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How Do YOU Define Yourself?

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When I was in high school, someone created a YouTube video called 'The World's Ugliest Woman.'

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And that ugly woman was me. The video had over four million views.

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Thousands of comments. People telling me to kill myself, to burn in a fire.

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I cried for many days. But then I decided: am I going to let them define me?

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Or am I going to define myself?

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I started using their negativity as fuel. As motivation to make myself a better person.

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What defines you? Is it your appearance? Your job? Your grades?

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You are the one who decides what defines you. Not anyone else.

How Do YOU Define Yourself?

Learn English with TEDx (2013). Watch, read the transcript, practice pronunciation and complete grammar exercises. How Do YOU Define Yourself?

Full Transcript

When I was in high school, someone created a YouTube video called 'The World's Ugliest Woman.' And that ugly woman was me. The video had over four million views. Thousands of comments. People telling me to kill myself, to burn in a fire. I cried for many days. But then I decided: am I going to let them define me? Or am I going to define myself? I started using their negativity as fuel. As motivation to make myself a better person. What defines you? Is it your appearance? Your job? Your grades? You are the one who decides what defines you. Not anyone else.

Traducao (Portugues)

Quando eu estava no ensino médio, alguém criou um vídeo no YouTube chamado 'A Mulher Mais Feia do Mundo.' E aquela mulher feia era eu. O vídeo teve mais de quatro milhões de visualizações. Milhares de comentários. Pessoas me mandando me matar, queimar no fogo. Chorei por muitos dias. Mas então decidi: vou deixar eles me definirem? Ou vou me definir eu mesma? Comecei a usar a negatividade deles como combustível. Como motivação para me tornar melhor. O que te define? Sua aparência? Seu trabalho? Suas notas? Você é quem decide o que te define. Ninguém mais.

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