[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.01,0:00:02.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hello, everybody.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:02.32,0:00:06.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm honored to be here to talk to you,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.47,0:00:11.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what I'm going to talk about today\Nis luck and justice
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.68,0:00:13.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the relation between them.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.37,0:00:15.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some years ago,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.55,0:00:18.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a former student of mine called me
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.98,0:00:21.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to talk about his daughter.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.04,0:00:23.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It turns out his daughter\Nwas a high school senior,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.50,0:00:28.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was seriously interested\Nin applying to Swarthmore,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.54,0:00:29.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where I taught,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.87,0:00:35.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he wanted to get my sense\Nof whether she would get in.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.35,0:00:39.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Swarthmore is an extremely\Nhard school to get into.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.70,0:00:42.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I said, "Well, tell me about her."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.40,0:00:44.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he told me about her,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.16,0:00:46.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what her grades were like,\Nher board scores,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.73,0:00:49.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,her extracurricular activities.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.39,0:00:51.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And she just sounded like a superstar,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.47,0:00:53.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wonderful, wonderful kid.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.12,0:00:56.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I said, "She sounds fabulous.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.19,0:00:58.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She sounds like just the kind of student
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.87,0:01:02.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that Swarthmore would love to have."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.16,0:01:05.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so he said, "Well, does that mean\Nthat she'll get in?"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.04,0:01:08.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I said, "No.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.76,0:01:13.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There just aren't enough spots\Nin the Swarthmore class
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.07,0:01:14.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for everybody who's good.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.78,0:01:18.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There aren't enough spots at Harvard\Nor Yale or Princeton or Stanford.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.79,0:01:23.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There aren't enough spots\Nat Google or Amazon or Apple.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.28,0:01:28.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There aren't enough spots\Nat the TED Conference.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.12,0:01:30.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are an awful lot of good people,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.36,0:01:33.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some of them\Nare not going to make it."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.62,0:01:37.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So he said, "Well, what are we\Nsupposed to do?"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.07,0:01:40.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I said, "That's a very good question."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.83,0:01:44.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What are we supposed to do?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.12,0:01:48.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I know what colleges\Nand universities have done.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.21,0:01:51.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the interest of fairness,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.17,0:01:56.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what they've done is\Nthey've kept ratcheting up the standards
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.14,0:02:02.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it doesn't seem fair\Nto admit less qualified people
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.25,0:02:04.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and reject better qualified people,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.86,0:02:09.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so you just keep raising\Nthe standards higher and higher
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.16,0:02:11.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until they're high enough\Nthat you can admit
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.42,0:02:15.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only the number of students\Nthat you can fit.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.71,0:02:22.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this violates a lot of people's sense\Nof what justice and fairness is.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.21,0:02:25.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,People in American society\Nhave different opinions
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.21,0:02:28.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what it means\Nto say that some sort of process is just,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.02,0:02:32.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I think there's one thing\Nthat pretty much everyone agrees on,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.84,0:02:35.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that in a just system, a fair system,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.95,0:02:37.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people get what they deserve.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.32,0:02:40.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what I was telling my former student
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.02,0:02:45.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that when it comes\Nto college admissions,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.18,0:02:49.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it just isn't true that people\Nget what they deserve.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.32,0:02:52.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some people get what they deserve,\Nand some people don't,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.85,0:02:56.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that's just the way it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.03,0:02:59.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When you ratchet up requirements\Nas colleges have done,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.67,0:03:02.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what you do is you create\Na crazy competition
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.70,0:03:05.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,among high school kids,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.09,0:03:08.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it's not adequate to be good,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.41,0:03:10.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's not adequate to be good enough,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.44,0:03:14.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you have to be better than everybody else\Nwho is also applying.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.14,0:03:16.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what this has done,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.33,0:03:18.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or what this has contributed to,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.13,0:03:21.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a kind of epidemic\Nof anxiety and depression
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.70,0:03:25.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that is just crushing our teenagers.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.16,0:03:28.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We are wrecking a generation\Nwith this kind of competition.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.89,0:03:30.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As I was thinking about this,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.68,0:03:33.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it occurred to me\Nthere's a way to fix this problem.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.10,0:03:35.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And here's what we could do:
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.06,0:03:39.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when people apply to college,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.60,0:03:45.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we distinguish between the applicants\Nwho are good enough to be successful
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.50,0:03:47.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the ones who aren't,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.35,0:03:50.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we reject the ones who aren't\Ngood enough to be successful,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.91,0:03:54.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then we take all of the others,\Nand we put their names in a hat,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.67,0:03:56.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we just pick them out at random
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.99,0:03:58.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and admit them.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.94,0:04:02.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In other words, we do\Ncollege admissions by lottery,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.57,0:04:08.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and maybe we do job offers\Nat tech companies by lottery,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.25,0:04:09.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and -- perish the thought --
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.63,0:04:14.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maybe we even make decisions\Nabout who gets invited to talk at TED
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.05,0:04:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by lottery.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.67,0:04:17.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, don't misunderstand me,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.70,0:04:22.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a lottery like this is not\Ngoing to eliminate the injustice.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.23,0:04:26.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There will still be plenty of people\Nwho don't get what they deserve.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.43,0:04:28.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But at least it's honest.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.59,0:04:34.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It reveals the injustice for what it is\Ninstead of pretending otherwise,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.76,0:04:37.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it punctures the incredible\Npressure balloon
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.99,0:04:42.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that our high school kids\Nare now living under.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.85,0:04:46.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So why is it that this perfectly\Nreasonable proposal,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.70,0:04:48.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if I do say so myself,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.92,0:04:51.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,doesn't get any serious discussion?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.78,0:04:53.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think I know why.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.66,0:04:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think it's that we hate the idea
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.55,0:05:03.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that really important things in life\Nmight happen by luck or by chance,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.12,0:05:07.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that really important things in our lives\Nare not under our control.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.72,0:05:09.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I hate that idea.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.15,0:05:12.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not surprising\Nthat people hate that idea,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.26,0:05:15.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it simply is the way things are.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:16.76,0:05:21.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First of all, college admissions\Nalready is a lottery.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.54,0:05:25.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's just that the admissions officers\Npretend that it isn't.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:25.13,0:05:27.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So let's be honest about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.27,0:05:28.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And second,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.74,0:05:32.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think if we appreciated\Nthat it was a lottery,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.15,0:05:36.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would also get us to acknowledge\Nthe importance of good fortune
Dialogue: 0,0:05:36.60,0:05:38.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in almost every one of our lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.96,0:05:41.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Take me.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:41.98,0:05:46.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Almost all the most significant\Nevents in my life have occurred,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.71,0:05:47.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to a large degree,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.94,0:05:49.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as a result of good luck.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:50.78,0:05:54.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I was in seventh grade,\Nmy family left New York
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.10,0:05:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and went to Westchester County.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:56.54,0:05:58.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Right at the beginning of school,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.19,0:06:01.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I met a lovely young girl\Nwho became my friend,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.48,0:06:03.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then she became my best friend,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.90,0:06:06.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then she became my girlfriend
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.81,0:06:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then she became my wife.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.27,0:06:11.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Happily, she's been my wife now
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.35,0:06:13.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for 52 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.48,0:06:17.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I had very little to do with this.\NThis was a lucky accident.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.06,0:06:19.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I went off to college,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.55,0:06:25.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in my first semester, I signed up\Nfor a class in introduction to psychology.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.03,0:06:27.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I didn't even know what psychology was,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.15,0:06:29.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it fit into my schedule\Nand it met requirements,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.90,0:06:31.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so I took it.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.10,0:06:33.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And by luck, the class was taught
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.45,0:06:38.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by a superstar introductory\Npsychology teacher, a legend.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.77,0:06:42.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because of that, I became\Na psychology major.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.04,0:06:43.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Went off to graduate school.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.88,0:06:45.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was finishing up.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.79,0:06:48.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A friend of mine who taught\Nat Swarthmore decided
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.57,0:06:51.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he didn't want to be a professor anymore,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.40,0:06:54.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so he quit to go to medical school.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.07,0:06:57.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The job that he occupied opened up,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.65,0:07:00.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I applied for it, I got it,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.45,0:07:02.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the only job I've ever applied for.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.98,0:07:06.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I spent 45 years teaching at Swarthmore,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.40,0:07:10.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an institution that had an enormous impact\Non the shape that my career took.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:10.84,0:07:12.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And to just give one last example,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.90,0:07:16.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was giving a talk about\Nsome of my work in New York,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.74,0:07:20.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and there was somebody in the audience\Nwho came up to me after my talk.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.84,0:07:22.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He introduced himself.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:22.25,0:07:23.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He said, "My name is Chris.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.90,0:07:26.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Would you like to give a talk at TED?"
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.37,0:07:30.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And my response was, "What's TED?"
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.09,0:07:33.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I mean, he told me,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:33.38,0:07:37.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and TED then wasn't what it is now.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.36,0:07:38.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But in the intervening years,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:38.85,0:07:41.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the talks I've given at TED\Nhave been watched
Dialogue: 0,0:07:41.17,0:07:43.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by more than 20 million people.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.28,0:07:46.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the conclusion is, I'm a lucky man.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.74,0:07:48.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm lucky about my marriage.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.56,0:07:50.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm lucky about my education.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:50.28,0:07:52.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm lucky about my career.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.43,0:07:58.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I'm lucky to have had a platform\Nand a voice at something like TED.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.54,0:08:00.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Did I deserve the success I've had?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.70,0:08:02.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sure I deserve that success,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:02.51,0:08:05.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just as you probably deserve your success.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.34,0:08:10.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But lots of people also deserve\Nsuccesses like ours
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.78,0:08:12.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who haven't had it.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.62,0:08:16.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So do people get what they deserve?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.30,0:08:18.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is society just?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.04,0:08:20.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course not.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:20.78,0:08:26.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Working hard and playing by the rules\Nis just no guarantee of anything.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.82,0:08:31.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If we appreciate the inevitability\Nof this kind of injustice
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.14,0:08:33.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the centrality of good fortune,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.74,0:08:36.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we might ask ourselves
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.20,0:08:38.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what responsibilities do we have
Dialogue: 0,0:08:38.28,0:08:44.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the people we are now celebrating\Nas heroes in this time of the pandemic
Dialogue: 0,0:08:44.08,0:08:47.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when a serious illness\Nbefalls their family
Dialogue: 0,0:08:47.62,0:08:51.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make sure that they remain whole\Nand their lives aren't ruined
Dialogue: 0,0:08:51.62,0:08:55.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by the cost of dealing with the illness?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.66,0:08:59.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What do we owe people who struggle,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.49,0:09:02.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,work hard and are less lucky than we are?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:03.51,0:09:05.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,About a half century ago,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:05.66,0:09:09.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the philosopher John Rawls wrote a book\Ncalled "A Theory of Justice,"
Dialogue: 0,0:09:09.55,0:09:14.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in that book, he introduced a concept\Nthat he called "the veil of ignorance."
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.83,0:09:16.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The question he posed was:
Dialogue: 0,0:09:16.45,0:09:22.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you didn't know what your position\Nin society was going to be,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:22.15,0:09:26.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what kind of a society\Nwould you want to create?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:26.19,0:09:27.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what he suggested
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.92,0:09:30.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that when we don't know\Nwhether we're going to enter society
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.02,0:09:32.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the top or at the bottom,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.86,0:09:36.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what we want is a society\Nthat is pretty damn equal,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.68,0:09:38.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that even the unlucky
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.55,0:09:43.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will be able to live decent,\Nmeaningful and satisfying lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:43.36,0:09:49.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So bring this back, all of you lucky,\Nsuccessful people, to your communities,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.36,0:09:56.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and do what you can to make sure\Nthat we honor and take care of
Dialogue: 0,0:09:56.36,0:10:00.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people who are just as deserving\Nof success as we are,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.39,0:10:02.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but just not as lucky.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:02.29,0:10:03.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.