nowithinkatthispointit'simportantformetosaythatiactuallyloveextroverts.ialwaysliketosaysomeofmybestfriendsareextroverts,includingmybelovedhusband.andweallfallatdifferentpoints,ofcourse,alongtheintrovert/extrovertspectrum.evencarljung,thepsychologistwhofirstpopularizedtheseterms,saidthatthere'snosuchthingasapureintrovertorapureextrovert.hesaidthatsuchamanwouldbeinalunaticasylum,ifheexistedatall.andsomepeoplefallsmackinthemiddleoftheintrovert/extrovertspectrum,andwecallthesepeopleambiverts.andioftenthinkthattheyhavethebestofallworlds.butmanyofusdorecognizeourselvesasonetypeortheother.
andwhati'msayingisthatculturallyweneedamuchbetterbalance.weneedmoreofayinandyangbetweenthesetwotypes.thisisespeciallyimportantwhenitcomestocreativityandtoproductivity,becausewhenpsychologistslookatthelivesofthemostcreativepeople,whattheyfindarepeoplewhoareverygoodatexchangingideasandadvancingideas,butwhoalsohaveaseriousstreakofintroversioninthem.
andthisisbecausesolitudeisacrucialingredientoftentocreativity.sodarwin,hetooklongwalksaloneinthewoodsandemphaticallyturneddowndinnerpartyinvitations.theodorgeisel,betterknownasdr.seuss,hedreamedupmanyofhisamazingcreationsinalonelybelltowerofficethathehadinthebackofhishouseinlajolla,california.andhewasactuallyafraidtomeettheyoungchildrenwhoreadhisbooksforfearthattheywereexpectinghimthiskindofjollysantaclaus-likefigureandwouldbedisappointedwithhismorereservedpersona.stevewozniakinventedthefirstapplecomputersittingaloneinhiscubicalinhewlett-packardwherehewasworkingatthetime.andhesaysthatheneverwouldhavebecomesuchanexpertinthefirstplacehadhenotbeentoointrovertedtoleavethehousewhenhewasgrowingup.
nowofcourse,thisdoesnotmeanthatweshouldallstopcollaborating--andcaseinpoint,isstevewozniakfamouslycomingtogetherwithstevejobstostartapplecomputer--butitdoesmeanthatsolitudemattersandthatforsomepeopleitistheairthattheybreathe.andinfact,wehaveknownforcenturiesaboutthetranscendentpowerofsolitude.it'sonlyrecentlythatwe'vestrangelybeguntoforgetit.ifyoulookatmostoftheworld'smajorreligions,youwillfindseekers--moses,jesus,buddha,muhammad--seekerswhoaregoingoffbythemselvesalonetothewildernesswheretheythenhaveprofoundepiphaniesandrevelationsthattheythenbringbacktotherestofthecommunity.sonowilderness,norevelations.
Itisquiteusualthatonemeetsfailures,forone'slifecanneverbeplainsailing.However,differentpeopleholddifferentattitudestowardsfailure.Somepeoplethinkitaheavyblowtofailinachievingsomethingandtheycannotendurefailure.
Whentheymeetfailure,theywillbeseriouslydejectedandcanneverpluckuptheircouragetotryagain.
However,othersthinkitnaturaltomeetfailuresinone'scareer.Therefore,theyarepsychologicallyprepared.Whentheymeetfailures,theywillnotbefrustrated.Instead,theywillcontinuetomeetnewchallenges.Astome,I'minfavorofthelatterview.Failureisreallyaterriblethingbutitisalsothemotherofsuccess.Ifonedrawslessonsfromfailures,inmostcaseshewillgetsuccessinthefuture.Furthermore,one'slifecanneverbesmoothsailing;itmustbefullofdifficuliesandsetbacks.Ifoneisdauntedbydifficuliesandfrustrations,hewillalwaysbeafailure.However,ifoneholdsapositiveattitudetowardfailure,hewillovercomedifficultiesandfrustrationstowinvictory.
Weoftenhearpeoplesay,“Nevergiveup.”Thesecanbeencouragingwordsandwordsofdetermination.Apersonwhobelievesinthemwillkeeptryingtoreachhisgoalnomatterhowmanytimeshefails.Inmyopinion,thequalityofdeterminationtosucceedisanimportantonetohave.Therefore,Ibelievethatweshouldnevergiveup.
Onereasonisthatifwegiveuptooeasily,wewillrarelyachieveanything.Itisnotunusualforustofailinourfirstattemptatsomethingnew,soweshouldnotfeeldiscouragedandshouldtryagain.Besides,ifwealwaysgiveupwhenwefail,wewillnotbeabletodevelopnewskillsandgrowaspeople.Anotherreasonweshouldnevergiveupisthatwecanlearnfromourmistakesonlyifwemakeaneweffort.Ifwedonottryagain,thelessonwehavelearnediswasted.Finally,weshouldnevergiveupbecauseasweworktoreachourgoals,wedevelopconfidence,andthisconfidencecanhelpussucceedinotherareasofourlives.Ifweneverchallengeourselves,wewillbegintodoubtourabilities.
Inshort,itisimportantthatwedonotgiveupwhenworkingforourgoals.Whetherwesucceedintheendornot,wewilllearnsomething,andwhatwelearnwillhelpustobecomebetter,moreconfidentpeople.Furthermore,ifwegiveup,wehavenonchanceofattainingourgoals,butifwekeeptrying,thereisalwaysachancethatwewillsucceedoneday.
Thankyou!