TED英语演讲稿：二十几岁不可挥霍的光阴
wheniwasinmy20s,isawmyveryfirstpsychotherapyclient.iw asaph.d.studentinclinicalpsychologyatberkeley.shewasa 26-year-
oldwomannamedalex.nowalexwalkedintoherfirstsessionwea ringjeansandabigslouchytop,andshedroppedontothecouchi nmyofficeandkickedoffherflatsandtoldmeshewastheretota lkaboutguyproblems.nowwheniheardthis,iwassorelieved.m yclassmategotanarsonistforherfirstclient.(laughter)an digotatwentysomethingwhowantedtotalkaboutboys.thisith oughticouldhandle.
butididn’thandleit.withthefunnystoriesthatalexwouldb ringtosession,itwaseasyformejusttonodmyheadwhilewekic kedthecandowntheroad.”thirty’sthenew20,”alexwoulds ay,andasfarasicouldtell,shewasright.workhappenedlater ,marriagehappenedlater,kidshappenedlater,evendeathhap penedlater.twentysomethingslikealexandihadnothingbutt ime.
butbeforelong,mysupervisorpushedmetopushalexaboutherl ovelife.ipushedback.
isaid,”sure,she’sdatingdown,she’ssleepingwithaknuc klehead,butit’snotlikeshe’sgoingtomarrytheguy.”
andthenmysupervisorsaid,”notyet,butshemightmarrythen extone.besides,thebesttimetoworkonalex’smarriageisbe foreshehasone.”
that’swhatpsychologistscallan”aha!”moment.thatwast hemomentirealized,30isnotthenew20.yes,peoplesettledow nlaterthantheyusedto,butthatdidn’tmakealex’s20sadev elopmentaldowntime.thatmadealex’s20sadevelopmentalsw eetspot,andweweresittingthereblowingit.thatwaswhenire alizedthatthissortofbenignneglectwasarealproblem,andi thadrealconsequences,notjustforalexandherlovelifebutf orthecareersandthefamiliesandthefuturesoftwentysometh ingseverywhere.
thereare50milliontwentysomethingsintheunitedstatesrig htnow.we’retalkingabout15percentofthepopulation,or10 0percentifyouconsiderthatnoone’sgettingthroughadulth oodwithoutgoingthroughtheir20sfirst.
raiseyourhandifyou’reinyour20s.ireallywanttoseesomet wentysomethingshere.oh,yay!y’all’sawesome.ifyouwork withtwentysomethings,youloveatwentysomething,you’rel osingsleepovertwentysomethings,iwanttosee—
okay.awesome,twentysomethingsreallymatter.
soispecializeintwentysomethingsbecauseibelievethateve rysingleoneofthose50milliontwentysomethingsdeservesto knowwhatpsychologists,sociologists,neurologistsandfer tilityspecialistsalreadyknow:thatclaimingyour20sisone ofthesimplest,yetmosttransformative,thingsyoucandofor work,forlove,foryourhappiness,maybeevenfortheworld.
thisisnotmyopinion.thesearethefacts.weknowthat80perce ntoflife’smostdefiningmomentstakeplacebyage35.thatme
ansthateightoutof10ofthedecisionsandexperiencesand”a ha!”momentsthatmakeyourlifewhatitiswillhavehappenedb yyourmid-
30s.peoplewhoareover40,don’tpanic.thiscrowdisgoingto befine,ithink.weknowthatthefirst10yearsofacareerhasan exponentialimpactonhowmuchmoneyyou’regoingtoearn.wek nowthatmorethanhalfofamericansaremarriedorarelivingwi thordatingtheirfuturepartnerby30.weknowthatthebrainca psoffitssecondandlastgrowthspurtinyour20sasitrewiresi tselfforadulthood,whichmeansthatwhateveritisyouwantto changeaboutyourself,nowisthetimetochangeit.weknowthat personalitychangesmoreduringyour20sthanatanyothertime inlife,andweknowthatfemalefertilitypeaksatage28,andth ingsgettrickyafterage35.soyour20sarethetimetoeducatey ourselfaboutyourbodyandyouroptions.
sowhenwethinkaboutchilddevelopment,weallknowthatthefi rstfiveyearsareacriticalperiodforlanguageandattachmen tinthebrain.it’satimewhenyourordinary,day-to-daylifehasaninordinateimpactonwhoyouwillbecome.butwha twehearlessaboutisthatthere’ssuchathingasadultdevelo pment,andour20sarethatcriticalperiodofadultdevelopmen t.
butthisisn’twhattwentysomethingsarehearing.newspaper stalkaboutthechangingtimetableofadulthood.researchers callthe20sanextendedadolescence.journalistscoinsillyn icknamesfortwentysomethingslike”twixters”and”kidul ts.”it’strue.asaculture,wehavetrivializedwhatisactu allythedefiningdecadeofadulthood.
