The applications start rolling in,

你的公司為一個開缺的職位發佈徵才，

and the qualified candidates are identified.

申請書開始不斷湧入，

Now the choosing begins.

而且合格的人選們已經敲定了，

Person A: Ivy League, 4.0, flawless resume,

現在挑選要開始了。

great recommendations.

甲生－常春藤聯盟、 GPA成績 4.0、

All the right stuff.

無從挑剔的履歷表、很棒的推薦信，

Person B: state school, fair amount of job hopping,

全都是好樣的玩意兒；

and odd jobs like cashier and singing waitress.

乙生－州立大學、相當多次的轉職，

But remember -- both are qualified.

以及出人意表的工作 像是收銀員跟伴唱女服務生，

So I ask you:

但是記好了－兩者皆符合資格的，

who are you going to pick?

所以我問你們：

My colleagues and I created very official terms

你們打算挑哪位呢？

to describe two distinct categories of candidates.

我與同事們創造了很官派的用詞

We call A "the Silver Spoon,"

來描述兩類涇渭分明的人選，

the one who clearly had advantages and was destined for success.

我們把甲生叫「天之驕子」，

And we call B "the Scrapper,"

這類人帶有明顯的優勢 而且註定了功成名就；

the one who had to fight against tremendous odds

我們叫乙生「不向命運低頭者」，

to get to the same point.

這個人需要抗抵重重險阻

You just heard a human resources director refer to people

才能達到相同的位階；

as Silver Spoons and Scrappers --

你剛才聽到了一位人資主管

(Laughter)

把人說成銀湯匙跟拳賽手套－

which is not exactly politically correct and sounds a bit judgmental.

（笑聲）

But before my human resources certification gets revoked --

這種說法並非全然不帶偏見的， 而且聽起來有點武斷；

(Laughter)

但是在我的人資專業認證被吊銷前－

let me explain.

（笑聲）

A resume tells a story.

我來說明一下吧。

And over the years, I've learned something about people

一份履歷表訴說著一則故事，

whose experiences read like a patchwork quilt,

而長年下來我已經學到了一些事情－

that makes me stop and fully consider them

關於經歷看起來五花八門的人，

before tossing their resumes away.

使得我在把他們的履歷扔至一旁前

A series of odd jobs may indicate

停下來好生考量他們。

inconsistency, lack of focus, unpredictability.

一長串出人意表的工作 或許表示了容易變卦、

Or it may signal a committed struggle against obstacles.

欠缺目標、意料之外；

At the very least, the Scrapper deserves an interview.

或是也許代表著堅定的拼命抗衡障礙，

To be clear,

最起碼不向命運低頭者 值得有一次面試機會。

I don't hold anything against the Silver Spoon;

說清楚了－

getting into and graduating from an elite university

我對天之驕子不具任何成見，

takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice.

進入以及從頂尖大學畢業

But if your whole life has been engineered toward success,

要下很多苦工以及割捨，

how will you handle the tough times?

不過要是你的整個人生已經被 精心鋪排好朝向功成名就，

One person I hired felt that because he attended an elite university,

你將會如何應付苦日子呢？

there were certain assignments that were beneath him,

我聘請過的一個人覺得 因為他進入了頂尖大學

like temporarily doing manual labor to better understand an operation.

有些工作是屈就了他的，

Eventually, he quit.

好比暫時性地幹點賣力活兒 來更加瞭解一個作業，

But on the flip side,

到頭來他離職了。

what happens when your whole life is destined for failure

但是反過來說－

and you actually succeed?

當你的整個人生註定要灰頭土臉

I want to urge you to interview the Scrapper.

而你其實是得償所願的又如何呢？

I know a lot about this because I am a Scrapper.

我要建請你們去面試不向命運低頭者，

Before I was born,

我對這事瞭解很多－ 因為我就是個不向命運低頭的人；

my father was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia,

在我出生之前

and he couldn't hold a job in spite of his brilliance.

我的父親被診斷出有偏執型妄想症，

Our lives were one part "Cuckoo's Nest,"

即便他才華橫溢， 也不能守住一份工作，

one part "Awakenings"

我們的日子是部份「飛越杜鵑窩」、

and one part "A Beautiful Mind."

部份「無語問蒼天」，

(Laughter)

以及部份「美麗境界」。

I'm the fourth of five children raised by a single mother

（笑聲）

in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.

我是被單親媽媽在紐約市布魯克林區

We never owned a home, a car, a washing machine,

一個破落、不平靜之社區扶 養大的五個孩子裡的老四，

and for most of my childhood, we didn't even have a telephone.

我們從未有過家宅、車子、洗衣機，

So I was highly motivated

而且我大部份的童年裡 我們甚至沒有一支電話。

to understand the relationship between business success and Scrappers,

所以我深深受到激勵去搞懂 商務成功與不向命運低頭者的關聯，

because my life could easily have turned out very differently.

因為我的日子能夠輕易地天差地別，

As I met successful business people

當我遇見成功的商務人士

and read profiles of high-powered leaders,

以及看高度權威型領導人的檔案時，

I noticed some commonality.

我留意到一些共同特質。

Many of them had experienced early hardships,

他們很多人都嚐受過早先的苦日子，

anywhere from poverty, abandonment,

來自貧困、棄養、年幼失親、

death of a parent while young,

到學習障礙、酗酒和暴力的任何角落。

to learning disabilities, alcoholism and violence.

傳統的想法是精神創傷導致了苦悶，

The conventional thinking has been that trauma leads to distress,

一直有著許多注意力焦點 放在造成這些的家庭不健全；

and there's been a lot of focus on the resulting dysfunction.

但是在研究家庭不健全的時候， 數據資料顯現一個意料之外的真諦：

But during studies of dysfunction, data revealed an unexpected insight:

即便最不堪的環境 也能夠引發成長與轉變。

that even the worst circumstances can result in growth and transformation.

一個值得注意以及違背常理的 現象已經被找出來了，

A remarkable and counterintuitive phenomenon has been discovered,

科學家們稱其為「創傷後成長」。

which scientists call Post Traumatic Growth.

一個設計來衡量困境對處境堪慮的孩子們

In one study designed to measure the effects of adversity

有何影響的研究裡，

on children at risk,

在 698 個孩童遭受最惡劣

among a subset of 698 children

和最極端之條件下的樣本子集裡，

who experienced the most severe and extreme conditions,

足足有 1/3 多之人長大過著健康、 成功、有產出的生活；

fully one-third grew up to lead healthy, successful and productive lives.

即便一切不如人意以及重重險阻， 他們最終得償所願－

In spite of everything and against tremendous odds, they succeeded.

有 1/3 的人喔！

One-third.

就拿這份履歷表來說吧，

Take this resume.

這傢伙被父母遺棄受人領養，

This guy's parents give him up for adoption.

他從來沒讀完大學，

He never finishes college.

他換工作換得有點兇，

He job-hops quite a bit,

到印度去逗留了一年，

goes on a sojourn to India for a year,

雪上加霜的是他還有著閱讀障礙，

and to top it off, he has dyslexia.

你會聘請這個傢伙嗎？

Would you hire this guy?

他的名字是史帝夫．賈伯斯！

His name is Steve Jobs.

一個對世界上最成功之企業家的研究裡

In a study of the world's most highly successful entrepreneurs,

最終發現高出正常比例的 人數都有閱讀障礙－

it turns out a disproportionate number have dyslexia.

在美國 35％的企業家 被研究發現到有閱讀障礙。

In the US,

有什麼值得注意的呢？

35 percent of the entrepreneurs studied had dyslexia.

在身歷創傷後成長的那些企業家之中，

What's remarkable -- among those entrepreneurs

他們現在把他們的學習障礙

who experience post traumatic growth,

當成甘願受的一個難題－ 這給他們帶來一個利基，

they now view their learning disability

因為他們成為了更好的聆聽者 以及對細節付出更多注意力。

as a desirable difficulty which provided them an advantage

他們不認為不受困境所累 他們還會是今天的自己，

because they became better listeners and paid greater attention to detail.

正因為困境他們認清了自己；

They don't think they are who they are in spite of adversity,

他們接納了精神創傷和苦日子，

they know they are who they are because of adversity.

作為他們轉變成誰的重要元素，

They embrace their trauma and hardships

而且知道沒了這些經驗

as key elements of who they've become,

他們或許無法培養出所需的 實力與魄力以獲得成功。

and know that without those experiences,

在 1966 年的中國「文化大革命」

they might not have developed the muscle and grit required

結果我一位同事的人生 徹底天翻地覆，

to become successful.

在 13 歲大時他的雙親被發配到邊疆、

One of my colleagues had his life completely upended

學校被關閉了，

as a result of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1966.

而他獨自一人被留在北京 自生自滅直到 16 歲大，

At age 13, his parents were relocated to the countryside,

到他在成衣廠得到了一份差事時。

the schools were closed

非旦沒有接受他的命運，

and he was left alone in Beijing to fend for himself until 16,

他下定決心會繼續修習學校課業。

when he got a job in a clothing factory.

11 年後當政治風氣改變了，

But instead of accepting his fate,

他聽到有個極難入選的大學招生考試，

he made a resolution that he would continue his formal education.

他有三個月來修習全部 國中與高中的課程；

Eleven years later, when the political landscape changed,

所以每一天他從工廠回到家、

he heard about a highly selective university admissions test.

打個小盹、讀書到凌晨四點、 接著回去上班，

He had three months to learn the entire curriculum

長達三個月來每天重複這個作息。

of middle and high school.

這麼做他成功了，

So, every day he came home from the factory,

他對求學的力行是堅定不移的， 而且從來不曾喪志，

took a nap, studied until 4am, went back to work

如今他持有碩士的學位，

and repeated this cycle every day for three months.

而且他的女兒們各自持有 康乃爾與哈佛的學位。

He did it, he succeeded.

不向命運低頭者受該信念所驅策－

His commitment to his education was unwavering, and he never lost hope.

「唯一你可以完全控制的人就是自己」

Today, he holds a master's degree,

當事情不太妙時， 不向命運低頭者們問自己：

and his daughters each have degrees from Cornell and Harvard.

「我可以做哪些不同的事情 去創造更好的結果呢？」

Scrappers are propelled by the belief

不向命運低頭者們們有明智的目標，

that the only person you have full control over is yourself.

避免他們自我放棄；

When things don't turn out well,

有點像要是你已經從窮困、失心瘋的老爸 以及數起攔路打劫下生存了下來，

Scrappers ask, "What can I do differently to create a better result?"

你這麼認為：「商業挑戰？

Scrappers have a sense of purpose

（笑聲）

that prevents them from giving up on themselves,

不會吧？

kind of like if you've survived poverty, a crazy father and several muggings,

小事一樁我來搞定吧！」

you figure, "Business challenges? --

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

這提醒了我－幽默，

Really?

不向命運低頭者們知道 幽默能讓你度過艱困的時候，

Piece of cake. I got this."

而取笑聲幫助你改變想法。

(Laughter)

最後有著多種緣分存在，

And that reminds me -- humor.

克服困境的人不是孤零零 自己一個人做到的；

Scrappers know that humor gets you through the tough times,

這此一路上的某處

and laughter helps you change your perspective.

他們會找到讓他們發揮出 最優水平的人，

And finally, there are relationships.

以及在其成功中扶持出力的人，

People who overcome adversity don't do it alone.

不論何事有個你可以信賴的人，

Somewhere along the way,

在要克服困境時是非常重要的。

they find people who bring out the best in them

我很幸運－

and who are invested in their success.

大學後在第一份工作時我自己沒有車子，

Having someone you can count on no matter what

所以我與一位總統女助理 在途經兩座橋的途中共乘；

is essential to overcoming adversity.

她目睹我工作、

I was lucky.

鼓勵我放眼未來、

In my first job after college,

不要經常沉浸過去的不好過。

I didn't have a car, so I carpooled across two bridges

這一路上我遇到了許多人

with a woman who was the president's assistant.

提供過我不留情面誠摯的 回饋意見、建議和開導，

She watched me work

這些人不在意我曾當過伴唱女服務生

and encouraged me to focus on my future

來幫忙支付上大學的費用。

and not dwell on my past.

（笑聲）

Along the way I've met many people

我要留給你一個最後、重要的真諦，

who've provided me brutally honest feedback,

公司致力於多元性以及 沒有大小眼之做為者，

advice and mentorship.

傾向力挺不向命運低頭們，

These people don't mind

而且公司表現較其他同業更亮眼。

that I once worked as a singing waitress to help pay for college.

根據「多元企業」的一份研究－

(Laughter)

他們多元性前五十名公司

I'll leave you with one final, valuable insight.

獲利表現優於 S&P 500 的公司達 25％。

Companies that are committed to diversity and inclusive practices

所以回到我起初的問題吧，

tend to support Scrappers

你將會壓寶在誰身上－

and outperform their peers.

「銀湯匙」還是「拳賽手套」呢？

According to DiversityInc,

我跟你們說：選擇被低估的角逐者，

a study of their top 50 companies for diversity

他們的秘密武器是熱情與目標，

outperformed the S&P 500 by 25 percent.

聘用不向命運低頭者吧！

So back to my original question.

（掌聲）

Who are you going to bet on:

Silver Spoon or Scrapper?

I say choose the underestimated contender,

whose secret weapons are passion and purpose.

Hire the Scrapper.

(Applause)