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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: NAN-KUN WU

Have you ever heard of typosquatting?

你們有沒有聽過「註冊近似域名」？

Well, typosquatting is where companies like Google

註冊近似域名就是當 像 Google 這樣的公司

post advertisements on websites that are commonly miskeyed,

在常常被打錯網址的網站上打廣告，

and then they sit back and rake in millions

然後等你打錯字而大筆進帳，

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

當你去到 gmale.com 或 mikerowesoft.com 之類的網址時，

or mikerowesoft.com.

他們就可以坐收百萬。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

似乎有點蠢，是嗎？

How about this?

那這樣如何？

On February 28, an engineer at Amazon

在 2 月 28 日亞馬遜的一位工程師

made a similar, seemingly small key error.

犯了個類似的錯誤， 似乎很小的輸入錯誤。

Only I say seemingly small

但我說「似乎很小」，

because this one little typo on Amazon's supercode

因為亞馬遜超級代碼的這個小小錯字

produced a massive internet slowdown

導致整個網路慢下來，

that cost the company over 160 million dollars

在四小時內就造成公司損失

in the span of just four hours.

1 億 6 千萬元。

But this is actually really scary.

這其實挺嚇人的。

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

最近藥品製造商 「新英格蘭複方藥物中心」的

which is a pharmaceutical manufacturer,

一位員工

didn't clean a lab properly

未能妥善清理一間實驗室，

and now 76 people have died

結果造成 76 人死亡，

and 700 more have contracted meningitis.

超過 700 人染上腦膜炎。

I mean, these examples are crazy, right?

我的意思是， 這些例子很瘋狂，對嗎？

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

曾幾何時我們居住的世界變成 可接受這類打字錯誤、常見錯誤，

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

這種「盡力而為」 或是夠好就好的態度了？

At some point, we've stopped valuing perfection,

始自某個時間點 我們已不再重視完美，

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

現在，我們就得到了這種結果。

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

我認為，我們都應該尋求完美，

all the time,

隨時都要。

and I think we need to get to it quick.

且我認為我們需要盡快來做。

You see, I run a training facility

我經營一間訓練機構，

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

我負責教育專業的送貨司機，

and in my line of work,

在我這一行，

we have a unique understanding of the cost of failure,

我們對於失敗、只做到 99% 完美的成本

the cost of just 99 percent,

有著獨一無二的理解，

because in the world of professional driving,

因為在職業駕駛的世界中，

just 99 percent of the job means somebody dies.

只做到 99% 完美， 就表示有人會死。

Look, a hundred people die every day

每天都有一百個人因為

due to vehicular crashes.

車禍而死。

Think about that for a second.

花點時間想想這一點。

That's like the equivalent of four commercial airliners

那就等同於四間商業航空公司

crashing every week,

每週都墜機，

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

但我們仍然無法說服自己， 開車時要把注意力集中做到完美。

So I teach my drivers to value perfection.

所以我教我的司機要重視完美。

It's why I have them memorize

因此我要求他們要記住

our 131-word defensive driving program

我們的 131 字防禦式駕駛方案，

perfectly,

要完美記住，

and then I have them rewrite it.

然後我會要他們默寫。

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

寫錯一個字，拼錯一個字， 少一個逗點，就不能通過測驗。

It's why I do uniform inspections daily.

因此我每天都要做制服檢查。

Undershirts are white or brown only,

內衣只能是白色或褐色，

shoes are black or brown polished leather

鞋子是白色或褐色發亮的皮鞋，

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

坦白說，如果穿皺衣服來我的課， 別期望我會讓你留下。

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

因此我堅持我的司機都要準時。

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

不要遲到，上課、休息、 吃午餐都不要遲到。

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

如果你該去哪，就要準時到那裡。

You see, I do this so that my students understand

我這樣做，所以我的學生才能了解

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

當我在訓練他們開車時，當我說：

"Clear every intersection,"

「確認每個十字路口都是淨空的」，

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

他們就了解我的意思是指 每個交通號誌、每個交叉路口、

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

每條街道、每個停車場、 每條泥土路、每條斑馬線、

every intersection without fail.

每一個十字路口，完全沒忽略。

Now, new students will often ask me

新學生通常會問我，

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

為什麼我的課這麼困難、 嚴格，或一致不變？

and the answer is simple.

答案很簡單。

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

完美是一種態度， 從小事物發展出來，

and then applied to the larger job.

然後應用到更大的工作上。

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

基本上，如果你連小事都無法做對，

you're going to fail when it counts,

到重要的時候你就會失敗，

你開車的時候就是重要的時候。

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

A car traveling at 55 miles an hour

車以 55 英哩的時速行進，

covers the length of an American football field

若要橫越美式足球場的長度，

in just under four and a half seconds,

只需要不到 4.5 秒鐘，

but just so happens to be the same amount of time

這個時間，剛好也就是平圴一個人

it takes the average person to check a text message.

檢查手機訊息所需要花的時間。

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

所以我不允許我的司機失去專注，

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

對他們，我不能接受 比完美更低的標準。

And you know what?

你們知道嗎？

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

我厭倦了其他人都認為 99% 就夠好的態度。

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

若沒有做到完美， 是會有後果的，對嗎？

Think about it.

想想這點。

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

如果我們信用卡的製造商 只有 99.9% 的有效度，

there would be over a million cards in circulation today

那現今就會有超過 百萬張在流通的信用卡

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

背後的磁條是有錯誤資訊的。

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

或者，如果韋氏字典 只有 99.9% 精確，

it would have 470 misspelled words in it.

裡面就會有 470 個字是拼錯的。

How about this?

這樣如何？

If our doctors were only 99.9 percent correct,

如果我們的醫生只有 99.9% 正確，

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

每年，就有 4,453,000 個 處方是開錯的，

and probably even scarier,

可能還更恐怖的是，

11 newborns would be given to the wrong parents every day

每天就會有 11 位 美國新生兒被給錯父母。

in the United States.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And those are just the odds, thank you.

就會有那些可能，謝謝你。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

現實是，美國政府摔掉了 一架 14 億元的飛機，

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

因為維修小組成員 只做了 99% 的工作。

Someone forgot to check a sensor.

有人忘了檢查一個感測器。

The reality is that 16 people are now dead,

現實是，現今有 16 個人死亡，

180 have now been injured,

180 個人受傷，

and 34 million cars are being recalled

3400 萬台車被召回，

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

原因就是一家汽車安全氣囊製造商 生產和經銷了一個產品，

that they thought was, you know, good enough.

他們認為這個產品「夠好了」。

The reality is that medical errors

現實是，醫療疏失

are now the third leading cause of death in America.

現在在美國是第三大死因。

250,000 people die each year

每年有 250,000 起死亡，

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

是因為可能有人認為 自己的工作做得夠好，

messed up.

結果卻搞砸了。

And you don't believe me?

你們不相信我嗎？

Well, I can certainly understand why.

我很清楚為什麼。

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

如今，連新聞權威說的話

when less than 50 percent of what news pundits say

都不到 50% 是有根據的，

is actually grounded in fact.

我們實在很難去相信任何事。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So it comes down to this:

所以，可歸結成這樣：

trying our best is not good enough.

盡力而為是不夠好的。

So how do we change?

所以，我們要如何改變？

We seek perfection

我們要尋求完美，

and settle for nothing less.

不可有任何退讓。

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

我知道，我得給你們一分鐘想想，

because I know what you've been told.

因為我知道別人怎麼告訴你們的。

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

可能是像這樣的： 人類不可能達到完美，

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

因此，尋求完美不僅 會毀了你的自尊心，

but it will render you a failure.

還會造成你失敗。

But there's the irony.

但，有一點很諷刺。

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

現今我們也很害怕「失敗」這個詞，

but the truth is, we need to fail.

但真相是我們需要失敗。

Failure is a natural stepping stone towards perfection,

通往完美的天然墊腳石就是失敗，

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

但在某個時點，因為我們變得 非常害怕會失敗的這念頭，

and so afraid of that idea of perfection,

非常害怕完美的這念頭，

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

因為「做不到」對於我們的自我 產生的影響，讓我們拋棄了這念頭。

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

你真的認為失敗就會毀了你嗎？

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

還是這只是個簡單的答案，

造成我們有龜速網站、

scary healthcare and dangerous roads?

駭人的健康照顧，及危險的道路？

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

你準備好要讓完美來 在這一切當中扮演黑臉了嗎？

Look, failure and imperfection are basically the same thing.

失敗和不完美，基本上是一樣的。

We all know that imperfection exists all around us.

我們都知道，我們身邊 到處都有不完美。

Nothing and nobody is perfect.

沒有任何人事物是完美的。

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

但在某個時點， 因為太艱困或太痛苦，

we decided to dismiss our natural ability to deal with failure

我們決定拋棄我們 處理失敗的天生能力，

and replace it with a lower acceptance level.

把它換成比較低的可接受水準。

And now we're all forced to sit back

現在我們都被迫不採取行動，

and just accept this new norm or good-enough attitude

只要接受新標準或是 「夠好」的態度，

and the results that come with it.

以及其所伴隨的結果。

So even with all that said,

所以，即使說了這些，

people will still tell me, you know,

人們仍然會告訴我，

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

「難道醫療人員、 維修小組成員、工程師

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

沒有盡他們全力嗎？ 那樣還不夠好嗎？

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

老實說，對我而言，不夠好， 特別是在這些例子中。

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

但，試著達到完美的壓力好大，對吧？

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

歐普拉談過它，大學研究它，

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

我打賭你的高中導師 警告過你要小心它。

壓力對我們不好，對吧？

Stress is bad for us, isn't it?

Well, maybe,

也許吧，

but to say that seeking perfection is too stressful

但，說尋求完美會太有壓力，

is like saying that exercise is too exhausting.

就像是說運動太累人。

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

在這兩種情況都一樣， 想要有結果，就得承擔痛苦。

So truthfully, saying that seeking perfection is too stressful

老實說，說尋求完美會太有壓力，

is just an excuse to be lazy.

只是懶人的理由。

But here's the really scary part.

但，真正可怕的部份是這個。

Today, doctors, therapists

現今，醫生、治療師

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

以及一年近百億元產值的 自我幫助產業，

are all advocating against the idea of perfection

通通都不主張完美的這個想法，

under this guise that somehow not trying to be perfect

戴著這個表面偽裝， 主張不要試著達成完美

will save your self-esteem and protect your ego.

就能拯救你的自尊、保護你的自我。

But, see, it's not working,

但，這樣行不通，

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

因為現今的自我幫助產業 有較高的累犯率，

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

因為它比較著重在 教導你如何接受失敗、

and lower your acceptance level

降低你能接受的水準，

than it is about pushing you to be perfect.

而不是在把你推向完美。

See, these doctors, therapists and self-help gurus

因此，這些醫生、 治療師、自我幫助大師

are all focused on a symptom and not the illness.

都著重在一個症狀上， 而不是疾病本身。

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

現今我們社會的真正疾病， 是我們不願意面對失敗。

See, we're more comfortable resting on our efforts

我們寧可滿足於舒適的努力過程

勝過專注於得到的結果。

than we are with focusing on our results.

Like at Dublin Jerome High School in Ohio,

就像俄亥俄州的都柏林傑羅姆高中，

where they name 30 percent of a graduating class valedictorian.

這所高中讓畢業班中 30% 的人 當第一名的畢業生代表。

I mean, come on, right?

拜託！

Somebody had the highest GPA.

有人的 GPA 最高。

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

我保證絕不會剛好 72 個人同分。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

但，給出相等的結果 讓我們感到比較舒服，

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

而不去面對失敗、輸家， 或表現未達理想者。

不論結果如何都人人有獎、 人人晉升、人人加薪時，

And when everybody gets a prize, everybody advances,

or everybody gets a pay raise despite results,

the perfectionist in all of us is left to wonder,

我們當中的完美主義者就會納悶，

what do I have to do to get better?

我得要做什麼才能變得更好？

How do I raise above the crowd?

我要如何出類拔萃？

And see, if we continue to cultivate this culture,

如果我們持續培養這樣的文化，

在這文化中沒有人會失敗， 或沒有人會被告知他們會失敗，

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

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

那也不會有人發揮他們的潛能。

Failure and loss are necessary for success.

對於成功而言，失敗和輸是必要的。

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

不必要的是接受失敗。

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

米開朗基羅說過一句話，

對大數人而言最大的危險

並不是我們的目標太高而無法達成，

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

but it's too low and we reach it.

而是我們的目標太低而我們達成了。

Failure should be a motivating force,

失敗應該是一種驅動力，

not some type of pathetic excuse to give up.

而不是放棄用的可悲藉口。

So I have an idea.

我有個點子。

Instead of defining perfectionism as a destructive intolerance for failure,

不要把完美主義定義為 完全不能容忍失敗，

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

何不試著給它一個新的定義？

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

為什麼不試著把完美主義定義為

願意去做難的事以達成對的目標呢？

to achieve what is right?

You see, then we can agree

這樣我們就能同意

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

在尋求完美的過程中失敗是件好事，

and when we seek perfection without fear of failure,

當我們不畏失敗尋求完美，

just think about what we can accomplish.

想想看我們能有多少成就。

Like NBA superstar Steph Curry:

像 NBA 的巨星史蒂芬柯瑞，

he hit 77 three-point shots in a row.

他連進 77 個三分球。

Think about that.

想想看。

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

這個傢伙能夠準確地 把 9.5 英吋的球

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

丟進掛在 10 英呎高的 18 英吋的框內，

from nearly 24 feet away

且從 24 英呎之外，

almost 80 times without failure.

幾乎 80 次沒失敗。

Or like the computer programmers

或是像航空巨頭洛克希德馬丁公司的

at the aerospace giant Lockheed Martin,

電腦程式設計師，

who have now written a program

他們現在寫了個程式，

that uses 420,000 lines of near-flawless code

用了 420,000 行 幾乎無瑕疵的程式碼，

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

來控制點燃 400 萬磅 火箭燃料的每個面向，

and putting a 120-ton spaceship into orbit.

將 120 噸的太空船送到軌道上。

Or maybe like the researchers

或是，也許像密蘇里州

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

堪薩斯城兒童慈善醫院的研究者，

who have now developed a device

他們現在開發了一個裝置，

that can complete human genome coding in just 26 hours.

可以在 26 小時內完成 人類基因組編碼。

So this device is able to diagnose genetic diseases

這個裝置能更快診斷出嬰兒

in babies and newborns sooner,

和新生兒的基因疾病，

giving doctors an opportunity to start treatments earlier

讓醫生有機會更早開始治療，

and potentially save the baby's life.

可能就能拯救寶寶的命。

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

那就是當我們尋求完美會發生的事。

So maybe we should be more like the professional athlete,

也許我們應該要學習職業運動員，

或我們應該要像 孜孜不倦的程式設計師，

or we should be more like that tireless programmer,

or like that passionate researcher.

或是像有熱忱的研究者。

Then we could stop fearing failure

那麼我們就可以停止害怕失敗，

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

我們居住的世界 就不會再充滿「夠好」

of good enough.

造成的結果。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）