I went off to summer camp for the first time.

第一次要去參加夏令營

And my mother packed me a suitcase

媽媽幫我整理的行李箱

full of books,

裡面塞滿了書

which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do.

這對我來說是完全正常的事情

Because in my family,

因為在我的家庭中

reading was the primary group activity.

閱讀是主要的群體活動

And this might sound antisocial to you,

對你來說我們似乎顯得不愛社交

but for us it was really just a different way of being social.

但對於我們而言，這只是另一種社交方式罷了

You have the animal warmth of your family

你能享受到家人坐在身邊

sitting right next to you,

動物性的溫暖

but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland

也能自由自在地

inside your own mind.

在內心深處的冒險樂園中遨遊

And I had this idea

而我以為

that camp was going to be just like this, but better.

夏令營就應該像這樣子，而且是更好一些

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I had a vision of 10 girls sitting in a cabin

我的腦海浮現著10個女孩

cozily reading books in their matching nightgowns.

穿相似的睡衣，坐在小木屋裡愜意地讀書

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Camp was more like a keg party without any alcohol.

夏令營就像是一個沒有酒精飲料的派對聚會

And on the very first day

在入營的第一天

our counselor gathered us all together

營長把我們召集一起

and she taught us a cheer that she said we would be doing

她教了我們ㄧ個在暑假餘下的日子裡

every day for the rest of the summer

每天都會用到的口號

to instill camp spirit.

藉以凝聚營舎精神

And it went like this:

這句口號是這樣的：

"R-O-W-D-I-E,

"R-O-W-D-I-E (譯註:即 rowdy 作吵鬧解)

that's the way we spell rowdie.

我們是這樣拼 rowdie 的

Rowdie, rowdie, let's get rowdie."

嘰喳嘰喳嘰，盡情吵鬧吧。"

Yeah.

是的

So I couldn't figure out for the life of me

我完全不能理解

why we were supposed to be so rowdy,

為何要吵鬧

or why we had to spell this word incorrectly.

而且為何要錯誤地拼這個字

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But I recited a cheer. I recited a cheer along with everybody else.

不過我還是背誦了這口號，跟其他人一同呼叫

I did my best.

我盡力而為

And I just waited for the time

然後等待

that I could go off and read my books.

可以回房看書的時間

But the first time that I took my book out of my suitcase,

但當我終於可以把書拿出來的時候

the coolest girl in the bunk came up to me

營裡最酷的女孩走過來

and she asked me, "Why are you being so mellow?" --

問我，"你在裝甚麼老成啊？" --

mellow, of course, being the exact opposite

老成，剛好是

of R-O-W-D-I-E.

吵鬧 (R-O-W-D-I-E) 的相反詞

And then the second time I tried it,

然後第二次我再拿書出來時

the counselor came up to me with a concerned expression on her face

營長面露關心的走過來

and she repeated the point about camp spirit

重申了營隊精神

and said we should all work very hard

說我們都應該努力變得

to be outgoing.

活潑外向

And so I put my books away,

所以我把書收進

back in their suitcase,

我的行李箱裡

and I put them under my bed,

把它們放在床下

and there they stayed for the rest of the summer.

讓它整個夏天都待在那裡

And I felt kind of guilty about this.

然而我卻覺得有點愧疚

I felt as if the books needed me somehow,

總覺得這些書本需要我

and they were calling out to me and I was forsaking them.

他們不停呼喚著我

But I did forsake them and I didn't open that suitcase again

但我把它拋棄了而且再也沒有打開我的行李箱

until I was back home with my family

一直到夏天的尾巴

at the end of the summer.

我回家的那天

Now, I tell you this story about summer camp.

我說的這個夏令營的故事

I could have told you 50 others just like it --

事實上可以有五十個相同的版本--

all the times that I got the message

旁人傳遞來的訊息總是說

that somehow my quiet and introverted style of being

我的安靜內向

was not necessarily the right way to go,

不是一般人應該有的表現

that I should be trying to pass as more of an extrovert.

我應該更活潑外向一點

And I always sensed deep down that this was wrong

但我內心深處我知道

and that introverts were pretty excellent just as they were.

內向才是我真正自在的表現

But for years I denied this intuition,

但，多年來我試圖否定我的直覺

and so I became a Wall Street lawyer, of all things,

所以我成為華爾街的律師

instead of the writer that I had always longed to be --

而不是我一直想成為的作家--

partly because I needed to prove to myself

一部份原因是我想證明

that I could be bold and assertive too.

自己有行事果斷的能力

And I was always going off to crowded bars

我常去最熱門的酒吧

when I really would have preferred to just have a nice dinner with friends.

但其實我更想要與好友自在的享用晚餐

And I made these self-negating choices

我下意識的做這些

so reflexively,

背離我個性的選擇

that I wasn't even aware that I was making them.

而我竟已渾然不覺

Now this is what many introverts do,

其實很多內向的人都這麼做

and it's our loss for sure,

這不只是我們個人損失

but it is also our colleagues' loss

更是我們同僚

and our communities' loss.

與社會群眾的損失

And at the risk of sounding grandiose, it is the world's loss.

聽起來言重，但這也是對這個世界的損失

Because when it comes to creativity and to leadership,

因為創造力和領導力

we need introverts doing what they do best.

正需要這些內斂的人發揮他們的長才

A third to a half of the population are introverts --

有1/3至一半的人口是偏內向的--

a third to a half.

1/3近一半！

So that's one out of every two or three people you know.

也就是說每兩三個人中就有一個內向人口

So even if you're an extrovert yourself,

就算你本身是外向的

I'm talking about your coworkers

你的同事

and your spouses and your children

你的另一半和你的小孩

and the person sitting next to you right now --

還有你旁邊坐的那位--

all of them subject to this bias

都可能是受害者

that is pretty deep and real in our society.

這種觀念深植在我們社會中

We all internalize it from a very early age

我們在還不會說話時

without even having a language for what we're doing.

就已被這種思想內化了

Now to see the bias clearly

為了要更加明白這個偏見

you need to understand what introversion is.

我們必須瞭解什麼是內向

It's different from being shy.

內向不是害羞

Shyness is about fear of social judgment.

害羞是無法承受社會眼光

Introversion is more about,

內向比較像是

how do you respond to stimulation,

你對外在世界的反應

including social stimulation.

外向的人需要很多的刺激

So extroverts really crave large amounts of stimulation,

但內斂的人相反

whereas introverts feel at their most alive

他們對自身感受敏銳

and their most switched-on and their most capable

反而在不被注目時

when they're in quieter, more low-key environments.

最能發揮他們的能耐

Not all the time -- these things aren't absolute --

偶而會有例外

but a lot of the time.

但大多是如此

So the key then

所以關鍵在於

to maximizing our talents

去將各人的長才發揮至極致

is for us all to put ourselves

適才所長

in the zone of stimulation that is right for us.

各司其職

But now here's where the bias comes in.

但就因為社會的偏見

Our most important institutions,

我們最重要的機構

our schools and our workplaces,

學校及職場

they are designed mostly for extroverts

卻像是為外向者設計的

and for extroverts' need for lots of stimulation.

提供很多的刺激給每個人

And also we have this belief system right now

這樣的不成文社會慣例

that I call the new groupthink,

我稱之為新團體思考

which holds that all creativity and all productivity

把所有的想像力跟創造力

comes from a very oddly gregarious place.

綑在一個群聚的團體中

So if you picture the typical classroom nowadays:

所以，想像一個早期典型的教室：

When I was going to school,

我以前上學時

we sat in rows.

我們都排排坐在

We sat in rows of desks like this,

行列整齊的書桌前

and we did most of our work pretty autonomously.

各自做著我們的功課

But nowadays, your typical classroom

但現在，普遍的教室

has pods of desks --

都把桌椅和併成團--

four or five or six or seven kids all facing each other.

四，五，六，七個小朋友面對面

And kids are working in countless group assignments.

每個人都要參與團體作業

Even in subjects like math and creative writing,

甚至連算數或是創意寫作

which you think would depend on solo flights of thought,

這種可以獨自完成的作業

kids are now expected to act as committee members.

都要小朋友像委員會成員一樣參與討論

And for the kids who prefer

而那些想要獨自

to go off by themselves or just to work alone,

或獨立完成作業的孩子

those kids are seen as outliers often

被視為不和群的異類

or, worse, as problem cases.

甚至是問題孩童

And the vast majority of teachers reports believing

幾乎所有老師都認為

that the ideal student is an extrovert

好的學生應該是外向活潑的

as opposed to an introvert,

內向的孩子則正好相反

even though introverts actually get better grades

雖然內向的孩子成績較好

and are more knowledgeable,

甚至更博學多聞

according to research.

這是根據研究論文的喔

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Okay, same thing is true in our workplaces.

在職場上何嘗不是如此

Now, most of us work in open plan offices,

我們大多在開放的空間工作

without walls,

沒有隔閡

where we are subject

我們持續暴露於

to the constant noise and gaze of our coworkers.

嘈雜的聲音跟同事的目光下

And when it comes to leadership,

而關於領導能力

introverts are routinely passed over for leadership positions,

內向的人大多不被認為具有領導能力

even though introverts tend to be very careful,

就算他們行事更謹慎

much less likely to take outsize risks --

更不會為了出鋒頭冒不必要的險--

which is something we might all favor nowadays.

我們不都偏好這種人當領袖嗎？

And interesting research by Adam Grant at the Wharton School

Adam Grant研究發現

has found that introverted leaders

這些內向的領導者

often deliver better outcomes than extroverts do,

往往更能勝任領導職責

because when they are managing proactive employees,

因為他們善於管理不同人才

they're much more likely to let those employees run with their ideas,

讓有遠見的員工自由發揮

whereas an extrovert can, quite unwittingly,

反之外向的領導者，不經意的

get so excited about things

對事情反應過度

that they're putting their own stamp on things,

他們的見解較為主觀

and other people's ideas might not as easily then

這使很多員工的創新想法

bubble up to the surface.

沒有機會被採用

Now in fact, some of our transformative leaders in history have been introverts.

事實上，很多有改革力的偉大領袖是些內向的人

I'll give you some examples.

羅斯福、蘿莎帕克斯、甘地

Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi --

這些人對自我的描述都是

all these peopled described themselves

內向，文靜，說話溫柔

as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy.

甚至是害羞的人

And they all took the spotlight,

他們矗立在鎂光燈下

even though every bone in their bodies

不是因為他們天生愛指揮

was telling them not to.

也不是想要萬眾矚目

And this turns out to have a special power all its own,

他們成為領袖是因為一種使命感

because people could feel that these leaders were at the helm,

因為他們深知這是必須要做的

not because they enjoyed directing others

而人們可以明白感受到

and not out of the pleasure of being looked at;

他們當領袖不是因為好大喜功

they were there because they had no choice,

而是責任感

because they were driven to do what they thought was right.

驅使他們做認為對的事情

Now I think at this point it's important for me to say

現在我必須申明

that I actually love extroverts.

我其實非常喜歡外向的人

I always like to say some of my best friends are extroverts,

我很多知心友人都是外向者

including my beloved husband.

我心愛的丈夫也是

And we all fall at different points, of course,

內向外向就像個光譜

along the introvert/extrovert spectrum.

而我們坐落在不同程度的兩端

Even Carl Jung, the psychologist who first popularized these terms, said

心理學大師榮格如是說

that there's no such thing as a pure introvert

事上沒有絕對的內向

or a pure extrovert.

或是外向的人

He said that such a man would be in a lunatic asylum,

即使真有這樣的人存在

if he existed at all.

他就會被關進精神病院

And some people fall smack in the middle

在這道內向外向的光譜上

of the introvert/extrovert spectrum,

有的人剛好坐落在中間

and we call these people ambiverts.

我們稱之為中間性格

And I often think that they have the best of all worlds.

我認為他們是最值得稱讚的

But many of us do recognize ourselves as one type or the other.

但大多數的我們都自認不是外向就是內向

And what I'm saying is that culturally we need a much better balance.

我想表達的是，我們的社會文化需要平衡

We need more of a yin and yang

需要內向外向

between these two types.

陰與陽的調和

This is especially important

這點在創造力與生產力的表現上

when it comes to creativity and to productivity,

尤其重要

because when psychologists look

因為根據心理學家的觀察

at the lives of the most creative people,

最有創意的一群人

what they find

不只擅長於

are people who are very good at exchanging ideas

交換意見，溝通

and advancing ideas,

與創新

but who also have a serious streak of introversion in them.

更存有內向的特質

And this is because solitude is a crucial ingredient often

偶發的孤獨感

to creativity.

是創造力的關鍵

So Darwin,

所以，達爾文

he took long walks alone in the woods

會獨自在樹林間漫步

and emphatically turned down dinner party invitations.

且斷然的拒絕晚餐宴會的邀約

Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss,

Theodor Geisel，也就是「蘇斯博士」

he dreamed up many of his amazing creations

是在他加州拉荷亞的老家

in a lonely bell tower office that he had

一個寂寞鐘塔裡的書房

in the back of his house in La Jolla, California.

創造出許多舉世聞名的童話書

And he was actually afraid to meet

而他其實非常害怕

the young children who read his books

跟他的小讀者們見面

for fear that they were expecting him

因為他怕小朋友們

this kind of jolly Santa Claus-like figure

看到他會期待落空

and would be disappointed with his more reserved persona.

因為他不像聖誕老人那樣親和有趣

Steve Wozniak invented the first Apple computer

Steve Wozniak 在惠普公司

sitting alone in his cubical

的一個小辦公室裡

in Hewlett-Packard where he was working at the time.

發明了世上第一台蘋果電腦

And he says that he never would have become such an expert in the first place

他說他以前年輕時，如果不是

had he not been too introverted to leave the house

因為太過內向而都宅在家裡

when he was growing up.

他不可能可以成為了不起的工程師

Now of course,

當然

this does not mean that we should all stop collaborating --

這絕非告訴大家我們從此不要再合作了--

and case in point, is Steve Wozniak famously coming together with Steve Jobs

好比 Steve Wozniak 和賈伯斯

to start Apple Computer --

兩人同心協力才能創辦蘋果公司--

but it does mean that solitude matters

但，獨立自主是非常重要的

and that for some people

對一些人來說

it is the air that they breathe.

這就是他們生活的方式

And in fact, we have known for centuries

事實上，幾世紀以來

about the transcendent power of solitude.

我們都知道獨處所帶來的推動力

It's only recently that we've strangely begun to forget it.

但直到近期我們不知怎麼遺忘了

If you look at most of the world's major religions,

世界上那些偉大的宗教領袖

you will find seekers --

你會發現這些人--

Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad --

摩西，耶稣，佛祖，穆罕默德 --

seekers who are going off by themselves

他們都遠離塵囂

alone to the wilderness

獨自走進曠野

where they then have profound epiphanies and revelations

他們而後尋得啟示與頓悟

that they then bring back to the rest of the community.

再把所得貢獻回他們的社會