Why you will fail to have a great career - Larry Smith

In this funny and blunt talk, Larry Smith pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions. (Filmed at TEDxUW.)
Talk by Larry Smith.

[@hemant05]

and this man completed his daily 10,000 step workout while giving TED talk.

[@luckyboypictures]

One of the best TED talks, it really hits home.

[@kingnekogon]

My greatest "If I only had..." happens to be "If I only had the sense and foresight to know that dropping out of high school to take care of my sick mother would put me so far behind."... Sorry Ma, probably helped extend your life span by a few months, but it took years for me to get back on track. On the flip side of that, I've got a better sense of how to arrange the priorities in the bigger picture now, so. Seriously though, this is the best TED talk I've heard yet, and I'm in the middle of a binge. Why doesn't this have more views?

[@ilove2929]

This talk is so underrated. I listen to this whenever i feel that i failed, in life, career and myself and started making excuses, and it works everytime..i get on my feet and stop making excuses. Thank u Larry Smith

[@AxmedBahjad]

This is a great talk. The only TED talk I've found interesting! Larry is a real human being! And that makes a difference!

[@abirdynumnum9612]

+Axmed Bahjad Try watching Sir Ken Robinson, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" (2006) then his other talks (2009), and 2012+.

[@AxmedBahjad]

A BirdyNumNum What did you learn from his talks?

[@winniephan965]

he is really a great storyteller, i love the way he talks and the way he inspires us.

[@rebeccajeong6783]

The best, I've heard. Thank-you Professor Smith. UNLESS!

[@LyraScotch]

Keep your eyes on your "unless"...your destiny.

[@magicianno1]

YaaaYYY he said MAGICIAN! I am a proffessional one! FELT SO GREAT TO HEAR IT FROM HIM!

[@kingnekogon]

And he encouraged you too! How's that working out for ya btw? Hope it's going well 2 years later.

[@strikingitrich7630]

Best ted talk for me

[@mkcvx]

such a great presenter, he the most important at the very end, leaving the audience to think about it.

[@iamsuccessful2041]

This is an amazing TEDX Talk show where all the people comes and shares their experience of what he or she faced in their life and how they worked on it. Beautifully explained about finding a passion that leads to success and not to make excuses!! 😎✌🏻

[@kinamotngabuhat]

One doesn't become great in human relations if he/she doesn't have a great career. If you just have a "good" career, then you're bound to be miserable. I have a family and a passion. And I get really miserable if I can't do my passion and it affects my human relations.

[@LovelyDay11]

Danika Astilla Well lucky you. I guess the majority of the world is just miserable.

[@comradeofthebalance3147]

Danika Astilla Tat is why you fail to be great

[@AbhishekSingh-em2bq]

This speech changed my life.

[@atelaitesenibua3072]

OMG this is Life Changing !

[@HashtagCareerGoals]

so much!! the excuses are killing us

[@nosebleedpuddle]

Changed my life.

[@BerndGeropp]

Great Talk!

[@Sami0Mahdi0Algeriano]

If this was my teacher i would've had to smoke a joint before getting to class in order to protect myself from a hart attack lol

[@johnalbertrodriguez4559]

You have a intriguing way of viewing ones hardwork turned to succes for sheer ambition and drive but I would take to account what you had said

[@elimcnames3718]

JUST DO IT DONT LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS! JUST DO IT!

[@shabraizalikhan7578]

Hats off man.. superb

[@xxopxxfan54]

The title is misleading, wasn't expecting to feel sad, encouraged and confused all in the space of 15 mins kind of an underwhelming title when i think about it that way

[@bangshen4844]

WOW, It is informative

[@luispellegrini987]

He's great! I hope he does theatre too or I will be very dissapointed. (Unless... hahaha... he also does.)

[@archiesonglover2]

Amazing

[@crown0191]

What happens if your passion doesn't pay well though. Like, "Oh well I live in a rat infested apartment in the middle of a slum and make 20k a year, but at least I followed my passion and became a coffee maker at some independent brewer place."

[@mobinbestintheworld9229]

awwwwwweeeeeessssssoooommmmmeeee

[@GKMcWhite]

I want to click the like button 10.000 times and more.

[@vlid0]

What if I don't have passions requiring any efforts at all ? What if my only passion is being a hedonist and I am studying, only to get a decent lifestyle ? What if I don't want to be great or have a great career ?

[@d7reischl7]

Than you my friend, unfortunately have settled for mediocrity. Is you passion to be lazy? Or maybe just not accomplish anything? I dont want to sound rude at all, my purpose is to help you realize something. I am so sorry, you have gotten to this point.

[@vlid0]

Drew Reischl What exactly are you helping me realize ? What is an achievement for you ? The acknowledgement of your social circle and society ? Bah, if you are trying so hard just to get appreciation from people, than you are nothing but a conformist, devoid of personality. You know, being sorry for a statement, made by nickname in KZbin makes you look like a fool, because you have no idea who am I or what kind of person I am.

[@SamirPatnaik]

I am an hedonist too. But Shakespeare said "We know what we are. We don't know what we may become.". Mildly engaging in hedonism will be only be that - mild, luke warm. We already have what we like but we won't be able to find out what we can have. We can have great, we can have epic. We can be struck by awe. But if we stick with hedonism we will never find out. We will be too busy being mildly contempt to find out that we could have been replenished with abundance of happiness and wonder. Don't worry, mate. You'll find your calling for greatness in due time. Peace out.

[@iamerikdavis]

Well this is fucking depressing

[@curtiswang828]

its suppose to force you to wake up

[@magicianno1]

Unless!

[@vladislavsokolov5056]

Maybe it's just me, but it feels to me that most passions in this world are self-centric, which is hedonism in the worst case and self-improvement passion in the best case scenario, but even if your passion is to improve yourself, you are not getting great career from that :/

[@Chiungalla79]

It's not just you. But I think that's mostly because people don't actively look for their real passions, and hedonism is kind of like the default passion for unoriginal people. If more people would think about their passion fewer would be (pure) hedonists or would do self-improvement just for the sake of self-improvement. If you find a worthy goal and purpose in life hedonistic joy becomes less important and self-improvement becomes just a way to achieve your goals.

[@nurkkr]

This guy's passion is theatre :)

[@jackwhatsnew]

Unless what!! finish it god damn it.....

[@infernaldarklord]

Yeah I needed this vid.

[@antdx316]

I mean, the "hads" do matter and some people regret doing certain things irreversible that they wish they hadn't done and should blame themselves for not being afraid enough to not do it at the time. I'm too damn smart. _; )_

[@bleensteen9331]

I hope at least some of the audience actually took heed of some of this instead of just chuckling uncomfortably at the funny guy

[@comchocolatee]

Please put CC in this playlist!

[@FiocchiCafe]

And you Sir, are a douchebag

[@crown0191]

*tips fedora and says, "m'lady"*

[@al-sadata.sabtula3680]

Best.

[@elmersglue44]

His way of talking reminds me of Agent Smith.

[@sudevsen]

I don't get the Velcro comparison.

[@TheVariableConstant]

+Sudev Sen Neither did I, but after a bit of reading, this is my best guess. George de Mestral, the inventor of Velcro, was an electrical engineer who probably could have used his talents in more related fields like in the warp drive thing he mentioned. Also the first notable use of velcro was in spaceflight for the astronaut uniforms.

[@Seleneium7]

Or if he was into Star trek.

[@BatMandor]

8:35 me: how do you know... you know i even time travelled. jk i love physics...

[@HaileabBerhane]

Does he mean Steve Jobs commencement address. He keeps saying Steven Jay.

[@davidfoster3453]

Steven J.

[@_betulbektas]

Birisi bunu Türkçe altyazılı olan videosunu söylesin yaaa

[@closceballoss759]

1:48 he's not sure why

[@TheFrog767]

👏🖖

[@pitot1988]

It sounds like he is telling his own story :(

[@ryannixon4138]

Where my youtube algorythm at?

[@dcxs5896]

insperational

[@adityamenon]

Ha!

[@ToothPasteWarren]

unless... you dont do any of that stuff?

[@6StacksOnFeastEUW]

Unless you will chase your dreams no matter what!

[@Meirele]

Not that good.... Follow your dreams. That's it. No need for such an act...I guess.