So,I'llstartwiththis:acoupleyearsago,aneventplannercalledmebecauseIwasgoingtodoaspeakingevent.Andshecalled,andshesaid,I'mreallystrugglingwithhowtowriteaboutyouonthelittleflyer.AndIthought,Well,what'sthestruggle?Andshesaid,Well,Isawyouspeak,andI'mgoingtocallyouaresearcher,Ithink,butI'mafraidifIcallyouaresearcher,noonewillcome,becausethey'llthinkyou'reboringandirrelevant.(Laughter)AndIwaslike,Okay.Andshesaid,ButthethingIlikedaboutyourtalkisyou'reastoryteller.SoIthinkwhatI'lldoisjustcallyouastoryteller.Andofcourse,theacademic,insecurepartofmewaslike,You'regoingtocallmeawhat?Andshesaid,I'mgoingtocallyouastoryteller.AndIwaslike,Whynotmagicpixie?(Laughter)Iwaslike,Letmethinkaboutthisforasecond.Itriedtocalldeeponmycourage.AndIthought,youknow,Iamastoryteller.I'maqualitativeresearcher.Icollectstories;that'swhatIdo.Andmaybestoriesarejustdatawithasoul.AndmaybeI'mjustastoryteller.AndsoIsaid,Youknowwhat?Whydon'tyoujustsayI'maresearcher-storyteller.Andshewent,Haha.There'snosuchthing.(Laughter)SoI'maresearcher-storyteller,andI'mgoingtotalktoyoutoday--we'retalkingaboutexpandingperception--andsoIwanttotalktoyouandtellsomestoriesaboutapieceofmyresearchthatfundamentallyexpandedmyperceptionandreallyactuallychangedthewaythatIliveandloveandworkandparent.那我就这么开始吧:几年前,一个活动策划人打电话给我,因为我当时要做一个演讲。她在电话里说:“我真很苦恼该如何在宣传单上介绍你。”我心想,怎么会苦恼呢?她继续道:“你看,我听过你的演讲,我觉得我可以称你为研究者,可我担心的是,如果我这么称呼你,没人会来听,因为大家普遍认为研究员很无趣而且脱离现实。”(笑声)好。然后她说:“但是我喜欢你的演讲,就跟讲故事一样很吸引人。我想来想去,还是觉得称你为讲故事的人比较妥当。”而那个做学术的,感到不安的我脱口而出道:“你要叫我什么?”她说:“我要称你为讲故事的人。我心想:”为什么不干脆叫魔法小精灵?“(笑声)我说:”让我考虑一下。“我试着鼓起勇气。我对自己说,我是一个讲故事的人。我是一个从事定性研究的科研人员。我收集故事;这就是我的工作。或许故事就是有灵魂的数据。或许我就是一个讲故事的人。于是我说:”听着,要不你就称我为做研究兼讲故事的人。“她说:”哈哈,没这么个说法呀。“(笑声)所以我是个做研究兼讲故事的人,我今天想跟大家谈论的--我们要谈论的话题是关于拓展认知--我想给你们讲几个故事是关于我的一份研究的,这份研究从本质上拓宽了我个人的认知,也确确实实改变了我生活、爱、工作还有教育孩子的方式。Andthisiswheremystorystarts.WhenIwasayoungresearcher,doctoralstudent,myfirstyearIhadaresearchprofessorwhosaidtous,Here'sthething,ifyoucannotmeasureit,itdoesnotexist.AndIthoughthewasjustsweet-talkingme.Iwaslike,Really?andhewaslike,Absolutely.AndsoyouhavetounderstandthatIhaveabachelor'sinsocialwork,amaster'sinsocialwork,andIwasgettingmyPh.D.insocialwork,somyentireacademiccareerwassurroundedbypeoplewhokindofbelievedinthelife'smessy,loveit.AndI'mmoreofthe,life'smessy,cleanitup,organizeitandputitintoabentobox.(Laughter)AndsotothinkthatIhadfoundmyway,tofoundacareerthattakesme--really,oneofthebigsayingsinsocialworkis,Leanintothediscomfortofthework.AndI'mlike,knockdiscomfortupsidetheheadandmoveitoverandgetallA's.Thatwasmymantra.SoIwasveryexcitedaboutthis.AndsoIthought,youknowwhat,thisisthecareerforme,becauseIaminterestedinsomemessytopics.ButIwanttobeabletomakethemnotmessy.Iwanttounderstandthem.IwanttohackintothesethingsIknowareimportantandlaythecodeoutforeveryonetosee.我的故事从这里开始。当我还是个年轻的博士研究生的时候,第一年,有位研究教授对我们说:”事实是这样的,如果有一个东西你无法测量,那么它就不存在。“我心想他只是在哄哄我们这些小孩子吧。我说:“真的么?”他说:“当然。”你得知道我有一个社会工作的学士文凭,一个社会工作的硕士文凭,我在读的是一个社会工作的博士文凭,所以我整个学术生涯都被人所包围,他们大抵相信生活是一团乱麻,接受它。而我的观点则倾向于,生活是一团乱麻,解开它,把它整理好,再归类放入便当盒里。(笑声)我觉得我领悟到了关键,有能力去创一番事业,让自己--真的,社会工作的一个重要理念是置身于工作的不适中。我就是要把这不适翻个底朝天每科都拿到A。这就是我当时的信条。我当时真的是跃跃欲试。我想这就是我要的职业生涯,因为我对乱成一团,难以处理的课题感兴趣。我想要把它们弄清楚。我想要理解它们。我想侵入那些我知道是重要的东西把它们摸透,然后用浅显易懂的方式呈献给每一个人。SowhereIstartedwaswithconnection.Because,bythetimeyou'reasocialworkerfor10years,whatyourealizeisthatconnectioniswhywe'rehere.It'swhatgivespurposeandmeaningtoourlives.Thisiswhatit'sallabout.Itdoesn'tmatterwhetheryoutalktopeoplewhoworkinsocialjustice,mentalhealthandabuseandneglect,whatweknowisthatconnection,theabilitytofeelconnected,is--neurobiologicallythat'showwe'rewired--it'swhywe'rehere.SoIthought,youknowwhat,I'mgoingtostartwithconnection.Well,youknowthatsituationwhereyougetanevaluationfromyourboss,andshetellsyou37thingsyoudoreallyawesome,andoneopportunityforgrowth?(Laughter)Andallyoucanthinkaboutisthatopportunityforgrowth,right?Well,apparentlythisisthewaymyworkwentaswell,because,whenyouaskpeopleaboutlove,theytellyouaboutheartbreak.Whenyouaskpeopleaboutbelonging,they'lltellyoutheirmostexcruciatingexperiencesofbeingexcluded.Andwhenyouaskpeopleaboutconnection,thestoriestheytoldmewereaboutdisconnection.所以我的起点是“关系”。因为当你从事了10年的社会工作,你必然会发现关系是我们活着的原因。它赋予了我们生命的意义。就是这么简单。无论你跟谁交流工作在社会执法领域的也好,负责精神健康、虐待和疏于看管领域的也好我们所知道的是,关系是种感应的能力--生物神经上,我们是这么被设定的--这就是为什么我们在这儿。所以我就从关系开始。下面这个场景我们再熟悉不过了,你的上司给你作工作评估,她告诉了你37点你做得相当棒的地方,还有一点--成长的空间?(笑声)然后你满脑子都想着那一点成长的空间,不是么。这也是我研究的一个方面,因为当你跟人们谈论爱情,他们告诉你的是一件让他们心碎的事。当你跟人们谈论归属感,他们告诉你的是最让他们痛心的被排斥的经历。当你跟人们谈论关系,他们跟我讲的是如何被断绝关系的故事。Soveryquickly--reallyaboutsixweeksintothisresearch--IranintothisunnamedthingthatabsolutelyunraveledconnectioninawaythatIdidn'tunderstandorhadneverseen.AndsoIpulledbackoutoftheresearchandthought,Ineedtofigureoutwhatthisis.Anditturnedouttobeshame.Andshameisreallyeasilyunderstoodasthefearofdisconnection:Istheresomethingaboutmethat,ifotherpeopleknowitorseeit,thatIwon'tbeworthyofconnection?ThethingsIcantellyouaboutit:it'suniversal;weallhaveit.Theonlypeoplewhodon'texperienceshamehavenocapacityforhumanempathyorconnection.Noonewantstotalkaboutit,andthelessyoutalkaboutitthemoreyouh