Emilie Wapnick's TED Talk

The question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a haunting question for everyone. At the age of five, any child has a whole list of careers, and they want to achieve every single one. What is wrong with that? According to Emilie Wapnick, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that idea. As I watched Emilie’s TED talk, I was enlightened about the fact that maybe it was okay to have more than one passion in life. Right off the bat Emilie asks the dreaded question, and I immediately became engaged in what she had to say. “Now if you had to guess, how old would you say you were when you were first asked this question?” (TEDtalk) As I sat on my bed, I paused the video and thought about it. I grabbed my pen and paper, and wrote

I can remember a time where that question caused me major anxiety. This specific time was when an adult asked me the question, and when I answered with my long childish list, they said “you silly girl you can only pick one.” As I continued the video “Has that question ever caused you anxiety?” (TEDtalk) was the next question that was asked. The timing of this question was perfect. Emilie paused and looked out into the audience as if she had also experienced this moment full of anxiety, confusion, and the sense of wrong doing. She went on to tell of some of her difficulties. “See the problem wasn’t that I didn’t have any interest – it’s that I had too many.” (TEDtalk) Therefore, Emilie talked about all of the interest she had in high school and even those she had in college. All of those times she became all-consumed, dove right in and devoted all of her time into this interest. Thinking that this was going to be the one she would stick to, to soon realize that the sense of boredom, and this is not challenging anymore mindset crept in yet again. This pattern can become tiring and even discouraging to someone who does not understand why they cannot stick to one interest like everyone

I then became interested in wondering why, and what made us think we could only choose one career. “Ask yourself where you learned to assign the meaning of wrong or abnormal to do many things.” (TEDtalk) I paused the video once again to write down my answer, and I could not think of a reason. With a bold stance and a firm voice Emilie reveals that we have learned this behavior from our culture. I am personally a very independent individual. As well as, someone who stands their own ground, and does what makes me happy, not others. However, through the years I have let culture influence me in a way that has deeply influenced and changed the way I look at my