TED演讲之-Twentysomething-20岁的事

Twentysomethings----MegJayWhenIwasinmy20s,Isawmyveryfirstpsychotherapyclient.IwasaPh.D.studentinclinicalpsychologyatBerkeley.Shewasa26-year-old-womannamedAlex.NowAlexwalkedintoherfirstsessionwearingjeansandabigslouchytop,andshedroppedontothecouchinmyofficeandkickedoffherflatsandtoldmeshewastheretotalkaboutguyproblems.NowwhenIheardthis,Iwassorelieved.Myclassmategotanarsonistforherfirstclient.AndIgotatwentysomethingwhowantedtotalkaboutboys.ThisIthoughtIcouldhandle.ButIdidn’thandleit.WiththefunnystoriesthatAlexwouldbringtosession,itwaseasyformejusttonodmyheadwhilewekickedthecandowntheroad.“Thirty’sthenew20,”Alexwouldsay,andasfarasIcouldtell,shewasright.Workhappenedlater,marriagehappenedlater,kidshappenedlater,evendeathhappenedlater.TwentysomethingslikeAlexandIhadnothingbuttime.Butbeforelong,mysupervisorpushedmetopushAlexaboutherlovelife.Ipushedback.Isaid,“Sure,she’sdatingdown,she’ssleepingwithaknucklehead,butit’snotlikeshe’sgoingtomarrytheguy.”Andthenmysupervisorsaid,“Notyet,butshemightmarrythenextone.”Besides,thebesttimetoworkonAlex’smarriageisbeforeshehasone.”That’swhatpsychologistscallan“Aha!”moment.ThatwasthemomentIrealized,30isnotthenew20.Yes,peoplesettledownlaterthantheyusedto,butthatdidn’tmakeAlex’s20sadevelopmentaldowntime.ThatmadeAlex’s20sadevelopmentalsweetspot,andweweresittingthereblowingit.ThatwaswhenIrealizedthatthissortofbenignneglectwasarealproblem,andithadrealconsequences,notjustforAlexandherlovelifebutforthecareersandthefamiliesandthefuturesoftwentysomethingseverywhere.Thereare50milliontwentysomethingsintheUnitedStatesrightnow.we’retalkingabout15percentofthepopulation,or100percentifyouconsiderthatnoone’sgettingthroughadulthoodwithoutgoingthroughtheir20sfirst.Raiseyourhandifyou’reinyour20s.Ireallywanttoseesometwentysomethinghere.Oh,yay!Y’all’sawesome.Ifyouworkwithtwentysomethings,youloveatwentysomething,you’relosingsleepovertwentysomethings,Iwanttosee-Okay.Awesome,twentysomethingsreallymatter.SoIspecializeintwentysomethingsbecauseIbelievethateverysingleoneofthose50milliontwentysomethingsdeservestoknowwhatpsychologists,sociologistsneurologistsandfertilityspecialistsalreadyknow:thatclaimingyour20sisoneofthesimplest,yetmosttransformative,thingsyoucandoforwork,forlove,foryourhappiness,maybeevenfortheworld.Thisisnotmyopinion.Thesearethefacts.Weknowthat80percentoflife’smostdefiningmomentstakeplacebyage35.Thatmeansthateightoutof10ofthedecisionsandexperiencesand“Aha!”momentsthatmakeyourlifewhatitiswillhavehappenedbyyourmid-30s.peoplewhoareover40,don’tpanic.Thiscrowdisgoingtobefine,Ithink.Weknowthatthefirst10yearsofacareerhasanexponentialimpactonhowmuchmoneyyou’regoingtoearn.WeknowthatmorethanhalfofAmericansaremarriesorarelivingwithordatingtheirfuturepartnerby30.Weknowthatthebraincapsoffitssecondandlastgrowthspurtinyour20sasitrewiresitselfforadulthood,whichmeansthatwhateveritisyouwanttochangeaboutyourself,nowisthetimetochangeit.Weknowthatpersonalitychangesmoreduringyour20sthanatanyothertimeinlife,andweknowthatfemalefertilitypeaksatage28,andthingsgettrickyafterage35.Soyour20sarethetimetoeducateyourselfaboutyourbodyandyouroptions.Sowhenwethinkaboutchilddevelopment,weallknowthatthefirstfiveyearsareacriticalperiodforlanguageandattachmentinthebrain.It’satimewhenyourordinary,day-to-daylifehasaninordinateimpactonwhoyouwillbecome.Butwhatwehearlessaboutisthatthere’ssuchathingasadultdevelopment,andour20sarethatcriticalperiodofadultdevelopment.Butthisisn’twhattwentysomethingsarehearing.Newspaperstalkaboutthechangingtimetableofadulthood.Researcherscallthe20sanextendedadolescence.Journalistscoinsillynicknamesfortwentysomethingslike“twixters”and“kidults”.It’strue.Asaculture,wehavetrivializedwhatisactuallythedefiningdecadeofadulthood.LeonardBernsteinsaidthattoachievegreatthings,youneedaplanandnotquiteenoughtime.Isn’tthattrue?Sowhatdoyouthinkhappenswhenyoupatatwentysomethingontheheadandyousay,“Youhave10extrayearstostartyourlife”?Nothinghappens.Youhaverobbedthatpersonofhisurgencyandambition,andabsolutelynothinghappens.Andtheneveryday,smart,interestingtwentysomethingslikeyouorlikeyoursonsanddaughterscomeintomyofficeandsaythingslikethis:“Iknowmyboyfriend’snogoodforme,butthisrelationshipdoesn’tcount.I’mjustkillingtime.”Ortheysay,“EverybodysaysaslongasIgetstartedonacareerbythetimeI’m30,I’llbefine.”Butthenitstartstosoundlikethis:“My20sarealmostover,andIhavenothingtoshowformyself.IhadabetterresumethedayafterIgraduatedfromcollege.”Andthenitstartstosoundlikethis:“Datinginmy20swaslikemusicalchairs.Everybodywasrunningaroundandhavingfun,butthensometimearound30itwaslikethemusicturnedoffandeverybodystartedsittingdown.Ididn’twanttobetheonlyoneleftstandingup,sosometimesIthinkImarriedmyhusbandbecausehewastheclosestchairtomeat30.”Wherearethetwentysomethingshere?Donotdothat.Okay,nowthatsoundsalittleflip,butmakenomistake,thestakesareveryhigh.Whenalothasbeenpushedtoyour30s,thereisenormousthirtysomethingpressuretojunp-startacareer,pickacity,partnerup,andhavetwoorthreekidsinamuchshorterperiodoftime.Manyofthesethingsareincompatible,andasresea