This is one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

這是我拉爾夫．沃爾多．愛默生的名言中，我最喜歡的其中一句。

When we first start school, we are told to sit down and shut up.

第一次進到學校時，我們被要求坐下並乖乖聽課。

We are told not to run, don't misbehave, and we are told to fit in.

老師叫我們不要奔跑、不要調皮搗蛋，並且要合群。

We are essentially told to not express ourselves in any way shape or form.

學生基本上被教導成不能用任何形式表達自我。

If you have a little bit more energy than the average person, like I did, we are rewarded with detention, or even worse, we are assigned four little letters that will define us for the rest of our academic life, which are: A-D-H-D

如果你比其他人還有活力的話，像我一樣，就會得到留校察看這種「獎勵」，甚至更糟，還會被貼上定義我們往後學術生涯的四個字母，那就是：注意力不足過動症 (註解：Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)。

Let's say we survive the education system, and we are now out in the real world.

假設我們已經脫離現行教育系統，現在身處在真實世界中。

You are now a working man, and you need to wear a suit, a tie, black pants, done-up hair, nice shoes, nice watch, and if you come into work one day, looking even a little bit off, you might get called into the office and you'll be asked, "Is everything okay?"

現在你是位勞工，你必須穿西裝、打領帶、穿黑色長褲、整理髮型、穿一雙好鞋、戴好看的錶，如果你有一天進到公司服裝有點不合格的話，可能就被叫到辦公室問：「你還好嗎？」

"We have an image that we have to maintain, and we can't have you looking like the way you are."

「我們需要維持公司形象，所以不能讓你想穿什麼就穿什麼。」

If you are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or even e-mail, the communication with people is instant and abundant.

臉書、推特、Instagram、Pinterest，甚至是電子郵件，使用這些程式的人際交流是迅速及廣大的。

If you ever have wanted to put yourself out there in a creative way, like a YouTube video, or even a Facebook post to be transparent with someone else, you'll either be loved or immediately attacked by the masses.

如果你想用創意的方式展現自己，像是拍 YouTube 影片或是發臉書貼文，都會讓你暴露在他人眼裡，要不大家喜歡你的內容，或是馬上被眾多人攻擊。

Both are demons that will destroy your art.

兩種都是摧毀創作的惡魔。

How can you be genuine when you are instantly attacked, or loved, for putting your unique self out there.

在顯露自己獨特的一面、被攻擊或是喜愛時，該怎麼保持真實。

Because of this, it is difficult to produce anything that is truly yours.

因為這一點，人很難創造出，真正屬於自己的東西。

It's always tainted with, how can I continue to produce work without getting addicted to these loving feelings, from the people who love me.

創作時常常會被干擾，我創作時該怎麼避免繼續討好那些喜歡我的人。

Or how can I manipulate my next piece of art, or Instagram picture, to satisfy those who previously attacked me?

或是，我的作品或是 Instagram 貼文，要怎樣才能滿足那些先前攻擊我的人?

This is my advice on how to deal with this.

以下是我的建議。

If you want to ignore everyone, we need to take advice from our neighborhood bird.

如果你不想被他人影響，需要效仿你家附近的鳥。

Yes, that's right, a bird.

是的，沒錯，就是隻鳥。

I'll give you an example.

我舉個例子說明。

It's six in the morning, and there is a bird outside.

假設現在是早上 6 點，外面有隻鳥。

He is chirping.

牠在啁啾叫。

A man walks by and hears the bird.

有位男子經過、聽到鳥叫聲。

And he thinks to himself, "Wow, this is the most beautiful sounding bird that I have ever heard."

他心想：「哇，這是我這輩子聽過最美妙的鳥鳴了」

And the man adores the bird.

男子非常喜愛這隻鳥。

But the bird is not really impacted by this.

但鳥並沒有被他的想法所影響。

The bird is just doing what he does everyday, which is simply chirping in the morning.

這隻鳥只是在過自己的日常而已，在早上啁啾叫。

Now let's imagine there is a man who is trying to sleep in the building right next to the bird.

現在，想像有一個人在這隻鳥旁邊的大樓裡，試著睡個好覺。

And this man gets woken up by the chirping.

這個人卻被鳥鳴吵醒。

This man is so mad.

他很生氣。

He is trying to sleep for the first time in weeks, and the stupid bird is not letting it happen.

因為他好幾週都沒睡個好覺了，這隻討厭的鳥卻干擾他睡覺。

This man genuinely hates the bird.

他恨透這隻鳥了。

But, the bird is not affected by this.

但，鳥也沒有被他的話影響。

The bird is simply doing what he does best, and he keeps chirping away.

這隻鳥只是在做他最擅長的事，牠仍然啁啾不停地叫。

Unaffected by the hate or the love.

鳥不受他人愛或恨的影響。

The point is, the bird is just doing him.

重點是，牠做自己。

He does not care about the love, or the hate, or the envy, he is just doing what he does best.

這隻鳥不在乎他人的愛、恨，或忌妒影響，牠就只是在做自己而已。

I invite you to take this concept into your own life.

我希望你也可以把這個概念帶到生活中。

Do what you do best, ignore the love and the hate.

做你自己，不被他人的愛或恨影響。

But accept the constructive criticism.

但要接受建設性的批評。

But more importantly, just be you.

最重要的事，做自己就好。

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