We should aim for perfection -- and stop fearing failure | Jon Bowers

翻译人员: Ziyao Wang 校对人员: Eric Yang

Have you ever heard of typosquatting?

你们听说过“误植域名”这个概念吗？

Well, typosquatting is where companies like Google

“误植域名” 就是像谷歌这样的公司

post advertisements on websites that are commonly miskeyed,

在那些时常被打错网址的网站上刊登广告，

and then they sit back and rake in millions

然后他们就可以高枕无忧地赚上几百万元，

banking on the fact that you're visiting something like gmale.com

这是因为你有可能会访问 像 gmale.com，

or mikerowesoft.com.

或 mikerowesoft.com 这样的网站。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

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

听起来相当荒唐，不是吗？

How about this?

那如果是这种情况呢？

On February 28, an engineer at Amazon

在2月28日，一位 亚马逊网站的工程师

made a similar, seemingly small key error.

犯了一个相似的错误，

Only I say seemingly small

看似微小，实则不然：

because this one little typo on Amazon's supercode

他把亚马逊官网的超码打错了一处，

produced a massive internet slowdown

造成了大规模网络瘫痪，

that cost the company over 160 million dollars

使公司在短短四小时内

in the span of just four hours.

亏损了超过 1.6 亿美元。

But this is actually really scary.

这其实相当吓人。

You see, recently, an employee at the New England Compound,

最近在新英格兰药物合成中心，

which is a pharmaceutical manufacturer,

一位职员

didn't clean a lab properly

没有妥善清理实验室。

and now 76 people have died

导致76人身亡，

and 700 more have contracted meningitis.

超过700人感染了脑膜炎。

I mean, these examples are crazy, right?

我只能说，这些例子相当疯狂， 不是吗？

When did we come to live in a world where these types of typos,

我们从何时开始竟活在了

一个连错字，得过且过的态度 这样的惯常毛病都随便凑合的世界里？

common errors, this do-your-best attitude or just good enough was acceptable?

At some point, we've stopped valuing perfection,

我们不再重视完美，

and now, these are the type of results that we get.

现在就会得到这样的结果。

You see, I think that we should all seek perfection,

我觉得我们无论在什么时候

all the time,

都应该追求完美，

and I think we need to get to it quick.

并且刻不容缓。

You see, I run a training facility

我在经营一个训练机构，

where I'm responsible for the education of professional delivery drivers,

负责专业运输司机的训练。

and in my line of work,

在我们这个行业，

we have a unique understanding of the cost of failure,

我们对于失败的代价， 也就是“99%完美”的代价

the cost of just 99 percent,

有着独到的见解。

because in the world of professional driving,

因为对于专业司机来说，

just 99 percent of the job means somebody dies.

只满足于做到99%， 意味着有人会死于车祸。

Look, a hundred people die every day

这么说好了， 每天会有一百个人

due to vehicular crashes.

在交通意外中身亡。

Think about that for a second.

花一点时间仔细想想。

That's like the equivalent of four commercial airliners

那就相当于每个礼拜

crashing every week,

有四架民航飞机坠毁，

yet we still can't convince ourselves to pay perfect attention behind the wheel.

但是我们还是无法让自己 在驾驶座上集中100%的注意力。

So I teach my drivers to value perfection.

所以我教导我的司机们 珍惜完美的价值。

It's why I have them memorize

因此我要求他们

our 131-word defensive driving program

牢记我们131字的谨慎驾驶口诀

perfectly,

一丝不差，

and then I have them rewrite it.

然后我会让他们把它写下来。

One wrong word, one misspelled word, one missing comma, it's a failed test.

但有错字或拼写标点错误， 都算不及格。

It's why I do uniform inspections daily.

这也是我每天都要检查 仪容仪表的原因。

Undershirts are white or brown only,

汗衫只能是白色或棕色的，

shoes are black or brown polished leather

鞋子只能是黑色或棕色的皮鞋，

and frankly, don't come to my class wrinkled and expect me to let you stay.

坦白地说，如果你穿着有皱褶的衣服， 别指望我会让你听我的课。

It's why I insist that my drivers are on time.

这也是我要求我的司机们 要准时的原因。

Don't be late, not to class, not to break, not to lunch.

不要迟到，不管是上课， 休息，吃午餐都一样。

When you're supposed to be somewhere, be there.

当你应该出现在一个地方， 就要出现。

You see, I do this so that my students understand

我做这些事， 就是想让我的学生知道

that when I'm training them to drive a car and I say,

当我在训练他们开车时， 如果我说，

"Clear every intersection,"

“检查每个交叉口，”

they understand that I mean every traffic signal, every cross street,

他们就会知道我说的是 每个交通标志，每个交叉路口，

every side street, every parking lot, every dirt road, every crosswalk,

每条小巷，每个停车场， 每条泥路，每个人行道，

every intersection without fail.

每一个交叉口 ，都要毫无差错。

Now, new students will often ask me

新学生常常会问我，

why my class is so difficult, strict, or uniform,

为什么我的课那么 困难，严格，制式化，

and the answer is simple.

而答案其实很简单。

You see, perfectionism is an attitude developed in the small things

完美主义是一种态度， 先从小事做起

and then applied to the larger job.

然后才能运用到大事上。

So basically, if you can't get the little things right,

所以简单来说， 如果连小事都无法做好的话，

you're going to fail when it counts,

在重要时刻你就会失败，

而当你开车时，这就是重要时刻。

and when you're driving a car, it counts.

A car traveling at 55 miles an hour

一辆以每小时55英里的速度行驶的汽车

covers the length of an American football field

可以在4秒半的时间内

in just under four and a half seconds,

行驶过一整个美式足球场，

but just so happens to be the same amount of time

并且这刚好和一个人查看一条短信

所需要的平均时间相同。

it takes the average person to check a text message.

So I don't allow my drivers to lose focus,

所以我不允许我的司机分散注意力，

and I don't accept anything less than perfection out of them.

并且我不能接受他们做的 任何不完美的事情。

所以，你们知道吗？

And you know what?

I'm tired of everybody else accepting 99 percent as good enough.

我受够了其他所有人接受的 99%就足够了的这种观点。

I mean, being less than perfect has real consequences, doesn't it?

不达到完美是会有 真实后果的，不是吗？

Think about it.

想想看，

If the makers of our credit cards were only 99.9 percent effective,

如果信用卡制造商 只保证99.9%的合格率的话，

there would be over a million cards in circulation today

就会有一百万张正在流通的信用卡

that had the wrong information on the magnetic strip on the back.

背面的磁条里带着错误的信息。

Or, if the Webster's Dictionary was only 99.9 percent accurate,

或者，如果韦伯斯特词典 只有99.9%的正确率的话，

it would have 470 misspelled words in it.

它里面就会有470个拼错的单词。

How about this?

再想想看，

If our doctors were only 99.9 percent correct,

如果我们的医生的诊断 只有99.9%正确的话

then every year, 4,453,000 prescriptions would be written incorrectly,

每年就会有 4,453,000个处方是错误的。

and probably even scarier,

或者更糟，

11 newborns would be given to the wrong parents every day

在美国，

每一天会有11位父母 抱错他们的新出生的宝宝。

in the United States.

（笑声）

(Laughter)

And those are just the odds, thank you.

这还只是按概率算呢，拜托。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The reality is that the US government crashed a 1.4-billion-dollar aircraft

事实上，美国政府一台价值 14亿美元的飞机坠毁了，

because the maintenance crew only did 99 percent of their job.

因为维修小组只做了99%的工作。

Someone forgot to check a sensor.

他们中有人忘了检查一个传感器。

The reality is that 16 people are now dead,

事实上，已经有16个人身亡，

180 have now been injured,

180个人受伤，

and 34 million cars are being recalled

3400万辆车被从市场上召回，

because the producers of a car airbag produced and distributed a product

只因为汽车安全气囊的制造商 制造并销售了

that they thought was, you know, good enough.

一件他们自认为够好了的商品。

The reality is that medical errors

事实上，医疗事故

are now the third leading cause of death in America.

现在已经是美国造成死亡的 第三大罪魁祸首。

250,000 people die each year

每年有25万人身亡，

because somebody who probably thought they were doing their job good enough

只因为有一个自以为 把工作做得够好的人

messed up.

搞砸了。

And you don't believe me?

你们不相信吗？

Well, I can certainly understand why.

我完全可以理解为什么。

You see, it's hard for us to believe anything these days

现在这个年代 我们已经很难相信任何事情了，

特别是当只有少于50%的 新闻评论家所说的话

when less than 50 percent of what news pundits say

是基于事实的。

is actually grounded in fact.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So it comes down to this:

所以我们总结出了这个：

trying our best is not good enough.

尽我们所能做到最好是不够的。

So how do we change?

那么我们应该如何改变呢？

We seek perfection

我们应该追求完美，

and settle for nothing less.

并且不能退而求其次。

Now, I know. I need to give you a minute on that,

我现在应该给你们一分钟时间思考，

because I know what you've been told.

因为我知道你曾经听过一些话，

It probably goes something like, perfection is impossible for humans,

它很有可能是一些像 “人无完人” 一类的话。

so therefore, seeking perfection will not only ruin your self-esteem

因此寻求完美不仅会伤你的自尊心，

but it will render you a failure.

还会让你看起来像个失败者。

But there's the irony.

但这有点讽刺。

See, today we're all so afraid of that word failure,

如今我们都如此害怕 “失败”这个词，

but the truth is, we need to fail.

但真相是，我们需要失败。

Failure is a natural stepping stone towards perfection,

失败是大自然给我们的垫脚石， 它引领我们到走向完美，

but at some point, because we became so afraid of that idea of failure

但在某种程度上， 我们因为太害怕失败

and so afraid of that idea of perfection,

和太害怕“完美”这个概念

we dismissed it because of what might happen to our egos when we fall short.

而直接忽略了它们， 只因为当我们失败时自尊心会受伤。

I mean, do you really think that failure's going to ruin you?

但你们真的相信失败会毁了你吗？

Or is that just the easy answer that gets us slow websites,

还是说这就是为什么 我们有了很慢的网速，

scary healthcare and dangerous roads?

吓人的医疗制度，和不安全的公路？

I mean, are you ready to make perfection the bad guy in all this?

你们真的让“完美” 成为了所有这些坏事的替罪羊吗？

Look, failure and imperfection are basically the same thing.

失败和不完美从根本上来看是一样的。

We all know that imperfection exists all around us.

我们都知道我们周围 有很多不完美的事物。

Nothing and nobody is perfect.

没有任何事物或人是完美的。

But at some point, because it was too difficult or too painful,

但某种程度上， 因为太难或太痛苦了，

we decided to dismiss our natural ability to deal with failure

我们决定忽视 我们接受失败的自然本能

and replace it with a lower acceptance level.

并降低我们对于失败的容忍度。

And now we're all forced to sit back

现在我们被迫放手不管

and just accept this new norm or good-enough attitude

并且接受这个新的准则， 或者说，这个尽力就好的态度

and the results that come with it.

以及它造成的所有后果。

So even with all that said,

所以即使说了那么多，

people will still tell me, you know,

人们还是会告诉我，

"Didn't the medical staff, the maintenance crew, the engineer,

“那些医护人员， 维修人员，和工程师，

他们已经尽力做到最好了， 这难道还不够吗？“

didn't they try their best, and isn't that good enough?"

Well, truthfully, not for me and especially not in these examples.

老实说，对我来说不够。 对于这些例子来说更是如此。

Yeah, but, you know, trying to be perfect is so stressful, right?

尝试达到完美是一件很有压力的事， 不是吗？

And, you know, Oprah talked about it, universities study it,

并且，欧普拉曾经谈过它， 大学里研究过它，

I bet your high school counselor even warned you about it.

我相信连你高中班主任 都曾经警告过你，

压力对我们有害， 不是吗？

Stress is bad for us, isn't it?

Well, maybe,

好吧， 也许是的。

but to say that seeking perfection is too stressful

但是认为追求完美的过程压力太大

is like saying that exercise is too exhausting.

就像抱怨锻炼身体太累。

In both cases, if you want the results, you've got to endure the pain.

在这两个例子中，如果你想要成果， 你就要忍受过程的痛苦。

So truthfully, saying that seeking perfection is too stressful

所以说实话， 说追求完美的过程压力太大

is just an excuse to be lazy.

就像一个偷懒的借口。

But here's the really scary part.

不过这也是最让人害怕的地方。

Today, doctors, therapists

如今，医生，心理治疗师，

and the nearly 10-billion- dollar-a-year self-help industry

还有他们那个每年值上亿美元的 自给自足的行业，

are all advocating against the idea of perfection

都在宣扬着一种“反对完美”的理念。

under this guise that somehow not trying to be perfect

在这种理念伪装下的， 其实是一种“不去追求完美”的心理。

will save your self-esteem and protect your ego.

它会挽救并保护你的自尊。

But, see, it's not working,

可是，这是无效的。

because the self-help industry today has a higher recidivism rate

因为那些自给自足的行业 都有着很高的累犯率，

because it's more focused on teaching you how to accept being a failure

它们都把注意力集中在 让你接受自己是一个失败者

并且降低对事物的接受标准上，

and lower your acceptance level

而不是推动着你， 让你变得更加完美。

than it is about pushing you to be perfect.

See, these doctors, therapists and self-help gurus

现在我们可以看到，这些医生， 心理治疗师，自给自足的权威们

are all focused on a symptom and not the illness.

都把注意力集中在症状而非疾病上。

The true illness in our society today is our unwillingness to confront failure.

我们当今社会真正的疾病 在于我们不愿意去面对失败。

See, we're more comfortable resting on our efforts

我们更愿意呆在“我们已经付出了努力” 这个舒适圈中，

than we are with focusing on our results.

而非把注意力集中在我们的成果上。

Like at Dublin Jerome High School in Ohio,

比方说俄亥俄州的Dublin Jerome高中

where they name 30 percent of a graduating class valedictorian.

就把百分之三十的毕业生 都评为了”最优秀毕业生“。

I mean, come on, right?

拜托，别开玩笑了。

Somebody had the highest GPA.

“最优秀毕业生”在美国是 绩点最高的学生啊，

I guarantee you it wasn't a 72-way tie.

难道有72个学生并列第一吗？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But, see, we're more comfortable offering up an equal outcome

但是，我们更加愿意 给予他们相同的荣誉，

than we are with confronting the failure, the loser or the underachiever.

而不是直接去面对失败， 无论是作为一个失败者还是发挥不佳者。

And when everybody gets a prize, everybody advances,

并且当无论成就如何，每个人 都得到了奖励，都升了职，

or everybody gets a pay raise despite results,

或者都涨了工资时，

the perfectionist in all of us is left to wonder,

我们当中的完美主义者就开始纳闷，

what do I have to do to get better?

我们要怎么做才能做得更好呢？

How do I raise above the crowd?

我怎么样才能把事情做得 比周围的人都要好呢？

And see, if we continue to cultivate this culture,

现在我们可以看到， 如果我们继续推广这种理念，

where nobody fails or nobody is told that they will fail,

也就是没有人会失败， 或没有人被告知他们将会失败，

then nobody's going to reach their potential, either.

那么就没有人能完全发挥他们的潜能。

Failure and loss are necessary for success.

失败是成功之本。

It's the acceptance of failure that's not.

但轻易放任失败则不然。

Michelangelo is credited with saying that the greatest danger for most of us

米开朗琪罗说过， “对于我们所有人来说，

最危险的事不是 因目标太高而无法达到，

is not that our aim is too high and we miss it,

but it's too low and we reach it.

而是我们目标过低并达到了它。“

Failure should be a motivating force,

失败应该是一种鼓舞人心的力量，

not some type of pathetic excuse to give up.

而不是一种选择放弃的无用借口。

So I have an idea.

所以我有一个想法，

Instead of defining perfectionism as a destructive intolerance for failure,

为什么我们要把完美主义 消极地定义为对失败的不容忍，

why don't we try giving it a new definition?

而不给它一个新的定义呢？

Why don't we try defining perfectionism as a willingness to do what is difficult

为什么我们不把完美主义定义为一种

迎难而上，追求完美的态度？

to achieve what is right?

You see, then we can agree

如此一来，我们就可以承认，

that failure is a good thing in our quest for perfection,

在追求完美时 失败其实是一件好事，

and when we seek perfection without fear of failure,

并且当我们不畏惧失败 去追求完美时，

just think about what we can accomplish.

想想我们能够做成的事吧。

Like NBA superstar Steph Curry:

想想NBA球星斯蒂芬·库里吧，

he hit 77 three-point shots in a row.

他连续投进了77个三分球。

Think about that.

想想看，

The guy was able to accurately deliver a nine-and-a-half inch ball

他能够准确地把那个 直径9英寸半的球

through an 18-inch rim that's suspended 10 feet in the air

从差不多24英尺外投进那个 离地面10英尺高的

from nearly 24 feet away

直径18英寸的篮筐里，

almost 80 times without failure.

差不多80次而不出差错。

Or like the computer programmers

或者像航空航天巨头

洛克希德·马丁公司里的电脑程序员。

at the aerospace giant Lockheed Martin,

who have now written a program

他们现在已经编写了一个程序，

that uses 420,000 lines of near-flawless code

它长达42万行，几乎没有错误代码，

to control every aspect of igniting four million pounds of rocket fuel

控制着一个四百万英镑重 点燃的火箭的方方面面

and putting a 120-ton spaceship into orbit.

并推动一架120吨重的航天飞机 进入轨道。

Or maybe like the researchers

或者像密苏里州堪萨斯城

at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri,

儿童医院里的研究人员，

who have now developed a device

他们现在正在研究一种

that can complete human genome coding in just 26 hours.

可以在短短的26小时内 完成人类基因组编码的仪器。

So this device is able to diagnose genetic diseases

这种仪器可以更快地诊断

in babies and newborns sooner,

婴儿和新生儿的基因性遗传病，

giving doctors an opportunity to start treatments earlier

使医生们可以更早的开始治疗

and potentially save the baby's life.

并挽救婴儿的生命。

See, that's what happens when we seek perfection.

所以现在我们可以看到 我们追求完美时会有什么事发生。

So maybe we should be more like the professional athlete,

也许我们应该学习那些专业运动员，

or we should be more like that tireless programmer,

不知疲倦的程序员，

or like that passionate researcher.

或者那些热衷于科学的研究人员。

Then we could stop fearing failure

这样我们就会不再畏惧失败，

and we could stop living in a world filled with the consequences

我们也会不再生活在一个

“已经足够好了”的社会里。

of good enough.

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）