Excuses - a silent killer of our dreams | Piotr Stpniak | TEDxMickiewiczHighSchool
Excuses are portrayed as "silent killers" that prevent individuals from pursuing health, passions, or connections, with the speaker advocating that overcoming them requires actionable steps like creating to-do lists and embracing risk. The speaker uses the Paralympics' blind football as key evidence to show what is possible when excuses are abandoned. This is summarized by the call to action, *"What's your Excuse?"* ## Theses & Positions - Excuses are "so-called silent killers of our lives" because they prevent individuals from achieving personal potential. - Making excuses can lead to serious ailments beyond physical health, including the deterioration of human bones and the inability to form new friendships. - The power of human potential can be demonstrated by adaptive sports like blind football, proving that *"nothing is impossible."* - Getting rid of excuses requires specific, actionable strategies, including creating to-do lists, breaking goals into small steps, and facing the fear of failure. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Silent killers:** Excuses that erode potential and quality of life. - **Introvert/Making friends:** The ability to pursue connections is harmed by making excuses. - **Blind football (5% blind football):** A specific Paralympic discipline featuring visually disabled goalkeepers and referees. - **Fear of failure:** A root cause of making excuses, often linked to rejection or self-esteem issues. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **The excuse-making process:** Occurs in various life stages, from childhood (choosing not to attend PE) to adulthood (opting for fast food due to time constraints). - **Challenging excuses:** The speaker proposes a trick: focusing on the word "but" triggers planning for goals, whereas replacing it with "and" connects plans to more complex achievements. - **Eliminating excuses:** Achieved by creating to-do lists, breaking large goals into *"itty-bitty baby steps,"* and taking only one step at a time. ## Examples & Cases - **Childhood/Teenage excuses:** Choosing not to attend PE, declining friends' invitations to play football in favor of watching *Dr. House* or playing computer games. - **Adult life excuses:** Choosing takeaway fast food over meal prep because it is deemed *"too much time consuming"* and cheaper. - **Athletic excuse:** A talented footballer skipping practice because of a cloud in the sky. - **Paralympics demonstration:** Watching a football game during the Rio Paralympics (Rio 2k16) featuring fully disabled players. - **Risk-taking analogy:** Einstein's quote suggesting comfort zones are not built for potential: *"a ship is always safe on the shore but that's not what it is built for."* ## Named Entities - **Dr. House:** Television series used as an example of procrastination. - **Einstein:** Referenced via an attributed quote about potential. ## Numbers & Data - **Rio Paralympics:** Mentioned in connection with the 5% blind football game, date: **Rio 2k16**. - **Discipline name:** **5% blind football**. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **To-do lists:** Proposed tool for goal setting. ## References Cited - **Brian Blair:** Mentioned for a quote regarding finding a way or an excuse. - **Einstein:** Attributed to a quote on safety vs. potential. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - Fast food/takeaway vs. cooking healthy meals (Time/Cost). - Playing football vs. engaging in sedentary activities (Social/Physical activity). - Safety on the shore vs. risk in the open ocean (Conceptual analogy). ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The speaker acknowledges that eliminating excuses "might seem to be easier said than done." ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The central recommendation is to actively practice overcoming excuses by setting small, manageable goals and deliberately putting oneself in life's risks. - The ultimate goal is to "give your profits" by consistently succeeding at small tasks. ## Implications & Consequences - The habit of making excuses can have severe negative consequences, including physical illness (obesity) and psychological withdrawal (social isolation/difficulty forming friendships). ## Verbatim Moments - *"excuses are so-called silent killers of our lives"* - *"I'd rather eat takeaway fast food it takes less time and a cheaper"* - *"what grown-ups do when they have to go on and diet in order not to be overweight or even obese"* - *"nothing is impossible"* - *"if it's important to you you will find a way if not you'll find an excuse"* - *"forget the word but"* - *"break it down into itty-bitty baby steps"* - *"what's your Excuse"*