The Science of Almost | Hamnah Gawai | TEDxJSS Private School Youth
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLcbVVnUG1k Video ID: XLcbVVnUG1k ============================================================ Transcriber: Nickolay Zhuravlev Reviewer: Abdullah Al Hashel Have you ever thought about how much of the life is lived in the almost. The student committee role? You almost signed up for the answer. You almost raised your hand to say the game of competition. You almost won. We often think changes happens in big dramatic moments, but in reality, it's those quiet edges, the almost, that shape who we are and who we might become. In a world that celebrates only winners. We often forget that the journey to success is made up of many. Almost every scientist, athlete and artist has stood in that in-between space, not feeling, but not yet winning. That's where growth happens. Scientists call it the near-miss effect. Our brains light up not just when we succeed, but when we almost succeed. Think of a video game. You get so close to the next level, but fall short. What happens? You don't give up. You want to try even harder. That tiny gap between failure and success can push us harder than winning itself. In other words, almost as in failure, it's fuel. It's a whisper that tells us you can do it. You're nearly there. And that whisper has built empires, inspired inventions and created Champions. When I was in fifth grade, I applied to be a head girl. I went through the process, reached the final round and was so close, but I didn't get selected in the end. At first I was disappointed, but that almost taught me something important. I am capable of getting that far and I can keep aiming higher. Since then, I have thrown myself into competitions like sports, debates and quizzes because that experience showed me that almost is the proof that I'm already on the edge of success. History is full of almosts. Penicillin, a medicine that has saved millions of lives, was almost thrown away because it just looked like mold. Thomas Edison almost gave up after dozens of failed light bulb designs, but his almost led to one of the greatest inventions ever. Big changes often comes from small moments of almost. What if we stopped eating almost as failure? What if we saw it as a proof that we're standing right at the edge of something new? Almost is a universe's way of asking. Will I give up? Or will you try again? Sometimes almost gives us perspective. It humbles us, reminding us that success is not a straight line. It's a series of almost that shapes our strength, resilience and determination. Without them, victory wouldn't feel as sweet. This is a science of almost the art of turning not yet into I did it. Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage that continues to count. So the next time you see, I almost did it. Pause. That almost might be the spark. It's not the end, it's just the beginning. Because science, history and our own lives shows us the edge of almost is where the tipping point begins. As you walk away from this talk today, remember, this almost is not failure. It's a sign. Your clothes. Every time you almost make it, you're closer than you think. Because success often starts with courage to try again. Thank you.