Adaptability creates opportunities | Jasper Reid | TEDxFMS
The speaker asserts that true adaptability, which is key to navigating global change, is cultivated through four actionable areas: being different, being interesting, being brave, and having charm. He advises attendees to deliberately seek out "Misfits" and hobbies to maximize their options and build the freedom to adapt.
## Theses & Positions
- The greatest resource for individuals today is the capacity to adapt.
- Adaptability is rooted in the Latin *aptus*, meaning "to fit" or "to mold oneself."
- The world is undergoing an unparalleled convergence of forces (e.g., VR, robotics, outsourcing, knowledge codification) that demand adaptive people.
- To be adaptable, one must accept and cultivate being different.
- Being interesting maximizes one's options by allowing views from multiple angles, thus preventing a binary existence.
- Being brave is crucial because adaptation requires moving "Upstream when everyone else is going Downstream."
- Charm and personability are vital because they secure opportunities and help individuals navigate life's challenges.
- The ultimate reward of being adaptable is freedom, exemplified by the ability to experience a childhood's freedom, like running wild on the west coast of Ireland.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Adaptability:** The capacity to fit, or "mold yourself" (*aptus*).
- **Inner Arctic Fox:** A metaphor for adaptability, described as being white in Winter and brown in the summer.
- **Polymath:** A person whose knowledge encompasses many different areas of study; exemplified by Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla.
- **Polymathy:** The state of possessing diverse, broad knowledge.
- **Conventionality:** The tendency to conform to expected patterns or norms, often fostered by academic settings.
- **Upstream vs. Downstream:** "Upstream" movement is characterized by the effort to change/be different, while "Downstream" movement represents conformity.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Developing Difference:** The mechanism involves rejecting the "pack" and actively seeking out "Misfits" or "loners."
- **Becoming Interesting:** Maximized by pursuing hobbies unconnected to one's career, thereby preventing professional binary choices.
- **Building Bravery:** Achieved by starting the effort early and by seeking support within groups ("be brave together").
- **Cultivating Charm:** Relies on practicing old-fashioned interpersonal skills, such as manners, and spending time in public social settings like "pubs and cafes."
## Timeline & Sequence
- The talk is prompted by the observation that the world is changing due to a "convergence of forces happening now which is unparalleled in the history of the world."
- The process of becoming adaptable follows a linear checklist: 1) Be different, 2) Be interesting, 3) Be brave, 4) Have charm.
## Named Entities
- **Jean:** Mentioned as an example of an interesting person, characterized by roles including CTO, artist, poet, ballet scene designer, and boxing manager.
- **Mark Zuckerberg:** Cited as an example of someone "not part of the flock."
- **Richard Branson:** Cited as an example of someone "not part of the flock."
- **Ninda Tor:** Cited as an example of a great polymath.
- **Leonardo:** Cited as an example of a great polymath.
- **David Bowie:** Cited as an example of an interesting person.
- **Victoria Beckham:** Cited as an example of an interesting person.
- **Elsa and Cecilia:** The speaker's children, used in illustration of freedom.
- **Megan:** The speaker's wife.
## Numbers & Data
- **Four** primary areas for maximizing adaptability (be different, interesting, brave, charming).
- **Two** examples used to define "Misfits" (Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson).
## Examples & Cases
- **The Polymath:** Thinking in the way that "every great verse of poetry is a sunrise every sunset is the foundation of the Heavenly Kingdom."
- **Career Options:** Not choosing the first job application from "Goldman Sachs or KPMG," but keeping options open.
- **Hobbies:** The speaker’s personal hobby of "gardening," which has "absolutely nothing to do with my working life."
- **Historical Figures:** Muhammad Ali and Pope Francis are cited as modern examples of individuals who "radiate personability."
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **VR:** Mentioned as a force contributing to world change.
- **Robotics:** Mentioned as a force contributing to world change.
## References Cited
- **Jean:** Used as an exemplar of an interesting, multi-skilled individual.
- **Irish Invocation:** The speaker concludes with a recitation of the blessing: "May the road rise up to meet you / May the wind always be at your back / May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall soft in your fields and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand."
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Conventionality vs. Difference:** Choosing the path of conformity (the "pack") versus embracing uniqueness.
- **Career Choices:** Choosing to delay making a singular, defining career choice (e.g., Goldman Sachs) to maintain optionality.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The speaker acknowledges that the advice is "very difficult," especially concerning bravery.
- He notes that the conventional academic path creates "conventionality," which opposes adaptability.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- To maximize adaptability, one must actively work on four pillars: being different, being interesting, being brave, and having charm.
- The ultimate goal is achieving freedom, allowing one to "run wild" rather than being constrained by professional or social expectations.
## Implications & Consequences
- Adaptability is portrayed as a prerequisite for success in a rapidly changing world.
- The consequence of failing to adapt is falling prey to societal forces that limit choice (e.g., feeling trapped by career expectations).
## Verbatim Moments
- *"I want to talk to you today about how you can be better at change right how maximizes your chances of being an adaptable person."*
- *"We got two guys three guys they rapidly put their hands down this is my assertion"*
- *"adaptability is not abstract in my opinion in this sense the reward of being optisim being the adaptable person is freedom"*
- *"The underlying of being able to change is accepting that you're different if you're different you're going to find it so much easier to change"*
- *"I regret the times that I didn't seek out the Misfits"*
- *"the world of change it comes down to your ability to think for yourself"*
- *"it maximizes your options"*
- *"if you want to change and if you want to be different you're going Upstream when everyone else is going Downstream"*
- *"less time in the library less time in your tutorials more time in the pubs and cafes"*
- *"May the road rise up to meet you / May the wind always be at your back / May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall soft in your fields and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand"*