Therapy by travelling | Josef Schovanec | TEDxParis

Autistic, Josef freed himself from his sedatives thanks to a therapy he invented: therapy by traveling. With lots of humour and modesty, Josef gives us the keys to this therapy he recommends to all of us.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

In my life, I've met
a lot of psychologists.

Now, times have changed.

I changed too, you could say.

Now, psychologists come to see me.

(Laughter)

They ask for my advice.

They tell me all about their booboos.

"Josef, help us,
my boyfriend / girlfriend left.

What can I do?"

Sometimes, those who used to
want me under guardianship,

now come ask me to lend them money,

because their bank
cancelled their credit card.

And I tell them how lucky
they are that I am autistic,

because I could charge them for this.
(Langhter)

I would charge a lot.

(Applause)

Lacan would have been a clown next to me,

and everything should be paid in cash,

because I also have administrative phobia.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

Anyway, I think,
there are more efficient ways

to heal small and big societal neuroses

than talking on a couch.

So I suggest traveling.

Ah! Traveling!

It didn't start right for me.

I wasn't born to travel.

For example, some years ago,

the big journey for me
was doing three bus stations.

It would stress me
and traumatize me for weeks.

And I'm not even telling you
about the sedative periods.

You should not travel in France

when you have disabilities.

You should stay within your four walls.

But I did leave.

I applied parts
of the Golda Meir doctrine.

Golda Meir pointed out that for her,

the chance of her lifetime was to be ugly.

And she was ugly.

(Laughter)

It's really helpful, by the way,

to know you're not
the only one in that case.

(Laughter)

But still, let me tell you,

between just being ugly,

and being ugly and autistic,

as the French comic Coluche would say,

it's really difficult to up the ante.
(Laughter)

Not only mandates from abroad.

Please imagine, autistic,

it's an insult,

we call our politicians that.

So, how does it work in concrete terms,

therapy by traveling?

Well, it's pretty simple.

Forget all you've been told.

Forget those stories
about all the pleasure cities.

Forget about trendy cities,

the places to be,

to be just another sardine
among other sardines.

No, no, no.

Traveling is worthy only
if it's risky at heart.

Traveling is a long apprenticeship.

You need to feel uncomfortable
before the trip.

That's how you make progress.

I'm going to give you
a very convenient example.

Suppose you have time ahead of you,

and you can only choose
between two places.

Let's say you must choose
between Barcelona and Isfahan.

Apparently, Barcelona has everything.

Barcelona has bars, drinking places.

Barcelona has a beach,
sunlight, you name it,

and it's not so far away.

Maybe we've been there before,
maybe we know the place.

Isfahan... well no, it's not like that.
(Laughter)

First, you have to find it on the map.

Then, oh god, you'll notice it's in Iran.

(Laughter)

Should we get a life insurance?

Or maybe ask for the last rites?

I don't know, to each his own.

But you know, all the tiring weeks,

the worry you feel before going.

Well, it's worth it.

Let's say your colleague
went to Barcelona.

How will he feel when he comes back?

He won't get anything
out of his trip to Barcelona.

And don't get me started on the hangover!
(Laughter)

But, you, who have been
to Isfahan, for example,

you'll never forget Isfahan's palaces,

its roses, its gardens, its limitless.

And when the gray and low sky of winter
will come where you live,

well, in front of your eyes,

you'll constantly see
the poets lines dancing.

(Speaking Iranian)

But for me, you know, restless soul,

I'm not very West but East.

I ran away again, further East.

I went several times
in the tribal zones in Balochistan.

This place may be one of the most lost

among the lost corners of the world.

It's there, with nomads,
in zones called "terrorists,"

that I've been the most accepted.

It's there, where I wasn't, if I may,
an autistic guy anymore.

Those nomads,

I think, I stole a secret from them.

I believe the human being

is, in fact, not made for sedentary life.

Human being is not
born to stay inside walls -

walls which can only become our tomb.

Human being is not born
to settle for one language.

Monolingualism is a modern invention,

and it's not the best, far from it.

So, while traveling,
leave your illusions behind,

but most of all, remove the barriers -

the barriers of, let's say,
your confort zone,

restricting your movements
to your known universe.

Illusions barriers for the immediate
satisfaction of all your desires

and your passing needs.

Travels are not there
to satisfy your passing needs.

Travels are there to change them,
to change us.

Travels, as would say the tireless
deserts traveller, Theodore Monod,

travels are a quiet teacher,

and this quiet teacher,
what does he have to say?

Well, when these barriers will be removed,

only what we have in common will be left,

whether we're nomads,
Balochis from the desert ends,

whether we're city-dwellers
from the far west,

it is, I believe, I'm sure of it,

our shared humanity.

Thank you.

(Applause)