I spend a lot of time teaching adults how to use visual language and doodling in the workplace.

我花很多時間在教導成人如何使用視覺語言還有在工作的地方塗鴉。

And naturally, I encounter a lot of resistance, because it's considered to be anti-intellectual and counter to serious learning.

所以，很自然的我遇到很多反對的聲音，因為塗鴉被認為是一種不智慧的表現且對於正經的學習有反效果。

But I have a problem with that belief, because I know that doodling has a profound impact on the way that we can process information and the way that we can solve problems.

但是我認為那種想法是錯誤的，因為我知道塗鴉可以對我們的資訊處理方式還有解決問題的方式，有著重大的影響。

So I was curious about why there was a disconnect between the way that our society perceives doodling and the way that the reality is.

所以我很好奇為什麼，社會對塗鴉的認知，與現實有著差異。

So I discovered some very interesting things.

我找到了些有趣的事情。

For example, there's no such thing as a flattering definition of a doodle.

舉例來說：塗鴉這個字沒有個正向的意義。

In the 17th century, a doodle was a simpleton or a fool, as in Yankee Doodle.

在十七世紀，塗鴉指的是一個簡單的人或傻瓜－就像Yankee Doodle一樣。

In the 18th century, it became a verb, and it meant to swindle or ridicule or to make fun of someone.

在十八世紀，doodle成了一個動詞，這動詞的意思指，去詐騙或奚落或嘲笑別人。

In the 19th century, it was a corrupt politician.

十九世紀，被解釋為貪污的政客。

And today, we have what is perhaps our most offensive definition, at least to me, which is the following:

而今天的解釋，可能是最冒犯人的解釋，至少對我而言是如此。

To doodle officially means to dawdle, to dilly dally, to monkey around, to make meaningless marks, to do something of little value, substance or import, and — my personal favorite — to do nothing.

塗鴉正式解釋為：混日子，拖拖拉拉、搗蛋，畫沒有意義的圖案、做沒有價值的事情，還有我最喜歡的解釋－無所事事。

No wonder people are averse to doodling at work.

這樣就清楚地瞭解為什麼人們對在工作時塗鴉這樣的不喜。

Doing nothing at work is akin to masturbating at work; it's totally inappropriate.

工作時不做事就好比在工作時手淫；是相當不妥的事情。

Additionally, I've heard horror stories from people whose teachers scolded them, of course, for doodling in classrooms.

此外，我還聽過糟糕的故事呢，有些人因為在課堂上塗鴉被老師責罵。

And they have bosses who scold them for doodling in the boardroom.

也有老闆責罵員工在開會時塗鴉。

There is a powerful cultural norm against doodling in settings in which we are supposed to learn something.

文化上認為塗鴉是種不好的行為。因為在課堂上，或在會議裡，我們應該學習。

And unfortunately, the press tends to reinforce this norm when they're reporting on a doodling scene — of an important person at a confirmation hearing and the like — they typically use words like "discovered" or "caught" or "found out," as if there's some sort of criminal act being committed.

很可惜的，媒體一直強調塗鴉是不好的行為。他們一直反面地報導塗鴉－像是一個重要的人在開會中塗鴉，而且他們通常用「發現」或是「逮到」或「查明」這類的字眼，好比似塗鴉是個犯罪行為一般。

And additionally, there is a psychological aversion to doodling — thank you, Freud.

再者呢，塗鴉可以從心裡學來解釋－這要謝謝佛洛伊德。

In the 1930s, Freud told us all that you could analyze people's psyches based on their doodles.

在三十年代，佛洛伊德告訴我們一個人的心態可以藉由塗鴉，而分析出來。

This is not accurate, but it did happen to Tony Blair at the Davos Forum in 2005, when his doodles were, of course, "discovered" and he was labeled the following things.

這不太正確，但的確發生在布萊爾（英國首相）身上，在2005達沃斯論談上，布萊爾的塗鴉被「發現」了，人們也給他貼上了這些標簽。

Now it turned out to be Bill Gates' doodle.

不過，現在我們瞭解這其實上是蓋茲的塗鴉。

And Bill, if you're here, nobody thinks you're megalomaniacal.

比爾，如果你在這的話，沒人會認為你是自大狂的。

But that does contribute to people not wanting to share their doodles.

這種的負面影響，造成了人們不喜歡分享塗鴉。

And here is the real deal. Here's what I believe.

然後以下才是事實真相。這是我所認為是對的。

I think that our culture is so intensely focused on verbal information that we're almost blinded to the value of doodling.

我認為我們的文化太注重於語言溝通，以至於我們忽略圖像溝通的價值。

And I'm not comfortable with that.

這讓我覺得不太愉快。

And so because of that belief that I think needs to be burst, I'm here to send us all hurtling back to the truth.

所以我認為那種想法應該被戳破。我今天要跟大家講塗鴉的事實。

And here's the truth: doodling is an incredibly powerful tool, and it is a tool that we need to remember and to re-learn.

事實上呢：塗鴉是種神妙的強大工具，是種我們需要記住和重新學習的工具。

So here's a new definition for doodling.

這是塗鴉的新解釋。

And I hope there's someone in here from The Oxford English Dictionary, because I want to talk to you later.

我希望在場有牛津英文辭典的代表，因為我們等等需要好好的談談。

Here's the real definition:

塗鴉的新解釋：

Doodling is really to make spontaneous marks to help yourself think.

塗鴉指自主的畫可以幫助思考的圖案。

That is why millions of people doodle.

這就是為什麼千萬人都在塗鴉。

Here's another interesting truth about the doodle:

還有另一個關於塗鴉的有趣事實：

People who doodle when they're exposed to verbal information retain more of that information than their non-doodling counterparts.

會在接收語言資訊時塗鴉的人，相較沒有塗鴉的人，可以保留較多的資訊。

We think doodling is something you do when you lose focus, but in reality, it is a preemptive measure to stop you from losing focus.

我們認為塗鴉會讓人分心，但事實上呢，塗鴉是種先發制人的方法，讓人不會分心。

Additionally, it has a profound effect on creative problem-solving and deep information processing.

再來呢，它在創意解決問題，和深層面資訊分析上，有特別的功效。

There are 4 ways that learners intake information so that they can make decisions.

學習者的決定基於在四種接收資訊的方法上。

They are visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic.

視覺、聽覺，讀寫和動手作。

Now in order for us to really chew on information and do something with it, we have to engage at least two of those modalities, or we have to engage one of those modalities coupled with an emotional experience.

如果我們想要真正的瞭解資訊，並且運用資訊，我們得至少使用兩種接收資訊的方法。或者是這其中的一種，混合我們情緒的經驗。

The incredible contribution of the doodle is that it engages all four learning modalities simultaneously with the possibility of an emotional experience.

而塗鴉最大的好處是，在塗鴉的同時我們自然而然的使用四種學習方式，再加上可能的情緒經驗。

That is a pretty solid contribution for a behavior equated with doing nothing.

對於一個被定義為什麼都不做的動作，這是很重要的貢獻。

This is so nerdy, but this made me cry when I discovered this.

聽起來很書呆，但當我發現這個事實的時候我感動了半天。

So they did anthropological research into the unfolding of artistic activity in children, and they found that, across space and time, all children exhibit the same evolution in visual logic as they grow.

所以，他們做了一個人類學研究有關於小孩的藝術活動，學者發現，在不同的時間與地區，當小孩成長時，所有的小孩都展現一樣的，視覺邏輯。

In other words, they have a shared and growing complexity in visual language that happens in a predictable order.

這就是說，小孩們複雜的圖像語言成長於同樣的步調。這成長是可以被預測的。

And I think that is incredible.

我個人認為這是很奇妙的。

I think that means doodling is native to us and we simply are denying ourselves that instinct.

塗鴉可能是我們的天性。但我們卻完全否認這個本能。

And finally, a lot a people aren't privy to this, but the doodle is a precursor to some of our greatest cultural assets.

最後，很多人都不知道這件事，不過，塗鴉是個前導將導引我們的文化更上一層。

This is but one: this is Frank Gehry the architect's precursor to the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi.

這裡有一個例子：塗鴉是法蘭克‧蓋瑞在阿不達比的古根漢博物館的前導。

So here is my point:

我的重點是：

Under no circumstances should doodling be eradicated from a classroom or a boardroom or even the war room.

在任何情況下，塗鴉都不該在教室或會議室被禁止。甚至戰略室也不能。

On the contrary, doodling should be leveraged in precisely those situations where information density is very high and the need for processing that information is very high.

相反地，塗鴉就是要在資訊複雜的情況下使用。這種情況需要有效率的處理資訊。

And I will go you one further.

最後再一點，

Because doodling is so universally accessible and it is not intimidating as an art form, it can be leveraged as a portal through which we move people into higher levels of visual literacy.

因為塗鴉是任何地方都可以做的，而且塗鴉不是模仿藝術，它可以作為一個，將人們移到圖像文學更高層次的通道。

My friends, the doodle has never been the nemesis of intellectual thought.

各位，塗鴉從來不是智慧思考的天敵。

In reality, it is one of its greatest allies.

事實上，塗鴉是你最好的盟友。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。