The second multipotentialite superpower is rapid learning. When multipotentialites becomeinterested in something, we go hard. We observe everything we can get our hands on. We'realso used to being beginners, because we've been beginners so many times in the past, andthis means that we're less afraid of trying new things and stepping out of our comfortzones. What's more, many skills are transferable across disciplines, and we bring everythingwe've learned to every new area we pursue,so we're rarely starting from scratch.

　　Nora Dunn is a full-time traveler and freelance writer. As a child concert pianist, she honed anincredible ability to develop muscle memory. Now, she's the fastest typist she knows.

　　08:48Before becoming a writer, Nora was a financial planner. She had to learn the finer mechanics ofsaleswhen she was starting her practice, and this skill now helps her write compelling pitches toeditors. It is rarely a waste of time to pursue something you're drawn to, even if you end upquitting. You might apply that knowledge in a different field entirely, in a way that you couldn'thave anticipated.

　　The third multipotentialite superpower is adaptability; that is, the ability to morph into whateveryou need to be in a given situation. Abe Cajudo is sometimes a video director, sometimes a webdesigner,sometimes a Kickstarter consultant, sometimes a teacher, and sometimes, apparently,James Bond.

　　He's valuable because he does good work. He's even more valuable because he can take onvarious roles, depending on his clients' needs. Fast Company magazine identifiedadaptability as the single most important skill to develop in order to thrive in the 21stcentury. The economic world is changing so quickly and unpredictably that it is the individualsand organizations that can pivot in order to meet the needs of the market that are really goingto thrive.

　　Idea synthesis, rapid learning and adaptability: three skills that multipotentialites are very adeptat, and three skills that they might lose if pressured to narrow their focus. As a society, we havea vested interest in encouraging multipotentialites to be themselves. We have a lot of complex,multidimensional problems in the world right now, and we need creative, out-of-the-box thinkersto tackle them.

　　Now, let's say that you are, in your heart, a specialist. You came out of the womb knowing youwanted to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. Don't worry -- there's nothing wrong with you, either.

　　In fact, some of the best teams are comprised of a specialist and multipotentialite pairedtogether. The specialist can dive in deep and implement ideas, while the multipotentialite bringsa breadth of knowledge to the project. It's a beautiful partnership. But we should all bedesigning lives and careersthat are aligned with how we're wired. And sadly, multipotentialitesare largely being encouraged simply to be more like their specialist peers.

　　So with that said, if there is one thing you take away from this talk, I hope that it is this: embraceyour inner wiring, whatever that may be. If you're a specialist at heart, then by all means,specialize. That is where you'll do your best work. But to the multipotentialites in theroom, including those of you who may have just realized in the last 12 minutes that you are one--

　　to you I say: embrace your many passions. Follow your curiosity down those rabbitholes. Explore your intersections. Embracing our inner wiring leads to a happier, more authenticlife. And perhaps more importantly -- multipotentialites, the world needs us.

　　Thank you.

　　“长大后你想成为什么样的人?”

　　我们一定对这个问题耳熟能详，不仅在于我们经常做这个问题的提问者，更是从小到大回答了无数遍。然而对于部分人，这个问题却会让他们无从回答，因为，与其说这个问题在于帮助他们明确人生规划，倒不如说是在为他们未来的无限可能设限。

　　对于拥有多种兴趣爱好且无法做出职业抉择的人来说，这种太过广泛的对事物的热情能否实现人生价值?无法对一种事物投入终生的热忱是否意味着不够坚定?

　　在Emilie Wapnick的这期TED演讲中，希望我们能解决这些困惑。

　　讲师：Emilie Wapnick

　　我是从未正确回答过这个问题的，“你长大想成为什么人?”麻烦不在于我没有任何爱好，而是我有太多爱好。高中的时候，我喜欢英语、数学、艺术，我建了网站，在一个叫“失意电话接线员”的朋克乐队当吉他手，也许你听说过我们。

　　高中之后，我依然如此。在某个时间，我开始意识到我身上的这种模式：开始对某个领域感兴趣，全力以赴，沉浸其中，无论这是哪个领域，我都能变得挺擅长，然后，我就会开始感到无聊。通常情况下，我还是会继续尝试和坚持，因为我已经在这个领域投入了如此多的时间与精力，有时还包括金钱。然而，最终这种无聊的感觉，有点像“耶，我做到了，这不再是个挑战了!”这种感觉越来越强烈，最终，我不得不放手。

　　然而，接下来我会开始对其他东西感兴趣，一些和之前毫不相关的东西，我再次全力以赴，沉浸其中，这种状态就是像“是的，我找到真爱了!”然后，我再次开始感到无聊。最终，我又会放手。但接着，我又发现一些与之前截然不同的新事物，再次沉浸其中。这种模式让我变得非常焦虑，原因有两个，首先我不确定，我可以在多大程度上将其中的任何一种变成我的职业。我以为，最终我必须选择其中一种，否认我花在其他选项上的所有热情，以此避免再次感到无聊的可能。另一个原因是更加个人的，我担心，这种模式是否意味着，我不能坚持做一件事，这是个问题。我苦恼于我可能害怕承诺，我容易分心，或者具有自我破坏倾向，害怕自己成功。

　　如果你在我的故事中找到共鸣，心有戚戚焉，我希望你能问自己一个问题，一个我希望在那个时候能问自己的问题。问问自己，你从什么地方学到做很多不一样的事情是错误和反常的?

　　我来告诉你是从哪里学到的，是从文化中学到的。

　　当我们第一次被问到“你长大后想成为什么样的人?”那时我们大概五岁左右。真相是，在你那么大的时候，没有人真正在乎你的答案。在提问者看来，这是个无伤大雅的问题，为了引出小孩子们天真的回答而抛给他们，就像“我想当宇航员”或者“我想当芭蕾舞演员”或者“我想当海盗”。然而这个问题在我们长大的过程中一次又一次地被问起，以各种花样。例如，高中学生们可能被这样提问，“你打算在大学里读什么专业?”答案从最开始的童言无忌到令我们整夜失眠。