TED-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids

Now,Iwanttostartwithaquestion:Whenwasthelasttimeyouwerecalledchildish?Forkidslikeme,beingcalledchildishcanbeafrequentoccurrence.Everytimewemakeirrationaldemands,exhibitirresponsiblebehaviorordisplayanyothersignsofbeingnormalAmericancitizens,wearecalledchildish.Whichreallybothersme.Afterall,takealookattheseevents:Imperialismandcolonization,worldwars,GeorgeW.Bush.Askyourself,who'sresponsible?Adults.Now,whathavekidsdone?Well,AnneFranktouchedmillionswithherpowerfulaccountoftheHolocaust,RubyBridgeshelpedtoendsegregationintheUnitedStates,and,mostrecently,CharlieSimpsonhelpedtoraise120,000poundsforHaitionhislittlebike.So,asyoucanseeevidencedbysuchexamples,agehasabsolutelynothingtodowithit.Thetraitsthewordchildishaddressesareseensoofteninadultsthatweshouldabolishthisage-discriminatorywordwhenitcomestocriticizingbehaviorassociatedwithirresponsibilityandirrationalthinking.(Applause)Thankyou.Thenagain,who'stosaythatcertaintypesofirrationalthinkingaren'texactlywhattheworldneeds?Maybeyou'vehadgrandplansbeforebutstoppedyourself,thinking,That'simpossible,or,Thatcoststoomuch,or,Thatwon'tbenefitme.Forbetterorworse,wekidsaren'thamperedasmuchwhenitcomestothinkingaboutreasonswhynottodothings.Kidscanbefullofinspiringaspirationsandhopefulthinking.Likemywishthatnoonewenthungryorthateverythingwereafreekindofutopia.Howmanyofyoustilldreamlikethatandbelieveinthepossibilities?Sometimesaknowledgeofhistoryandthepastfailuresofutopianidealscanbeaburdenbecauseyouknowthatifeverythingwerefree,thenthefoodstockswouldbecomedepletedandscarceandleadtochaos.Ontheotherhand,wekidsstilldreamaboutperfection.Andthat'sagoodthingbecauseinordertomakeanythingareality,youhavetodreamaboutitfirst.Inmanyways,ouraudacitytoimaginehelpspushtheboundariesofpossibility.Forinstance,theMuseumofGlassinTacoma,Washington,myhomestate--yoohooWashington!(Applause)--hasaprogramcalledKidsDesignGlass,andkidsdrawtheirownideasforglassart.Now,theresidentartistsaidtheygotsomeoftheirbestideasthroughtheprogrambecausekidsdon'tthinkaboutthelimitationsofhowharditcanbetoblowglassintocertainshapes;theyjustthinkofgoodideas.Now,whenyouthinkofglass,youmightthinkofcolorfulChihulydesignsormaybeItalianvases,butkidschallengeglassartiststogobeyondthatintotherealmofbroken-heartedsnakesandbaconboys,whoyoucanseehasmeatvision.(Laughter)Now,ourinherentwisdomdoesn'thavetobeinsider'sknowledge.Kidsalreadydoalotoflearningfromadults,andwehavealottoshare.Ithinkthatadultsshouldstartlearningfromkids.Now,Idomostofmyspeakinginfrontofaneducationcrowd,teachersandstudents,andIlikethisanalogy:Itshouldn'tjustbeateacherattheheadoftheclassroomtellingstudents,Dothis,dothat.Thestudentsshouldteachtheirteachers.Learningbetweengrownupsandkidsshouldbereciprocal.Thereality,unfortunately,isalittledifferent,andithasalottodowithtrust,oralackofit.Now,ifyoudon'ttrustsomeone,youplacerestrictionsonthem,right?IfIdoubtmyoldersister'sabilitytopaybackthe10percentinterestIestablishedonherlastloan,I'mgoingtowithholdherabilitytogetmoremoneyfrommeuntilshepaysitback.(Laughter)Truestory,bytheway.Now,adultsseemtohaveaprevalentlyrestrictiveattitudetowardskidsfromeverydon'tdothat,don'tdothisintheschoolhandbooktorestrictionsonschoolInternetuse.Ashistorypointsout,regimesbecomeoppressivewhenthey'refearfulaboutkeepingcontrol.Andalthoughadultsmaynotbequiteattheleveloftotalitarianregimes,kidshaveno,orverylittlesayinmakingtherules,whenreallytheattitudeshouldbereciprocal,meaningthattheadultpopulationshouldlearnandtakeintoaccountthewishesoftheyoungerpopulation.Now,what'sevenworsethanrestrictionisthatadultsoftenunderestimatekidsabilities.Welovechallenges,butwhenexpectationsarelow,trustme,wewillsinktothem.Myownparentshadanythingbutlowexpectationsformeandmysister.Okay,sotheydidn'ttellustobecomedoctorsorlawyersoranythinglikethat,butmydaddidreadtousaboutAristotleandpioneergermfighterswhenlotsofotherkidswerehearingTheWheelsontheBusGoRoundandRound.Well,weheardthatonetoo,butPioneerGermFighterstotallyrules.(Laughter)Ilovedtowritefromtheageoffour,andwhenIwassixmymomboughtmemyownlaptopequippedwithMicrosoftWord.ThankyouBillGatesandthankyouMa.Iwroteover300shortstoriesonthatlittlelaptop,andIwantedtogetpublished.Insteadofjustscoffingatthisheresythatakidwantedtogetpublishedorsayingwaituntilyou'reolder,myparentswerereallysupportive.Manypublisherswerenotquitesoencouraging,onelargechildren'spublisherironicallysayingthattheydidn'tworkwithchildren--children'spublishernotworkingwithchildren?Idon'tknow,you'rekindofalienatingalargeclientthere.(Laughter)Now,onepublisher,ActionPublishing,waswillingtotakethatleapandtrustmeandtolistentowhatIhadtosay.Theypublishedmyfirstbook,FlyingFingers,--youseeithere--andfromthereon,it'sgonetospeakingathundredsofschools,keynotingtothousandsofeducatorsandfinally,today,speakingtoyou.Iappreciateyourattentiontoday,becausetoshowthatyoutrulycare,youlisten.Butthere'saproblemwiththisrosypictureofkidsbeingsomuchbetterthanadults.Kidsgrowupandbecomeadultsjustlikeyou.(Laughter)Orjustlikeyou?Really?Thegoalisnottoturnkidsintoyourkindofadult,butratherbetterad