TED Community » PHIL AUTELITANO

More About Me

I'm passionate about

creating exciting new opportunities.

Comments

• TEDCred score: 0.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A comment on Conversation: Fill in the Blank - If I knew I could not fail I would ___________ ?

  Dec 10 2011: I would want to do the impossible... and fail.
  
  I think I've learned more through my own failures than I ever learned in school. It's obvious to say if I knew I couldn't fail I'd play the lottery or run for office or start a business or whatever, but there is no success without failure. I probably wouldn't do anything... it's like saying I'm going to run the Death Valley Marathon but since I already know I'm going to win, why bother?
  
  Ultimately, if I knew I could not fail, I would be perfect.
  If I knew I could not fail I would be God.
  Only God is perfect, so only He is qualified to answer that question.

• A comment on Conversation: Would society benefit or suffer from volunteering replacing employment?

  Dec 10 2011: Volunteering is great, but personally I believe everyone should be compensated for work they do, even if it is just volunteering their time (which, let's face it, is the most valuable thing there is.) Society could function, but all of these volunteers would need to be subsidized in one way or another -- not necessarily monetarily, but paid in goods or services, given food or shelter, etc. Not to sound selfish or greedy, but I'll volunteer my time to a food pantry if it means bringing home a bag of groceries -- I can feel good about donating my time to the pantry and helping others, but at the same time I have an obligation to myself and my family, and I can feel good that I had something to show for the work I did that day -- no time was "wasted" and everyone wins. Volunteering works if everyone wins. For some, winning is a feeling, for others it's college credit, putting food on the table, winning an award, etc. But for society to function on volunteering I think we need to be able to survive on it, too. That's my $0.02USD anyway, but what the hell do I know, I just build websites.
  
  To address the second question, whether we're rich or poor, employed, self-employed, whatever, I think we're all in danger of poverty (whether by unemployment or disaster) that's why it's important to know what you want to do and do it -- and if you "don't know what you want to do" yet, decide on something and see where it takes you -- you have no time to waste in this life.

• A comment on Conversation: In ten words or less, what is a question no one (yet) knows the answer to?

  Dec 10 2011: What is the Occupy movement actually going to solve?

• A comment on Conversation: What would you do today if you were to die tomorrow?

  Dec 10 2011: I'd go skydiving, Rocky Mountain climbing...

• A comment on Conversation: What's the overlooked gem, the book I haven't read that I must?

  Feb 22 2011: For me it was "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence" -- you probably read it. Who didn't? As a side note, I especially love the fact it's manuscript holds a Guiness Book World Record for the most publisher rejections before getting published!