ted英文演讲稿

ted英文演讲稿篇一

Every kid needs a champion(每个孩子都需要一个冠军) TED演讲稿中英文对照

Every kid needs a champion

每个孩子都需要一个冠军演讲稿中英对照：

I have spent my entire life either at the schoolhouse, on the way to the schoolhouse, or talking about what happens in the schoolhouse. Both my parents were educators, my maternal grandparents were educators, and for the past 40 years I've done the same thing. And so, needless to say, over those years I've had a chance to look at education reform from a lot of

perspectives. Some of those reforms have been good. Some of them have been not so good. And we know why kids drop out. We know why kids don't learn. It's either poverty, low attendance, negative peer influences. We know why. But one of the things that we never discuss or we rarely discuss is the value and importance of human connection, relationships.

我这辈子，要么是在学校，要么在去学校的路上，要么是在讨论学校里发生了什么事。我的父母都是教育家，我的外祖父母也都是搞教育的，过去40年我也在从事同样的事业。所以，很显然，过去的这些年里，我有机会从各个角度审视教育改革。一些改革是有成效的。而另一些却收效甚微。我们知道孩子们为什么掉队辍学。我们知道孩子们为什么学不下去。原因无非是贫穷，低出席率，同龄人的坏影响。我们知道为什么。但是我们从未讨论或者极少讨论的是人和人之间的那种联系的价值和重要性，这就是“关系”。

James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. George Washington Carver says all learning is understanding relationships. Everyone in this room has been affected by a teacher or an adult.

For years, I have watched people teach. I have looked at the best and I've look at some of the worst.

James Comer (美国著名儿童精神科医师）说过，没有强有力的联系，学习就不会有显著的进步。 George Washington Carver（美国著名教育学家）说过，学习就是理解各种关系。在座的各位都曾经被一位老师或者一个成年人影响过。这么多年，我都在看人们怎么教学。我看过最好的也看过最差的。

A colleague said to me one time, "They don't pay me to like the kids. They pay me to teach a lesson. The kids should learn it. I should teach it. They should learn it. Case closed."

一次有个同事跟我说， “我的职责不是喜欢那些孩子们。我的职责是教书。孩子们就该去学。我管教课，他们管学习。就是这么个理儿。”

Well, I said to her, "You know, kids don't learn from people they don't like." 然后，我就跟她说， “你知道，孩子们可不跟他们讨厌的人学习。”

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑声）（掌声）

She said, "That's just a bunch of hooey."

她接着说，“一派胡言。”

And I said to her, "Well, your year is going to be long and arduous, dear." 然后我对她说，“那么，亲爱的，你这一年会变得十分漫长和痛苦。”

Needless to say it was. Some people think that you can either have it in you to build a relationship or you don't. I think Stephen Covey had the right idea. He

said you ought to just throw in a few simple things, like seeking first to

understand as opposed to being understood, simple things like apologizing. You ever thought about that? Tell a kid you're sorry, they're in shock.

事实也果真如此。有些人认为一个人或者天生可以建立一种关系或者不具有这种能力。我认为Stephen Covey（美国教育家）是对的。他说你只需要做一些简单的事情，比如试着首先理解他人，而不是想要被理解，比如道歉。你想过吗？跟一个孩子说你很对不起，他们都惊呆了。

I taught a lesson once on ratios. I'm not real good with math, but I was working on it. And I got back and looked at that teacher edition. I'd taught the whole lesson wrong. (Laughter)

我有一次讲比例。我数学不是很好，但是我当时在教数学。然后我下了课，翻看了教师用书。我完全教错了。（笑声）

So I came back to class the next day, and I said, "Look, guys, I need to apologize. I taught the whole lesson wrong. I'm so sorry."

所以我第二天回到班上说， “同学们，我要道歉。我昨天的课都教错了。我非常抱歉。”

They said, "That's okay, Ms. Pierson. You were so excited, we just let you go." (Laughter) (Applause)

他们说，“没关系，Pierson老师。你当时教得非常投入，我们就让你继续了。” （笑声）（掌声）

I have had classes that were so low, so academically deficient that I cried. I wondered, how am I going to take this group in nine months from where they

are to where they need to be? And it was difficult. It was awfully hard. How do I raise the self-esteem of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?

我曾经教过程度非常低的班级，学术素养差到我都哭了。我当时就想，我怎么能在9个月之内把这些孩子提升到他们必须具备的水平？这真的很难，太艰难了。我怎么能让一个孩子重拾自信的同时他在学术上也有进步？

One year I came up with a bright idea. I told all my students, "You were chosen to be in my class because I am the best teacher and you are the best students, they put us all together so we could show everybody else how to do it."

有一年我有了一个非常好的主意。我告诉我的学生们， “你们进了我的班级，因为我是最好的老师，而你们是最好的学生，他们把我们放在一起来给其他人做个好榜样。”

One of the students said, "Really?" (Laughter)

一个学生说，“真的吗？” （笑声）

I said, "Really. We have to show the other classes how to do it, so when we walk down the hall, people will notice us, so you can't make noise. You just have to strut." And I gave them a saying to say: "I am somebody. I was

somebody when I came. I'll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful, and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here. I have things to do, people to impress, and places to go."

我说，“当然是真的。我们要给其他班级做个榜样，当我们走在楼道里，因为大家都会注意到我们，我们不能吵闹。大家要昂首阔步。” 我还给了他们一个口号：“我是个人物。我来的时候是个人物。我毕业的时候会变成一个更好的人物。我

很有力，很强大。我值得在这里受教育。我有很多事情要做，我要让人们记住我，我要去很多地方。”

And they said, "Yeah!"

然后他们说：“是啊！”

You say it long enough, it starts to be a part of you.

如果你长时间的这么说，它就会开始变成事实。

And so — (Applause) I gave a quiz, 20 questions. A student missed 18. I put a "+2" on his paper and a big smiley face.

所以－（掌声）我做了一个小测验，20道题。一个孩子错了18道。我在他了卷子上写了个“＋2”和一个大的笑脸。

He said, "Ms. Pierson, is this an F?"

他说，“Pierson老师，这是不及格吗？”

I said, "Yes."

我说，“是的。”

He said, "Then why'd you put a smiley face?"

他接着说，“那你为什么给我一个笑脸？”

I said, "Because you're on a roll. You got two right. You didn't miss them all." I said, "And when we review this, won't you do better?"

我说，“因为你正渐入佳境。你没有全错，还对了两个。” 我说，“我们复习这些题的时候，难道你不会做得更好吗？”

ted英文演讲稿篇二

ted英文演讲稿

ted英文演讲稿：犯错的价值

每个人都会避免犯错，但或许避免犯错本身就是一种错误?请看以下这篇“犯错家“凯瑟琳舒尔茨告诉我们，或许我们不只该承认错误，更应该大力拥抱人性中“我错故我在“的本质。

So it's 1995, I'm in college, and a friend and I go on a road trip from Providence, Rhode Island to Portland, Oregon.And you know, we're young and unemployed, so we do the whole thing on back roads through state parks and national forests -- basically the longest route we can possibly take.

当时是95年 我在上大学 我和一个朋友开车去玩 从罗得岛的普罗旺斯区出发 到奥勒冈州的波特兰市。我们年轻、无业 ，于是整个旅程都在乡间小道 经过州立公园 和国家保护森林 我们尽可能绕着最长的路径

And somewhere in the middle of South Dakota, I turn to my friend and I ask her a question that's been bothering me for 2,000 miles."What's up with the Chinese character I keep seeing by the side of the road?"My friend looks at me totally blankly.

在南达科塔州之中某处 我转向我的朋友 问她一个 两千英里路途上 一直烦恼我的问题，"路边那个一直出现的中文字到底是什么?"我的朋友露出疑惑的神情

There's actually a gentleman in the front row who's doing a perfect imitation of her look.(Laughter) And I'm like, "You know, all the signs we keep seeing with the Chinese character on them."

正如现在坐在第一排的这三位男士 所露出的神情一样，笑声) 我说"你知道的 我们一直看到的那个路牌 写着中文的那个啊"

She just stares at me for a few moments, and then she cracks up, because she figures out what I'm talking about.

她瞪着我的脸一阵子 突然笑开了 因为她总算知道我所指为何

And what I'm talking about is this.

我说的是这个

(Laughter) Right, the famous Chinese character for picnic area.

(笑声) 没错，这就是代表野餐区的那个中文字

(Laughter) I've spent the last five years of my life thinking about situations exactly like this -- why we sometimes misunderstand the signs around us,

(笑声) 过去的五年 我一直在思考 刚刚我所描述的状况 为什么我们会对身边的征兆 产生误解

and how we behave when that happens, and what all of this can tell us about human nature.

当误解发生时我们作何反应 以及这一切所告诉我们的人性

In other words, as you heard Chris say, I've spent the last five years thinking about being wrong.

换句话说，就像 Chris 刚才说的 过去五年的时间 我都在思考错误的价值

This might strike you as a strange career move, but it actually has one great advantage: no job competition.

你可能觉得这是个奇异的专业 但有一项好处是不容置疑的： 没有竞争者。

(Laughter) In fact, most of us do everything we can to avoid thinking about being wrong, or at least to avoid thinking about the possibility that we ourselves are wrong.

(笑声) 事实上，我们大部分的人 都尽力不思考错误的价值 或至少避免想到我们有可

能犯错。

We get it in the abstract.

我们都知道这个模糊的概念。

We all know everybody in this room makes mistakes.

我们都知道这里的每个人都曾经犯错

The human species, in general, is fallible -- okay fine.

人类本来就会犯错 - 没问题

But when it comes down to me right now, to all the beliefs I hold, here in the present tense, suddenly all of this abstract appreciation of fallibility goes out the window -- and I can't actually think of anything I'm wrong about.

一旦这个想法临到我们自身 我们现在所有的 所有的信念 对人类可能犯错的抽象概念随即被我们抛弃 我无法想到我有哪里出错

And the thing is, the present tense is where we live.

但是，我们活在现在

We go to meetings in the present tense; we go on family vacations in the present tense; we go to the polls and vote in the present tense.

我们开会，去家庭旅游 去投票 全都是现在式

So effectively, we all kind of wind up traveling through life, trapped in this little bubble of feeling very right about everything.

我们就像现在一个小泡泡里 经历人生 感觉自己总是对的

I think this is a problem.

我认为这是个问题

I think it's a problem for each of us as individuals, in our personal and professional lives, and I think it's a problem for all of us collectively as a culture.

我认为这是每个人私人生活 和职业生活中的问题 我认为我们身为群体，这也造成了文化问题

So what I want to do today is, first of all, talk about why we get stuck inside this feeling of being right.

于是，我今天想做的是 先谈谈为甚么我们会 陷在这种自以为是的心态中

And second, why it's such a problem.

第二是为甚么这是个问题

And finally, I want to convince you that it is possible to step outside of that feeling, and that, if you can do so, it is the single greatest

最后我想说服大家 克服这种感觉 是可能的 而且一旦你做到了 这将成为你道德上

moral, intellectual and creative leap you can make.

智性上和创意上最大的进步

So why do we get stuck in this feeling of being right?

为甚么我们会陷在 这种自以为是的心态中?{ted英文演讲稿}.

One reason actually has to do with a feeling of being wrong.

事实上这和犯错的感觉有关

So let me ask you guys something -- or actually, let me ask you guys something, because you're right here: How does it feel -- emotionally --

我想问问你们 让我问问台上的你们 当你意识到自己犯错了

how does it feel to be wrong?

你感觉如何?

Dreadful. Thumbs down.

糟透了。很差劲。

Embarrassing. Okay, wonderful, good.

难堪。很好，是的。

Dreadful, thumbs down, embarrassing -- thank you, these are great answers, but they're answers to a different question.

很糟糕，很差劲，很难堪。 谢谢你们提供这些答案 但这些答案没有回答我的问题

You guys are answering the question: How does it feel to realize you're wrong?

你们回答的问题是： 当你意识到你犯错的时候，你的感觉如何?

(Laughter) Realizing you're wrong can feel like all of that and a lot of other things, right?

(笑声) 意识到你犯错了就会有刚刚所说的这些感觉，不是吗?

I mean it can be devastating, it can be revelatory, it can actually be quite funny, like my stupid Chinese character mistake.

令人沮丧，暴露了一些真实 有时候甚至有些好笑 像我误以为路牌是中文字

But just being wrong doesn't feel like anything.

但犯错本身 事实上毫无感觉

I'll give you an analogy.

让我给你一个例子

Do you remember that Loony Tunes cartoon where there's this pathetic coyote who's always chasing and never catching a roadrunner?

你记得卡通里 那个总是在追逐 却从未抓到猎物的土狼吗?

In pretty much every episode of this cartoon, there's a moment where the coyote is chasing the roadrunner and the roadrunner runs off a cliff,

几乎在每一集里 牠的猎物 - 一只走鹃鸟 都会跳下悬崖

which is fine, he's a bird, he can fly.

反正牠是鸟，牠可以飞

But the thing is, the coyote runs off the cliff right after him.

但土狼也会跟着牠一起跳崖

And what's funny -- at least if you're six years old -- is that the coyote's totally fine too.

那很好笑 如果你是个六岁儿童 土狼也很好

He just keeps running -- right up until the moment that he looks down and realizes that he's in mid-air.

牠就这么继续跑 直到牠往下看 发现自己漫步在空中

That's when he falls.

这时候他才会往下掉

When we're wrong about something -- not when we realize it, but before that -- we're like that coyote after he's gone off the cliff and before he looks down.

在我们犯错时 在我们意识到我们犯错时 我们就像那只土狼 还没意识到自己奔出悬崖

You know, we're already wrong, we're already in trouble, but we feel like we're on solid ground.

我们已经错了 已经惹上麻烦了 但仍然感觉像走在地上

So I should actually correct something I said a moment ago.

我应该改变我之前的说法

It does feel like something to be wrong; it feels like being right.

犯错的感觉就和 正确的感觉一样

(Laughter) So this is one reason, a structural reason, why we get stuck inside this feeling of rightness.{ted英文演讲稿}.

(笑声) 事实上我们这种自以为对的感受 是有构造性的原因的

I call this error blindness.

我称之为错误盲点

Most of the time, we don't have any kind of internal cue to let us know that we're wrong about something, until it's too late.

大部份的时间里 我们身体里没有任何机制 提醒我们错了 直到木已成舟

But there's a second reason that we get stuck inside this feeling as well -- and this one is cultural.

但还有第二个理由 文化性的理由

Think back for a moment to elementary school.

回想小学时代

ted英文演讲稿篇三

TED演讲稿

好了，我们即将潜入海底深处。

We're going to go on a dive to the deep sea,

任何一个有过这种美妙机会的人都知道

and anyone that's had that lovely opportunity knows

在这两个半小时的下降过程中，

that for about two and half hours on the way down,

是一个完全漆黑的世界。

it's a perfectly positively pitch-black world.

我们透过窗户会看见世界上各种最神秘的动物， And we used to see the most mysterious animals out the window

各种无法形容的动物。这些闪亮着的光， that you couldn't describe: these blinking lights --

完美地构成了如萤火虫般发光的世界。 a world of bioluminescence, like fireflies.

研究保护协会的Edith Witter博士

Dr. Edith Widder -- she's now at the Ocean Research and Conservation Association --

发明了一种照相机，

was able to come up with a camera

这种照相机可以拍下这些令人难以置信的生物。 that could capture some of these incredible animals,

这就是你现在在屏幕上看到的。

and that's what you're seeing here on the screen.

他们全部都是生物发光体。像我说的，就像萤火虫一样。

That's all bioluminescence. So, like I said: just like fireflies.

这是个会飞的火鸡，在树下。（笑声）

There's a flying turkey under a tree. (Laughter)

我知道我现在像是个实习期的地质学家，不过我就是喜欢。

I'm a geologist by training. But I love that.

你可以看到这些生物发出的光，

And you see, some of the bioluminescence

有些是为了避免被吃掉。 they use to avoid being eaten,

有些又是为引诱食物上钩。 some they use to attract prey,

尽管如此，用艺术的角度来看，这些都如此神奇。 but all of it, from an artistic point of view, is positively amazing.

再来看看这里发生了些什么—— And a lot of what goes on inside ...

这条鱼有着会发光，闪烁的眼睛。

there's a fish with glowing eyes, pulsating eyes.

有些颜色则可以催眠。

Some of the colors are designed to hypnotize,

多么有趣的图案。这是最后一个：

these lovely patterns. And then this last one,

也是我的最爱，像转轮一样的设计。 one of my favorites, this pinwheel design.

每一次潜水都充满着惊喜。

Just absolutely amazing, every single dive.{ted英文演讲稿}.

这正是一个未知的世界。到今天为止，我们只探索了其中的极小部分，

That's the unknown world, and today we've only explored about 3 percent

大约只占了所有海洋的3%。 of what's out there in the ocean.

到现在，我们已经发现了世界上最高的山峰， Already we've found the world's highest mountains,

最深的峡谷，

the world's deepest valleys,

水下湖，水下瀑布，

underwater lakes, underwater waterfalls --

还有我们刚才看到的。

a lot of that we shared with you from the stage.

然而，恰是我们曾经以为根本不可能有生命的地方，And in a place where we thought no life at all,

我们发现了众多的生物，还有它们的密度和多样性，

we find more life, we think, and diversity and density

都超过了热带雨林。这告诉我们

than the tropical rainforest, which tells us that

我们实际上对自己的星球还不甚了解。 we don't know much about this planet at all.

还有剩下的97%，那里要不就是一片荒芜，要不就是充满惊喜。

There's still 97 percent, and either that 97 percent is empty or just full of surprises.

不过我现在还是想说说浅水里的世界， But I want to jump up to shallow water now

来看看那些神奇的生物。

and look at some creatures that are positively amazing.

头足类动物，有头有角。小时候我把他们当作是枪乌贼。

Cephalopods -- head-foots. As a kid I knew them as calamari, mostly. (Laughter)

这是一条章鱼。 This is an octopus --

这是来自Roger Hanlon博士，海洋生物实验室的成果。

this is the work of Dr. Roger Hanlon at the Marine Biological Lab --

这些头足类动物真令人着迷，

and it's just fascinating how cephalopods can,

它用它们的眼睛，它们那难以置信的眼睛来观察周围的环境，

with their incredible eyes, sense their surroundings,

看光，看图案。

look at light, look at patterns.

这有只章鱼正在穿过礁石。

Here's an octopus moving across the reef,

找到一个位置，停下来，卷起，然后马上消失在背景之中。

finds a spot to settle down, curls up and then disappears into the background.

这很难做到。 Tough thing to do.

接下来，再来一起看一对鱿鱼。

In the next bit, we're going to see a couple squid.

这就是鱿鱼。当雄性鱿鱼搏斗时，

These are squid. Now males, when they fight,

如果它们想要显示出自己的侵略性，它们就变为白色了。

if they're really aggressive, they turn white.

这有两条雄鱿鱼在搏斗。

And these two males are fighting,

它们用撞屁股的方式来搏斗，

they do it by bouncing their butts together,

真是挺有意思的方法。这里有一条雄性在左边， which is an interesting concept. Now, here's a male on the left

雌性在右边。

and a female on the right,

看，这条雄性能有办法利用颜色把自己分为两半， and the male has managed to split his coloration

所以雌性只能看到它温顺，优雅的一边，

so the female only always sees the kinder gentler squid in him.

雄性-- （笑声）再来看一次。

And the male ... (Laughter) We're going to see it again.

让我们再看一次。注意它的颜色：

Let's take a look at it again. Watch the coloration:

白色在右边，棕色在左边。

white on the right, brown on the left.

它后退一步，让其它的雄性无法靠近

He takes a step back -- so he's keeping off the other males

来到另外一边，并且马上转换颜色。

by splitting his body -- and comes up on the other side ...

瞧！以前有人告诉我 Bingo! Now I'm told that's

这个雄性特征不仅仅是在鱿鱼身上，不过我也不太确定。

not just a squid phenomenon with males, but I don't know.

墨鱼，我很喜欢墨鱼。这是一只巨型澳大利亚墨鱼。 Cuttlefish. I love cuttlefish. This is a Giant Australian Cuttlefish.

看它，看它那双无精打采的眼睛。

And there he is, his droopy little eyes up here.

不过它们能做很神奇的事。

But they can do pretty amazing things, too.

我们马上就能看到它退入到礁石的夹缝中去， Here we're going to see one backing into a crevice, and

注意它的触角。 watch his tentacles --

它就这样把触角拉进来，使自己看起来像海藻一样。he just pulls them in, makes them look just like algae.

刹那就消失在背景中。

Disappears right into the background.

多神奇！这又是两只雄性在搏斗。

Positively amazing.Here's two males fighting.

当然，这些头足类非常聪明，

Once again, they're smart enough, these cephalopods;

他们知道如何不会伤害到对方。 they know not to hurt each other.

不过看下它们能够利用皮肤来变换图案。怎么样？ But look at the patterns that they can do with their skin.

很神奇吧！{ted英文演讲稿}.

That's an amazing thing.

这是个章鱼。有时候，它们不想被别人发现它们在移动，

Here's an octopus. Sometimes they don't want to be seen when they move

因为那些食肉动物会发现它们。 because predators can see them.

看，这个家伙把自己弄的像石头一样，

Here, this guy actually can make himself look like a rock,

观察着它周围的环境，

and, looking at his environment,

然后滑过水底，

can actually slide across the bottom,

利用波纹和阴影来隐藏自己，从而不被发现。 using the waves and the shadows so he can't be seen.

就是这样，无声无息地融入环境之中。 His motion blends right into the background --

这就是移动石头的手法。我们从浅海中学到了很多新东西。

the moving rock trick. So, we're learning lots new from the shallow water.

继续来探索下深海领域， Still exploring the deep,

同时从浅海中学到很多新东西。

but learning lots from the shallow water.

这有个原因来解释：在浅海里，

There's a good reason why: the shallow water's

到处都是捕猎者。这是条梭鱼。 full of predators -- here's a barracuda --

如果你是条章鱼或是头足类动物的话， and if you're an octopus or a cephalopod,

你确实需要知道怎么利用周围的环境来隐藏自己。 you need to really understand how to use your surroundings to hide.

下个画面里，你可以看到一个美丽的珊瑚。

In the next scene, you're going to see a nice coral bottom.

你会发现，一条章鱼

And you see that an octopus would stand out

我以为是电脑特效。让我们看看倒放。

如果不进行伪装，极易被发现。

very easily there if you couldn't use your camouflage,

伪装是改变你皮肤的颜色和纹理。 use your skin to change color and texture.

前面这里有些海藻，

Here's some algae in the foreground ...

还有一条章鱼。难道不神奇么？不过现在，显然Roger（摄影师）吓到了它，

and an octopus. Ain't that amazing? Now, Roger spooked him

它马上释放烟雾弹——墨水来掩护逃脱。 so he took off in a cloud of ink, and when he

当它停下来，会想，“啊，我被发现了， lands the octopus says, "Oh, I've been seen.

那我最好变到最大来保护下自己。

The best thing to do is to get as big as I can get."

那片棕色让它的眼睛看起来十分大。 That big brown makes his eyespot very big.

它在唬人。让我们看一次倒放。

So, he's bluffing. Let's do it backwards --

我第一次看到的时候还以为他在开玩笑呢。

I thought he was joking when he first showed it to me.

I thought it was all graphics -- so here it is in reverse.

注意看它皮肤的颜色，以及皮肤的纹理。 Watch the skin color; watch the skin texture.

多么神奇的动物，可以改变自己的颜色和质地 Just an amazing animal, it can change color and texture

来变得和背景一样。看它消失在海藻中。

to match the surroundings. Watch him blend right into this algae.

一，二，三。

One, two, three. (Applause)

它不见了，我也该下去了。谢谢大家！

And now he's gone, and so am I. Thank you very much.

ted英文演讲稿篇四

TED Simon 演讲稿 英文+中文

How do you explain when things don't go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example: Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year, after year, after year, they're more innovative than all their competition. And yet, they're just a computer company. They're just like everyone else. They have the same access to the same talent, the same agencies, the same consultants, the same media. Then why is it that they seem to have something different? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights Movement? He wasn't the only man who suffered in a pre-civil rights America, and he certainly wasn't the only great orator of the day. Why him? And why is it that the Wright brothers were able to figure out controlled, powered man flight when there were certainly other teams who were better qualified, better funded ... and they didn't achieve powered man flight, and the Wright brothers beat them to it. There's something else at play here.

About three and a half years ago I made a discovery. And this discovery profoundly changed my view on how I thought the world worked, and it even profoundly changed the way in which I operate in it. As it turns out, there's a pattern. As it turns out, all the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world -- whether it's Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright brothers -- they all think, act and communicate the exact same way. And it's the complete opposite to everyone else. All I did was codify it, and it's probably the world's simplest idea. I call it the golden circle.

Why? How? What? This little idea explains why some organizations and some leaders are able to inspire where others aren't. Let me define the terms really quickly. Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, 100 percent. Some know how they do it, whether you call it your differentiated value proposition or your proprietary process or your USP. But very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do. And by "why" I

don't mean "to make a profit." That's a result. It's always a result. By "why," I mean: What's your purpose? What's your cause? What's your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care? Well, as a result, the way we think, the way we act, the way we communicate is from the outside in. It's obvious. We go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest thing. But the inspired leaders and the inspired organizations -- regardless of their size, regardless of their industry -- all think, act and communicate from the inside out.

Let me give you an example. I use Apple because they're easy to understand and everybody gets it. If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them might sound like this: "We make great computers. They're beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. Want to buy one?" "Meh." And that's how most of us communicate. That's how most marketing is done, that's how most sales is done and that's how most of us communicate interpersonally. We say what we do, we say how we're different or how we're better and we expect some sort of a behavior, a purchase, a vote, something like that. Here's our new law firm: We have the best lawyers with the biggest clients, we always perform for our clients who do business with us.

Here's our new car: It gets great gas mileage, it has leather seats, buy our car. But it's uninspiring.

Here's how Apple actually communicates. "Everything we do, we believe in challenging the

status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?" Totally different right? You're ready to buy a computer from me. All I did was reverse the order of the information. What it proves to us is that people don't buy what you do; people buy why you do it. People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

This explains why every single person in this room is perfectly comfortable buying a computer from Apple. But we're also perfectly comfortable buying an MP3 player from Apple, or a phone from Apple, or a DVR from Apple. But, as I said before, Apple's just a computer company. There's nothing that distinguishes them structurally from any of their competitors. Their competitors are all equally qualified to make all of these products. In fact, they tried. A few years ago, Gateway came out with flat screen TVs. They're eminently qualified to make flat screen TVs. They've been making flat screen monitors for years. Nobody bought one. Dell came out with MP3 players and PDAs, and they make great quality products, and they can make perfectly well-designed products -- and nobody bought one. In fact, talking about it now, we can't even imagine buying an MP3 player from Dell. Why would you buy an MP3 player from a computer company? But we do it every day. People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe. Here's the best part:

None of what I'm telling you is my opinion. It's all grounded in the tenets of biology. Not psychology, biology. If you look at a cross-section of the human brain, looking from the top down, what you see is the human brain is actually broken into three major components that correlate perfectly with the golden circle. Our newest brain, our Homo sapien brain, our

neocortex, corresponds with the "what" level. The neocortex is responsible for all of our rational and analytical thought and language. The middle two sections make up our limbic brains, and our limbic brains are responsible for all of our feelings, like trust and loyalty. It's also responsible for all human behavior, all decision-making, and it has no capacity for language.

In other words, when we communicate from the outside in, yes, people can understand vast amounts of complicated information like features and benefits and facts and figures. It just

doesn't drive behavior. When we can communicate from the inside out, we're talking directly to the part of the brain that controls behavior, and then we allow people to rationalize it with the tangible things we say and do. This is where gut decisions come from. You know, sometimes you can give somebody all the facts and figures, and they say, "I know what all the facts and details say, but it just doesn't feel right." Why would we use that verb, it doesn't "feel" right? Because the part of the brain that controls decision-making doesn't control language. And the best we can muster up is, "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right." Or sometimes you say you're leading with your heart, or you're leading with your soul. Well, I hate to break it to you, those aren't other body parts controlling your behavior. It's all happening here in your limbic brain, the part of the brain that controls decision-making and not language.

But if you don't know why you do what you do, and people respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get people to vote for you, or buy something from you, or, more

importantly, be loyal and want to be a part of what it is that you do. Again, the goal is not just to sell to people who need what you have; the goal is to sell to people who believe what you believe. The goal is not just to hire people who need a job; it's to hire people who believe what you believe. I always say that, you know, if you hire people just because they can do a job, they'll work for your money, but if you hire people who believe what you believe, they'll work for you with blood and sweat and tears. And nowhere else is there a better example of this than with the Wright brothers.

Most people don't know about Samuel Pierpont Langley. And back in the early 20th century, the pursuit of powered man flight was like the dot com of the day. Everybody was trying it. And Samuel Pierpont Langley had, what we assume, to be the recipe for success. I mean, even now, you ask people, "Why did your product or why did your company fail?" and people always give you the same permutation of the same three things: under-capitalized, the wrong people, bad market conditions. It's always the same three things, so let's explore that. Samuel Pierpont Langley was given 50,000 dollars by the War Department to figure out this flying machine. Money was no problem. He held a seat at Harvard and worked at the Smithsonian and was

extremely well-connected; he knew all the big minds of the day. He hired the best minds money could find and the market conditions were fantastic. The New York Times followed him around everywhere, and everyone was rooting for Langley. Then how come we've never heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley?

A few hundred miles away in Dayton Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright, they had none of what we consider to be the recipe for success. They had no money; they paid for their dream with the proceeds from their bicycle shop; not a single person on the Wright brothers' team had a college education, not even Orville or Wilbur; and The New York Times followed them around nowhere. The difference was, Orville and Wilbur were driven by a cause, by a purpose, by a belief. They believed that if they could figure out this flying machine, it'll change the course of the world. Samuel Pierpont Langley was different. He wanted to be rich, and he wanted to be famous. He was in pursuit of the result. He was in pursuit of the riches. And lo and behold, look what happened. The people who believed in the Wright brothers' dream worked with them with blood and sweat and tears. The others just worked for the paycheck. And they tell stories of how every time the Wright brothers went out, they would have to take five sets of parts, because that's how many times they would crash before they came in for supper.

And, eventually, on December 17th, 1903, the Wright brothers took flight, and no one was there to even experience it. We found out about it a few days later. And further proof that Langley was motivated by the wrong thin