I enjoyed listening to this video a lot, not only because it’s a lot of fun (don’t miss the parts about the Ferrari, the queen of England, the headlines of some tragedies and Bill Gates’ garage) but because it gave a boost to me. I share his view about how our modern and snob society is imposing on us its ideas of success through all means of communication, giving rise to career anxiety. I’d like to point out this paragraph of Alain’s speech: “Here's an insight that I've had about success. You can't be successful at everything. We hear a lot of talk about work-life balance. Nonsense. You can't have it all. You can't. So any vision of success has to admit what it's losing out on, where the element of loss is. I think any wise life will accept, as I say, that there is going to be an element where we are not succeeding.” I took a physics degree, I majored in electronic physics and by pulling some strings, I got a motivating and rewording job in R & D (research and development) with a competitive salary. Few people understood why I quit my career for my family’s sake. Ever since, I only work when we can’t make ends meet or in order to save up money for my children’s tuition. Right now I’m typewriting this comment and helping my children with their homework whereas neglecting household chores (the furniture needs dusting, some clothes need sewing, the windows need cleaning and the walls need painting). And, as Alain says, I’m not thinking: “I’m a loser as a housekeeper and as a physicist but I’m a successful mother and English student”, it’s just there are few superwomen and I’m not one of them. And even if I fail as a mother (and/or as an English student) in spite of trying so hard, I won’t regard myself as a “loser”, I’ll simply lose.” Tragedies exist in real life and they’re not failures. (“Hamlet is not a “loser”, he has lost... that is the message of tragedy to us”)
Besides, as the lecturer highlights, we only can take charge of your life until certain extend, because “there are too many random factors...we will never get to grade”. I want to cite two more of these haphazard factors: our gene pool and our up-bringing which we can’t completely overcome. “You can do it!” is a good motto (slogan) to spurn our life, yet it can lead us to get snowed under with pressures. But we’ll find relief from them by taking into account this appealing, encouraging, supportive and reassuring talk. (Note: Some things I write are simply to get some practise with vocabularies and structures from the different topics)
I'm glad you enjoyed the talk. So did I, and I have to say it gives us a lot of food for thought. As to wheather you might fail as a mother or an English student..., not gonna happen, believe me. Just a small correction: You mention the lecturar highlights we can only take charge of our lives to a certain extent". I know you write to get practice with vocabulary and structures. And you are wise in doing so!
Errata sheet: At the beginning of the fifth line starting by the end I meant to write "spur = estimular", not "spurn = despreciar" And between the ninth and the eighth line, as Mª Jesús wrote, I should’ve written “we can only take charge of your life to a certain extent “ instead of “we only can take charge of your life until certain extend” because the adverb goes AFTER the FIRST auxiliary(verb)or modal verb. And the right expression is “to a certain extent”. Besides, “extend” is the verb (extender) whereas “extent” is the noun (extensión, alcance)
I enjoyed listening to this video a lot, not only because it’s a lot of fun (don’t miss the parts about the Ferrari, the queen of England, the headlines of some tragedies and Bill Gates’ garage) but because it gave a boost to me. I share his view about how our modern and snob society is imposing on us its ideas of success through all means of communication, giving rise to career anxiety.
ReplyDeleteI’d like to point out this paragraph of Alain’s speech: “Here's an insight that I've had about success. You can't be successful at everything. We hear a lot of talk about work-life balance. Nonsense. You can't have it all. You can't. So any vision of success has to admit what it's losing out on, where the element of loss is. I think any wise life will accept, as I say, that there is going to be an element where we are not succeeding.” I took a physics degree, I majored in electronic physics and by pulling some strings, I got a motivating and rewording job in R & D (research and development) with a competitive salary. Few people understood why I quit my career for my family’s sake. Ever since, I only work when we can’t make ends meet or in order to save up money for my children’s tuition. Right now I’m typewriting this comment and helping my children with their homework whereas neglecting household chores (the furniture needs dusting, some clothes need sewing, the windows need cleaning and the walls need painting). And, as Alain says, I’m not thinking: “I’m a loser as a housekeeper and as a physicist but I’m a successful mother and English student”, it’s just there are few superwomen and I’m not one of them. And even if I fail as a mother (and/or as an English student) in spite of trying so hard, I won’t regard myself as a “loser”, I’ll simply lose.” Tragedies exist in real life and they’re not failures. (“Hamlet is not a “loser”, he has lost... that is the message of tragedy to us”)
Besides, as the lecturer highlights, we only can take charge of your life until certain extend, because “there are too many random factors...we will never get to grade”. I want to cite two more of these haphazard factors: our gene pool and our up-bringing which we can’t completely overcome. “You can do it!” is a good motto (slogan) to spurn our life, yet it can lead us to get snowed under with pressures. But we’ll find relief from them by taking into account this appealing, encouraging, supportive and reassuring talk.
(Note: Some things I write are simply to get some practise with vocabularies and structures from the different topics)
I'm glad you enjoyed the talk. So did I, and I have to say it gives us a lot of food for thought. As to wheather you might fail as a mother or an English student..., not gonna happen, believe me. Just a small correction: You mention the lecturar highlights we can only take charge of our lives to a certain extent". I know you write to get practice with vocabulary and structures. And you are wise in doing so!
DeleteErrata sheet:
DeleteAt the beginning of the fifth line starting by the end I meant to write "spur = estimular", not "spurn = despreciar"
And between the ninth and the eighth line, as Mª Jesús wrote, I should’ve written “we can only take charge of your life to a certain extent “ instead of “we only can take charge of your life until certain extend” because the adverb goes AFTER the FIRST auxiliary(verb)or modal verb. And the right expression is “to a certain extent”. Besides, “extend” is the verb (extender) whereas “extent” is the noun (extensión, alcance)