Li va dir a la seva xicota: "Casem-nos.

He said to his sweetie, "Let us marry.

Combinem els nostres interessos".

Let us merge our interests."

(Laughter)

(Riure)

Yes, he did.

Sí, ho va fer.

"I love you truly," he said. "I love you deeply.

"T'estimo moltíssim", va dir. "T'estimo profundament. T'estimo

I love you more than any other woman I've ever encountered.

més que qualsevol altra dona que mai hagi trobat.

I love you more than Mary, Jane, Susie, Penelope,

T'estimo més que a la Mary, la Jane, la Susi, la Penelope,

Ingrid, Gertrude, Gretel --

l'Ingrid, la Gertrude, la Gretel…

I was on a German exchange program then.

Aleshores jo estava en un programa d'intercanvi alemany". (Riure)

I love you more than --"

"T'estimo més que…"

All right.

Prou! Ella va marxar de l'habitació a meitat de la seva enumeració

She left the room

halfway through his enumeration of his love for her.

del seu amor per ella.

After he got over his surprise at being, you know, turned down,

Després de superar la seva sorpresa de ser, ja sabeu,

rebutjat, va concloure que s'havia lliurat pels pèls

he concluded he'd had a narrow escape

from marrying an irrational person.

de casar-se amb una persona irracional,

Although, he did make a note to himself that the next time he proposed,

encara que es va fer una nota mental per que el pròxim cop

que es declarés, potser no seria necessari enumerar

it was perhaps not necessary

to enumerate all of the women he had auditioned for the part.

totes les dones a les que havia fet la prova per al paper. (Riure)

(Laughter)

But the point stands.

Però el punt es això. Cal que busqueu alternatives

You must look for alternatives so that you find your destiny,

de manera que trobeu el vostre destí,

o teniu por de la paraula "destí"?

or are you afraid of the word "destiny"?

Does the word "destiny" scare you?

Us espanta la paraula "destí"?

That's what we're talking about.

Això és sobre el que estem parlant, i si no trobeu

And if you don't find the highest expression of your talent,

la màxima expressió del vostre talent, si us conformeu

if you settle for "interesting," what the hell ever that means,

amb "interessant", signifiqui el que signifiqui,

do you know what will happen at the end of your long life?

sabeu el que passarà al final de la vostra llarga vida?

Your friends and family will be gathered in the cemetery,

La vostra família i amics es reuniran al cementiri,

and there beside your gravesite will be a tombstone,

i allà, al costat de la vostra tomba hi haurà una làpida,

i en aquella làpida, la inscripció dirà:

and inscribed on that tombstone

it will say, "Here lies a distinguished engineer,

"Aquí descansa un distingit enginyer que va inventar el Velcro."

who invented Velcro."

Però el que aquella làpida hauria d'haver dit,

But what that tombstone should have said,

in an alternative lifetime,

en una vida alternativa,

what it should have said if it was your highest expression of talent,

el que hauria d'haver dit si era la vostra màxima expressió de

talent, seria: "Aquí descansa el darrer Premi Nobel de física,

was, "Here lies the last Nobel Laureate in Physics,

who formulated the Grand Unified Field Theory

que va formular la Teoria de la Gran Unificació

and demonstrated the practicality of warp drive."

i va demostrar la realitat del motor de curvatura."

(Laughter)

(Riure)

Velcro, indeed!

Velcro, en efecte.(Riure)

(Laughter)

Una va ser una gran carrera.

One was a great career.

One was a missed opportunity.

Una va ser una oportunitat perduda.

But then, there are some of you who,

Però llavors, hi ha alguns de vosaltres que,

malgrat totes aquestes excuses, trobareu,

in spite of all these excuses, you will find,

you will find your passion.

trobareu la vostra passió,

And you'll still fail.

i tot i així fracassareu.

You're going to fail, because --

I fracassareu, perquè,

perquè no ho fareu,

because you're not going to do it,

because you will have invented a new excuse,

perquè us haureu inventat una nova excusa,

any excuse to fail to take action,

qualsevol excusa per no fer res, i aquesta excusa

and this excuse, I've heard so many times:

l'he escoltada tantes vegades.

"Yes, I would pursue a great career,

"Sí, perseguiria una gran carrera, però valoro

but, I value human relationships --

les relacions humanes més que l'assoliment.

(Laughter)

more than accomplishment.

I want to be a great friend.

Vull ser un gran amic. Vull ser un gran cònjuge.

I want to be a great spouse.

I want to be a great parent,

Vull ser un gran pare, i no ho sacrificaré

and I will not sacrifice them

per un gran assoliment."

on the altar of great accomplishment."

(Riure)

(Laughter)

What do you want me to say?

Què voleu que us digui?

Now, do you really want me to say now, tell you,

Ara, realment voleu que jo digui, que us digui:

"Really, I swear I don't kick children."

"De veritat, juro que no dono cops de peu als nens." (Riure)

(Laughter)

Hmm? Mireu la visió del món que us heu donat a vosaltres mateixos.

Look at the worldview you've given yourself.

Sou herois passi el que passi, i jo, proposant,

You're a hero no matter what.

And I, by suggesting ever so delicately

encara que delicadament, que potser voler una gran carrera,

that you might want a great career, must hate children.

dec odiar els nens. No odio els nens. No els dono cops de peu.

I don't hate children. I don't kick them.

Yes, there was a little kid wandering through this building

Sí, hi havia un nen petit vagant per aquest edifici

when I came here, and no, I didn't kick him.

quan vaig arribar aquí, i no, no li vaig donar una puntada. (Riure)

(Laughter)

Course, I had to tell him the building was for adults only,

Per descomptat, vaig haver de dir-li que l'edifici era només per adults

and to get out.

i que marxés.

Va murmurar alguna cosa sobre la seva mare,

He mumbled something about his mother,

and I told him she'd probably find him outside anyway.

i li vaig dir que probablement la trobaria fora, de totes maneres.

Last time I saw him, he was on the stairs crying.

L'última vegada que el vaig veure, estava plorant a les escales. (Riure)

(Laughter)

What a wimp.

Quin covard. (Riure)

(Laughter)

But what do you mean? That's what you expect me to say.

Però què vols dir? Això és el que espereu que us digui.

Do you really think it's appropriate

De veritat penseu, de veritat penseu que és correcte

that you should actually take children and use them as a shield?

agafar

els nens i utilitzar-los com un escut?

You know what will happen someday,

Sabeu el què passarà un dia,

vosaltres, els pares ideals, vosaltres?

you ideal parent, you?

El nen vindrà un dia is us dirà:

The kid will come to you someday and say,

"I know what I want to be.

"Sé el que vull ser.

I know what I'm going to do with my life."

Sé el que faré amb la meva vida."

You are so happy.

Sou tan feliços. És la conversa

It's the conversation a parent wants to hear,

que un pare vol sentir, perquè el vostre fill és bo en matemàtiques,

because your kid's good in math,

and you know you're going to like what comes next.

i sabeu que us agradarà el que ve després.

Says your kid,

Diu el vostre fill: "He decidit

"I have decided I want to be a magician.

que vull ser un mag.

I want to perform magic tricks on the stage."

Vull fer trucs de màgia a l'escenari."

(Riure)

(Laughter)

And what do you say?

I què li dieu?

You say, you say,

Li dieu, li dieu:

"That's risky, kid.

"Umm... és arriscat això, nen.

Might fail, kid. Don't make a lot of money at that, kid.

Pots equivocar-te, nen. No faràs gaires diners amb això, nen.

I don't know, kid, you should think about that again, kid.

Saps, no ho sé, nen,

hauries de repensar't-ho una altra vegada, nen,

You're so good at math, why don't you --"

ets tan bo en matemàtiques, per què no…"

The kid interrupts you and says,

I el noi t'interromp, i diu,

"Però és el meu somni. És el meu somni fer això."

"But it is my dream. It is my dream to do this."

And what are you going to say?

I què direu?

You know what you're going to say?

Sabeu el que direu?

"Mira nen. Jo vaig tenir un somni una vegada, també, però… però."

"Look kid. I had a dream once, too, but --

But --"

So how are you going to finish the sentence with your "but"?

Llavors, com acabareu la frase amb el vostre "però"?

"But. I had a dream too, once, kid, but I was afraid to pursue it."

"... Però. Vaig tenir un somni també, una vegada, nen, però tenia por de perseguir-lo."

Or are you going to tell him this:

O, li direu això?:

"Jo vaig tenir un somni una vegada, nen.

"I had a dream once, kid.

Però llavors tu vas néixer." (Riure)

But then, you were born."

(Laughter)

(Applause)

(Riure) (Aplaudiments)

Do you really want to use your family,

Voleu, de veritat fer servir la vostra família,

do you really ever want to look at your spouse and your kid,

voleu de veritat mirar al vostre cònjuge algun dia

i al vostre nen i veure els vostres carcellers?

and see your jailers?

There was something you could have said to your kid,

Hi havia una cosa que podríeu haver dit al vostre fill

when he or she said, "I have a dream."

quan ell o ella va dir: "Tinc un somni."

You could have said --

Podríeu haver dit, haver mirat al nen a la cara, i dir:

looked the kid in the face and said,

"Fes-ho, nen,

"Go for it, kid!

igual que jo ho vaig fer."

Just like I did."

But you won't be able to say that,

Però no podreu dir això

because you didn't.

perquè no ho vau fer. Així que no podeu. (Riure)

So you can't.

(Laughter)

I així els pecats dels pares

And so the sins of the parents

són revisitats pels pobres nens.

are visited on the poor children.

Why will you seek refuge in human relationships

Per què busqueu refugi en les relacions humanes

as your excuse not to find and pursue your passion?

com una excusa per no trobar i perseguir la vostra passió?

Vosaltres sabeu per què.

You know why.

Dins el vostre cor, sabeu per què,

In your heart of hearts, you know why,

and I'm being deadly serious.

i estic sent ben seriós.

You know why you would get all warm and fuzzy

Sabeu per què us sentiríeu en un núvol

and wrap yourself up in human relationships.

i us embolicaríeu en relacions humanes.

És perquè esteu…

It is because you are --

you know what you are.

Vosaltres sabeu el que esteu.

You're afraid to pursue your passion.

Teniu por de perseguir la vostra passió.

You're afraid to look ridiculous.

Teniu por de semblar ridículs.

You're afraid to try.

Teniu por d'intentar-ho. Teniu por de fracassar.

You're afraid you may fail.

Gran amic, gran cònjuge, gran pare, gran carrera.

Great friend, great spouse, great parent, great career.

No és tot un? No és el que sou?

Is that not a package? Is that not who you are?

How can you be one without the other?

Com podeu ser una cosa sense l'altra?

But you're afraid.

Però teniu por.

And that's why you're not going to have a great career.

I és per això que no tindreu una gran carrera, llevat que…

Unless --

llevat, la més evocadora de totes les paraules…

"unless," that most evocative of all English words --

"unless."

llevat.

Però la paraula "llevat" també és va

But the "unless" word is also attached

to that other, most terrifying phrase,

aquella altra aterridora frase,

"If only I had ..."

"I si hagués..."

"If only I had ..."

"I si hagués..."

If you ever have that thought ricocheting in your brain,

Si mai teniu aquest pensament rebotant en el vostre cervell,

it will hurt a lot.

farà molt de mal.

So, those are the many reasons

Per tant, aquestes són les moltes raons

why you are going to fail

per les que fracassareu

to have a great career.

en tenir una gran carrera,

llevat que…

Unless --

Llevat.

Unless.

Thank you.

Gràcies. (Aplaudiments)

(Applause)