The Impossibility of Fitting Into a Box

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Julian Zelizer: Growing up you felt that there was this impossibility of fitting into the perfect box of expectations. And so much of your work right now is trying to communicate to young people that if they feel that they do not fit into this small perfect box of what you're supposed to look like, that that is also okay. You are 100% right. I never fit into a box. So therefore, I'm deeply interested in anyone else who's either forced into a box or trying to get into a space and is told they don't belong. It is definitely animating my compassion for others.Zelizer: Even though I went to law school to get a degree to go

Whether it’s grades and test scores, cushy jobs or big salaries, our ideas of “success” tend to be incredibly narrow and often start incredibly early. Julie Lythcott-Haims is a New York Times bestselling author and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, and she is dedicated to helping people reconsider what really makes a happy, “successful” adult. Julie shares wisdom for parents and anyone who has been parented on why it’s crucial to question societal expectations, how to find your own path and why empathy towards yourself and others are the true key to loving who you’ll grow up to be. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts