WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.637 It is my great pleasure to spend the next 40 minutes or so on stage with a 00:00:04.720 --> 00:00:09.157 most sought-after guest that I think we've ever had in this hall. I need a 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:13.997 warm welcome again and thank you for choosing to spend time here at SMU. I 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:17.997 know you have many, many engagements and we're delighted, more than delighted, 00:00:18.080 --> 00:00:21.037 that you've chosen to spend the time with us. Thank you. 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.517 I believe that this is not your first time in Singapore, but you were perhaps 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.837 a little bit younger when you were first here. And I know that the audience here 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:34.237 would love to hear from you. So perhaps I could invite you to say something, say 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.477 a few words to the audience before we begin. 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.717 >> Thank you so much for the kind words, Professor Kong, and thank you so much 00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:45.997 for having me. It's such a joy to be always in an academic institution. Like 00:00:46.080 --> 00:00:48.837 you said in your opening remarks, I think that 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.037 schools are such a microcosm for human 00:00:51.120 --> 00:00:56.157 flourishing and it really is a place where our highest values are realized 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.597 and we have the opportunity and the options to become who we want to be, to 00:00:59.680 --> 00:01:02.077 explore the places that we want to learn 00:01:02.160 --> 00:01:03.277 and and the directions we want to 00:01:03.360 --> 00:01:06.877 expand. So I always love speaking at 00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:09.637 schools and and SMU in particular with 00:01:09.720 --> 00:01:11.877 its value [snorts] on entrepreneurship 00:01:11.960 --> 00:01:13.957 and and being so future-looking. I think 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:16.837 particularly appeals to me. Singapore at 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.757 large is such a future-looking place and 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:24.077 so far in my short stay here this time, it has been nothing short of incredible. 00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:27.757 I look forward to exploring many more times in the future 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.557 and I'm really looking forward to our conversation today. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:34.877 >> That's wonderful. You know, there is so much ground we can 00:01:34.960 --> 00:01:39.797 cover. Before the event, we invited the audience to submit some questions and 00:01:39.880 --> 00:01:44.157 thoughts they may have and I will say that we were inundated. There were many, 00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:48.277 many interesting and interested interesting questions and interested 00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:52.077 members of the audience. So I'll do what I can to capture some of it and 00:01:52.160 --> 00:01:56.877 apologies to those of you whose questions may not be asked today. I 00:01:56.960 --> 00:02:00.277 thought we might structure the conversation by beginning with perhaps 00:02:00.360 --> 00:02:04.397 more macro questions, and then I know that there is a lot of interest in you 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.677 as an individual, so I hope you won't mind that we will progress the 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.437 conversation towards perhaps more personal dimensions. 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.997 Um you know, the university, as I said in 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:16.757 my opening remarks, is an institution 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:19.437 that cares about human potential, that 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.237 really spends the time trying to bring the best out of each individual. 00:02:24.320 --> 00:02:26.837 I I think it's fair to say that as an 00:02:26.920 --> 00:02:30.157 individual, you have really epitomized 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.917 what the flourishing of human potential 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.557 means, and you've done that in so many different dimensions. Just to mention 00:02:37.640 --> 00:02:41.357 sport, which we all know about. I watched the videos of you on the ski 00:02:41.440 --> 00:02:46.237 slopes, and that's just so amazing. Um but you've also excelled in so many 00:02:46.320 --> 00:02:50.277 other dimensions, including in university. 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:53.237 In sport, we know what it means to train 00:02:53.320 --> 00:02:56.357 oneself, to push oneself physically. 00:02:56.440 --> 00:02:58.117 But you've also talked about the 00:02:58.200 --> 00:03:01.117 possibility of training the mind. And 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:04.157 you talked about neuroplasticity and how 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:08.477 we can better ourselves. Perhaps you could speak to this 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.277 question, because I know there's a lot of interest in the audience on this. 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:15.237 What does that training of the mind, 00:03:15.320 --> 00:03:17.477 stretching our neuroplasticity, look 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:23.640 like in everyday life for any individual out here? 00:03:24.040 --> 00:03:26.277 >> Wow, starting easy, huh? My [laughter] 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:28.317 goodness. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:33.357 Um sure. I mean, I think that Look, I'm no expert. I think for me 00:03:33.440 --> 00:03:37.677 personally, it just comes to observation. So, I I try to be humble 00:03:37.760 --> 00:03:41.157 when it comes to my own mind, and I don't pretend that I know all the 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:43.317 answers, because I don't, and because 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:48.197 I'm 23, and because I'm learning, and pretty much everything that I'm doing is 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:52.357 the first time that I'm experiencing it, right? By definition, to progress in the 00:03:52.440 --> 00:03:56.037 sport of free skiing is to ask your body to do something that it's never done 00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:58.317 before, ever. Every new trick that I 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:02.277 learn, I'm breaking a physical, mental, 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.157 emotional boundary that had been set for me 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:09.557 before. Or it's it's breaking new ground every time. 00:04:09.640 --> 00:04:14.037 And so, conceptually, I think that familiarizing yourself with discomfort 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:19.277 and also knowing that almost every boundary is somewhat plastic. So, that 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.957 there always is potential to expand, that there always is potential to grow 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:27.637 and change. And so, that just comes back to self-observation. So, how do I feel 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:32.077 in a given moment? What does fear feel like? What does doubt feel like? What do 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:36.157 nerves feel like? How are those three things different? What is pressure? What 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:40.037 do I care about? What are the things I can affect me? What is the direction I 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:43.717 want to move in? And I think those are all kind of, you know, as with the 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:47.197 scientific method, it's all just experimentation and it's figuring out 00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:50.877 who I am, what are the things I care about, and then what is the direction I 00:04:50.960 --> 00:04:55.237 want to move in. And so, to be neuroplastic, I think it's to be the 00:04:55.320 --> 00:04:57.837 master of your fate in so far as 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:02.397 knowing that I can observe myself and that I can control the direction of my 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:06.317 growth. >> That's amazing because very often I 00:05:06.400 --> 00:05:08.517 think for young people and not so young 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.557 people, sometimes we are carried by the 00:05:11.640 --> 00:05:15.677 trajectories, we are carried by the pathways that have been established. And 00:05:15.760 --> 00:05:18.077 to be very intentional and conscious 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:20.037 about asking ourselves who we are, what 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:25.957 we want to do, um takes something of the individual. 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.357 There is no conversation today without 00:05:28.440 --> 00:05:30.837 two letters of the alphabet. And yes, 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:35.557 I'm talking about AI. Um 00:05:35.640 --> 00:05:40.437 when you think about that intentionality, that cultivation of self, 00:05:40.520 --> 00:05:44.637 and you think about what's available through AI, where what we do is type a 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.197 question, send the prompt, and the answers come 00:05:48.280 --> 00:05:49.237 back. 00:05:49.320 --> 00:05:52.637 Is there a danger that that is doing 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:55.237 something to our neuroplasticity? 00:05:55.320 --> 00:05:57.957 Is there a danger that that is 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:00.037 sort of reshaping 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.837 our ability to think for ourselves and 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:08.397 to forge our paths? I wonder what you think about that. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:12.917 >> I'm going to go ahead and take the opportunity that we are in a university 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.637 to be my truest, nerdiest self today, so I hope you guys will forgive me for 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:19.077 that. Um so I trust that people are 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:20.957 probably familiar with the Descartes 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.917 aphorism of cogito ergo sum, like I 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.997 think therefore I am, but the the kind of phrase that comes before that is I 00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:31.757 doubt, therefore I think, and I think therefore I am, and I think there's 00:06:31.840 --> 00:06:34.477 something really prescient about that. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:38.517 Um in order to, I guess to your point about 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:40.557 prompting AI, 00:06:40.640 --> 00:06:43.717 you have to make a judgment decision at 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:47.797 any point, right? And so in order to write a good prompt or to make a good 00:06:47.880 --> 00:06:49.197 decision from the information that you 00:06:49.280 --> 00:06:51.997 gather from the prompt or to direct an 00:06:52.080 --> 00:06:55.557 agent, you have to have the ability to 00:06:55.640 --> 00:07:00.517 start from doubt and to start from self-informed thinking. And so if 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:02.437 anything, I think 00:07:02.520 --> 00:07:06.237 learning to work or learning to produce 00:07:06.320 --> 00:07:08.797 through the form of asking questions is 00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:11.277 actually encouraging human agency 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.837 because that is the Socratic method. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.957 That is the scientific method. That is 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:21.557 kind of what we think about as human learning, is it not? To ask a question, 00:07:21.640 --> 00:07:25.797 to think about how to structure a question. What is first principles 00:07:25.880 --> 00:07:30.317 thinking? To kind of go back and see what matters and then move from there. 00:07:30.400 --> 00:07:34.917 And then also to kind of make informed decisions and what you do from there. So 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:39.437 I guess I'm kind of cautious about the whole like delegating your life to AI 00:07:39.520 --> 00:07:45.037 premise just because um to use kind of like metaphor in skiing, 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.677 I guess, we recently have a new technology called 00:07:48.760 --> 00:07:51.677 an airbag, which is like a giant bouncy 00:07:51.760 --> 00:07:56.357 castle. So, it's like this If you imagine it's like a ski slope, um, but 00:07:56.440 --> 00:07:58.397 the landing is like literally plastic 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.437 material and they spray water on it. And you jump off of this like plastic ramp, 00:08:03.520 --> 00:08:06.917 you fly in the air, you do your trick, you land, and it's plastic, and you 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:10.317 slide, okay? And initially people were like, "This is 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:14.917 crazy. This is not even skiing." And then you realize that because this is 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.037 much safer as a technology, suddenly people are doing much bigger tricks and 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:23.597 the sport is progressing so much more rapidly, and people are kind of doing 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:27.237 things that they never thought would have been possible. And the what ended 00:08:27.320 --> 00:08:31.277 up happening is not that we reached some kind of capped human potential and we 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:34.157 were like taken over. Instead, it was that 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:36.797 the women in sport started really, 00:08:36.880 --> 00:08:39.517 really progressing and the the kind of 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:44.437 level all over started rising and we had the freedom to explore tricks that had 00:08:44.520 --> 00:08:46.397 never been possible before and new axes. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.637 We could try things and work with human physics, 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:53.477 um, in ways that we never thought was possible. So, I I think that it is the 00:08:53.560 --> 00:08:57.277 human condition to be curious and I think it is the human condition to 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.277 progress and improve, and I think that 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:02.237 the methodology of asking questions to 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:05.037 do that is fundamentally a positive one. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.797 >> Indeed. Um, so, you know, I have had 00:09:07.880 --> 00:09:11.237 colleagues who have rejected AI saying, 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.877 "We've taught the Socratic method for 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:17.077 centuries and, um, why are we, you know, 00:09:17.160 --> 00:09:18.557 dropping that?" But I think your 00:09:18.640 --> 00:09:24.517 response suggests to us that actually with the use of AI, you can actually, 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:26.037 um, um, 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.877 strengthen, hone that questioning 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:33.957 ability. Um, in today's language it would be writing better prompts. 00:09:34.040 --> 00:09:37.477 Um, I wanted to nevertheless, um, 00:09:37.560 --> 00:09:42.477 pursue this line of conversation around neuroplasticity a little bit more and 00:09:42.560 --> 00:09:45.957 then I'd really like to come back to technology and sport which, um, is a 00:09:46.040 --> 00:09:49.877 good segue from your comments, um, a moment ago. 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:52.517 You talked about, um, training your own 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:55.077 mind very deliberately and you do that 00:09:55.160 --> 00:09:58.357 through things like journaling, um, you 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:02.917 know, reframing fear, visualization and so forth. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:06.717 Do you see a time when that can be delegated to a machine? 00:10:06.800 --> 00:10:09.720 For example. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.677 >> I think the frameworks, maybe. I think that there are ways that you can 00:10:14.760 --> 00:10:19.157 optimize and that you can maybe get more data, that you can be better informed. 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:21.237 Fundamentally, the work of getting to 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:24.397 know oneself will always remain your own 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.997 and the choice to become the person you 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:30.677 want to be has to be yours and I think 00:10:30.760 --> 00:10:32.877 in any other way it would be contrived 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:36.397 and corrupted. Um, and and so in some 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:39.437 ways, yes. Like, maybe if if you want to 00:10:39.520 --> 00:10:41.157 be directed in a certain way, you can 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:44.237 kind of, um, find ways to structure 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:46.877 actions that help lead to an outcome of 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.357 your choosing, but I think at at a large 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:54.837 scale, I don't I don't think that that is something that can be replaced, no. 00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:57.157 >> And and that I think suggests, you know, 00:10:57.240 --> 00:10:59.437 if if we can't replace certain things 00:10:59.520 --> 00:11:04.317 and I think I I very much agree with you on that, it also means that the struggle 00:11:04.400 --> 00:11:06.277 that we go through in learning, where we 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:08.557 kind of get frustrated sometimes because 00:11:08.640 --> 00:11:11.957 we're not getting it just as as it is 00:11:12.040 --> 00:11:16.437 and so forth, that struggle is what helps us to learn, I think. And that's 00:11:16.520 --> 00:11:20.517 true whether in sport or in the classroom and so forth. 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:23.237 Is there a danger 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:24.477 of 00:11:24.560 --> 00:11:28.637 us losing that struggle because 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:33.840 things become too easy with AI. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.957 I think not. Um I I think that 00:11:39.040 --> 00:11:41.357 as the pace picks up I I I think it's 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.077 more of a question of pace as opposed to 00:11:44.160 --> 00:11:48.837 kind of replacement, if that makes sense. So, it's like if we have this 00:11:48.920 --> 00:11:52.757 tool that enables us to be higher efficiency or or more capable, it means 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:55.877 we're able to do more things. If anything, I feel like the struggle would 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.597 probably increase in that situation. Um 00:11:58.680 --> 00:12:01.157 a lot of people ask me, so I I graduated 00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:03.917 or I walked graduation this year in 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.197 June, um for Stanford. And then after graduation, everyone was like, "Wow, you 00:12:08.280 --> 00:12:11.757 must have so much free time now that you're, you know, out of school." And I 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.077 find myself busier than ever. I find 00:12:14.160 --> 00:12:19.317 that I my my time is more consumed than ever. I am more applied than ever. And 00:12:19.400 --> 00:12:23.677 so, it it the concept of like the hedonic treadmill, where we adapt to our 00:12:23.760 --> 00:12:27.797 circumstances, be it through joy or be it through work or through a kind of 00:12:27.880 --> 00:12:32.557 like a temporal reckoning sense, through all of that, we adapt really 00:12:32.640 --> 00:12:37.797 quickly, like much quicker than I think people expect. So, as far as like 00:12:37.880 --> 00:12:39.397 getting used to that pace, I think it's 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:42.277 more of like a relative um 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:45.237 like calibration and and less of a like 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:49.877 do all or nothing and then I'm replaced and I have nothing to do. I think people 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:53.837 will get used to it quickly and then move even faster than before. 00:12:53.920 --> 00:12:55.797 >> Wonderful. I'd like to pick up on the 00:12:55.880 --> 00:13:00.877 thread of your comments earlier about sport and technology. And we know that 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:04.957 sport is not shorn of technology. You've given us examples. There's also the use 00:13:05.040 --> 00:13:09.997 of data analytics to improve performance and so forth, right? Um 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:13.557 where do you think we draw the line between technology 00:13:13.640 --> 00:13:16.317 and human potential? 00:13:16.400 --> 00:13:18.637 Um what should remain a test of the 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.757 athlete rather than the technology? 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.277 >> I think split-second judgment decisions. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:29.117 I think intuition around fear, um like 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:33.557 to push or not to push in a certain given moment. They're pretty much I 00:13:33.640 --> 00:13:36.357 think in the sport of free skiing because everything is so like the 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:40.117 margins are so narrow between absolute 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:43.077 success and massive failure that that 00:13:43.160 --> 00:13:45.477 judgment decision is absolutely 00:13:45.560 --> 00:13:50.677 critical. I can be at the top of a run and be just feeling slightly off and 00:13:50.760 --> 00:13:54.797 every single data analytic could be telling me go. You slept great last 00:13:54.880 --> 00:13:58.917 night. Your heart rate looks good. We think your HRV looks fantastic. Like 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:01.397 you're ready to go. And at the end of 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:05.957 the day, if I don't believe, if my subconscious is not bought in, the trick 00:14:06.040 --> 00:14:09.637 is not happening. And that's a self-reinforcing cycle. Like if I don't 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:12.037 believe it'll happen, there is so much 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:14.757 of skiing that I think embodies this 00:14:14.840 --> 00:14:19.677 like you will it into reality. Like it only happens because you believe it and 00:14:19.760 --> 00:14:22.677 if you don't believe it, it cannot happen. 00:14:22.760 --> 00:14:26.437 And so that element I think is fundamentally irreplaceable. So it's 00:14:26.520 --> 00:14:28.957 like this gut feeling, it's intuition 00:14:29.040 --> 00:14:31.117 and more than anything I think it's like 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.957 familiarity and intimacy with the self. 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:38.277 >> And you know, that's a great answer because I think it extends beyond sport 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:42.557 as well. In all that we do in life, sometimes 00:14:42.640 --> 00:14:45.197 the necessity to make that decision in a 00:14:45.280 --> 00:14:49.677 split second that's going to just make that difference. That believe in 00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:51.757 yourself that's just going to make it 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.037 happen where the data tells you it's 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:57.757 not. Um so these are things I I I I 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:00.277 believe extend beyond the ski slopes 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:03.157 into merit dimensions of our lives. And 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:07.317 so to that extent I think what Eileen has done is actually to answer a 00:15:07.400 --> 00:15:12.117 question from one of our students, Yen-Ren, who is doing her DBA in 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:15.477 technology and she had asked the question, what do you think AI will 00:15:15.560 --> 00:15:18.117 never be able to replace about elite 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.717 human performance. And I I your response 00:15:21.800 --> 00:15:24.597 earlier speaks to that. 00:15:24.680 --> 00:15:26.597 There is another question from a 00:15:26.680 --> 00:15:29.877 colleague, Christina Chee, who asks what 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:33.997 technology or innovation has had the biggest impact on your training and 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:40.357 performance, and how do you think athletes of the future will train differently? 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:43.237 >> Hmm. Besides airbags, which I mentioned 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:46.117 earlier, honestly, video review is the 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:48.677 biggest thing. Like being able to watch 00:15:48.760 --> 00:15:52.637 yourself in slow motion really captures 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:55.237 um a lot of this kind of like 00:15:55.320 --> 00:16:00.237 micro neuromuscular movement um that that you otherwise 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:03.477 wouldn't be able to feel. And then also, a lot of the time how you feel is 00:16:03.560 --> 00:16:07.637 different than what is true. And so kind of like bridging that gap from like an 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.637 objective perspective through video review is enormously helpful. I would 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:13.837 imagine that there's going to be a lot 00:16:13.920 --> 00:16:17.117 more like force analytic data in the 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:21.637 future. So like force generation, asymmetry um 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:25.677 kind of as far as like technical ability goes. Right now there's not a whole lot 00:16:25.760 --> 00:16:29.037 of that. But I'm also not really yearning for it. I feel like there's 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.477 something kind of 00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:33.477 fun in just figuring it out. And so I'm 00:16:33.560 --> 00:16:36.237 relishing in the puzzle of all that is. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:40.237 And also what's kind of fun about being at the cutting edge of of a sport is 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:44.477 like every time you do something new, sometimes it's the first time that 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:48.117 anyone ever has done something. And and so there's something really exciting 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:52.237 about that and feeling like you're you know, figuring it out 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:55.477 as you go. >> That's wonderful. Um 00:16:55.560 --> 00:16:57.277 you know, we started the conversation 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:01.077 with human potential and and um that 00:17:01.160 --> 00:17:05.277 does rely on um talent realized. 00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:09.437 Realizing one's human potential is about realizing one's talent. I wanted to 00:17:09.520 --> 00:17:11.397 begin a conversation thread around 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.237 whether you thought talent is innate or 00:17:14.320 --> 00:17:20.680 whether that's cultivated and developed and the relative balance of that. 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:26.077 >> I'm going to say that talent stands a very, very, very small portion, 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:30.837 particularly the older you get, just because like the number of decisions 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:32.957 that you make compounds exponentially 00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:37.917 over time. And so maybe when you're 3 years old, the talent, you know, you can 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.237 see that difference a lot more than when you're 30. 00:17:41.320 --> 00:17:45.597 Um I don't know, I'm not there yet, but I'll report back. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:47.797 Um but the the kind of idea that I think 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:52.437 between talent and and hard work is that 00:17:52.520 --> 00:17:56.877 if you tell yourself that you have a ceiling, or you tell yourself that you 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.917 have a floor, just be careful with the kind of 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.957 premises that you believe. And I think what's more important about the 00:18:04.040 --> 00:18:08.237 empirical reality of either those of those things is how it informs your 00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:11.677 decisions going forward, because we are all just a collection of all the 00:18:11.760 --> 00:18:13.997 decisions we've ever made. And so if we 00:18:14.080 --> 00:18:15.997 make those decisions decisions with an 00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:19.037 assumption that fundamentally limits us, 00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:21.797 then that is more detrimental than any 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:23.837 lack of talent could ever be. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:27.597 Um and so maybe this is kind of the the 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:31.197 set of cards that I've been dealt, but if I spend the whole time looking at my 00:18:31.280 --> 00:18:33.397 hand, and I never play them, then it 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.597 doesn't matter what I'm holding. What 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.277 matters is that you take a step, and and 00:18:38.360 --> 00:18:42.637 one step leads to two, and as long as you keep moving and keep being better 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:47.477 than who you were yesterday, then it's not really a question of what hands you 00:18:47.560 --> 00:18:49.557 had to begin with. It's it's about where 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:52.077 you end up and who you end up becoming. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:55.757 >> And in that journey to, you know, 00:18:55.840 --> 00:18:57.877 whatever end point it is that one 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:00.677 identifies for oneself, it requires that 00:19:00.760 --> 00:19:03.397 we have building conditions. It requires 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:07.717 that we have environments, supportive people, and so forth. And so I have a 00:19:07.800 --> 00:19:12.677 question here, um from Sheryl Lee, who's an SMU alum 00:19:12.760 --> 00:19:16.837 from 2011, and she was curious to know how much of 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:19.637 your excellence has been shaped by um 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:21.797 your mother in particular and the 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:25.797 environment she created and how that um 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:28.477 helped develop your intrinsic drive or 00:19:28.560 --> 00:19:34.237 perhaps the intrinsic drive was there um to start off. 00:19:34.320 --> 00:19:36.517 >> Yeah, so my mom's the best, for sure. 00:19:36.600 --> 00:19:39.197 Like let's just get that off the table. 00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:43.397 Um that's like no question. So she's here. She looks great. She's in the 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:45.797 front. Everyone tell her she looks pretty. 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:50.860 Um she's >> [laughter] [applause] 00:19:53.800 --> 00:19:56.517 >> Um so yeah, absolutely. I think that So 00:19:56.600 --> 00:19:58.757 So she would always say that up until I 00:19:58.840 --> 00:20:03.557 was 13, I was her job. And then after I turned 13, I was 00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:07.557 the job of the world. And And that just means that like beyond a certain point, 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:11.677 you are more created by your peer group, by your environment, by the people who 00:20:11.760 --> 00:20:15.677 you look up to, um by by the media you consume, by the 00:20:15.760 --> 00:20:18.597 beliefs that you hold versus your home 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:21.517 and family life directly. Um but I've 00:20:21.600 --> 00:20:26.677 been really lucky in so far that I've had this very unique partnership through 00:20:26.760 --> 00:20:30.317 the course of my life that has constantly evolved and we always have 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.637 had kind of different roles. So like obviously when I was three, she was my 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:37.757 mom. So she was taking me to the playground and I think she really 00:20:37.840 --> 00:20:42.597 optimized for play and she optimized for optionality. So she put me into 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:45.837 everything. Like I'm literally talking about everything. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.557 Like ballet, piano, archery because I 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:53.477 had an archery phase cuz I was really into dystopian novels and I thought that 00:20:53.560 --> 00:20:55.117 this was going to be like a skill that I 00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:57.797 was really going to need. So archery, 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:00.797 basketball, soccer, cross-country 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:03.717 skiing. I did math camp. I did science 00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:06.277 camp. I did singing lessons against my 00:21:06.360 --> 00:21:08.717 will. There were lots of things, right? 00:21:08.800 --> 00:21:11.477 And so, the point being that when I was 00:21:11.560 --> 00:21:16.797 younger, she really gave me the full spread so that when I was older and when 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.317 I knew myself better and when I was responsible to make those decisions, I 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:24.237 could make an informed one having tried all the options. So, when I was young, 00:21:24.320 --> 00:21:27.637 she gave me the choices. And then when I was a little bit older, she gave me the 00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:30.477 freedom to make the choice. And I think 00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:32.917 that responsibility that she she really 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:37.637 entrusted me with from a somewhat young age, I think that was critical and 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:41.397 really fundamental. Um a lot of people make the incorrect 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:45.277 assumption that she's a tiger mom and I think the tiger mom definition is that, 00:21:45.360 --> 00:21:48.597 you know, it's like a helicopter parent that pilots you and like forces you to 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.757 do various things. She was in many ways the opposite of that where she just 00:21:52.840 --> 00:21:54.957 vigorously provided me with freedom and 00:21:55.040 --> 00:21:57.917 agency and like enforced my freedom 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.597 really intensely and that was like the effect of her tiger mom. So, so that was 00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:06.957 kind of like the parenting thesis and then as I got older, I keep calling us 00:22:07.040 --> 00:22:10.717 co-founders cuz I really think that's like the best way to encapsulate our 00:22:10.800 --> 00:22:15.477 partnership. We travel together every day. We live together. We work together. 00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:17.677 We develop together. We change together. 00:22:17.760 --> 00:22:19.677 We evolve. And 00:22:19.760 --> 00:22:22.397 she is she has a science background. So, 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.877 neither of us really knows how to, you know, it's my first time living. She 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.557 hasn't worked in these industries before. And so, we're both just figuring 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:34.477 it out day by day. We come in with unique perspectives and most importantly 00:22:34.560 --> 00:22:39.237 a respect for one another. We have dialogue that is respectful, that is 00:22:39.320 --> 00:22:44.437 critical, that is conducive, that is productive. And often times we will 00:22:44.520 --> 00:22:47.637 start from kind of two different points where we disagree. 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:49.637 And then we will debate debate debate 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:54.757 debate converge debate debate debate and then end up on opposite ends. So, like I 00:22:54.840 --> 00:22:57.677 will have the opinion that she started with and then she'll have the opinion 00:22:57.760 --> 00:23:00.797 that I started with. And then we will have to repeat the the where we debate 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:04.557 debate debate and go back to our original premises. So, I think if 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.957 anything, that just illustrates um that 00:23:07.040 --> 00:23:10.077 she really gave me the freedom to find 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:12.797 out who I am and to really support me 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:15.597 and to guide me in ways that make sense. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.117 And at the same time to to grow beside 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:20.437 me. She's also living for the first 00:23:20.520 --> 00:23:23.837 time. She is a unique person who um is 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.357 more than just the role of mom. And so, 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:30.957 to kind of grow with her as we both come into adulthood or I guess as I am in 00:23:31.040 --> 00:23:34.437 adulthood and she continues in adulthood. Um 00:23:34.520 --> 00:23:38.397 but kind of like growing together and there's something really exciting and 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.037 really fun about that. And to do it with my mom, who's someone who I, you know, 00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:45.677 trust entirely, who's known me my whole life, who um 00:23:45.760 --> 00:23:48.877 wants nothing but the best for me, I think that's a unique privilege that I'm 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:53.077 really grateful to have. >> I want to say of 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:56.490 yes, please. >> [applause] 00:23:58.520 --> 00:24:00.997 >> I just want to say how amazing a mother 00:24:01.080 --> 00:24:06.077 you have. And Madam Blue, I want to say how amazing a daughter you have. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:08.837 Um you know, 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:11.957 not not everybody finds themselves in 00:24:12.040 --> 00:24:14.397 such circumstances where there is a 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:19.717 supportive parent who is able, willing to give the time, 00:24:19.800 --> 00:24:24.117 the care, or a coach of access to facilities, 00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:26.477 which means that if somebody has the 00:24:26.560 --> 00:24:28.917 potential, but doesn't have the building 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:33.877 conditions, it can be very difficult for the individual to find himself or 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:37.877 herself. What advice or what insights might you 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:41.917 share with individuals who find themselves in these situations and how 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.637 might you encourage them? 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:49.237 >> Sure. Um I'm not good at skiing because I'm good 00:24:49.320 --> 00:24:52.437 at doing double corks. I'm good at skiing 00:24:52.520 --> 00:24:55.357 because I know how to learn. And because 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:57.637 I'm resilient in the face of failure, 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:01.837 and because in moments of doubt, I know 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:04.517 which threads to pull on and how to 00:25:04.600 --> 00:25:06.997 manipulate my own intuition to guide me 00:25:07.080 --> 00:25:09.957 in the direction that I want to go. 00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:11.557 My point is that skills are 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:15.877 transferable. So, many of us will often 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:19.917 find ourselves in situations where it's our first time doing something, and it 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.397 is not the hard skill that is 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:24.237 necessarily the one that defines us. 00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:27.237 It's the ability and our intrinsic 00:25:27.320 --> 00:25:30.237 qualities and values and skill set that 00:25:30.320 --> 00:25:32.317 we bring into the situation that allows 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:37.357 us to adapt and shape a situation to our will. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:40.917 Um, and so I think what's important to remember is like 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.197 going into it, you know, I've never done this sport before, or 00:25:45.280 --> 00:25:47.357 I've never raised my hand in class 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.557 before, or I've, you know, never sat 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:52.637 next to this person at lunch before. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.157 Yeah, but have you talked to a person? 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:59.957 Have you ever done something that made you nervous? Yes. So, these are all 00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:03.517 skills that you can apply to new situations, and so that's why I always 00:26:03.600 --> 00:26:06.997 come back to this point of it's so important to know who you are, because 00:26:07.080 --> 00:26:10.077 that's your toolkit. Your toolkit is not 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:14.877 the set of hard skills that you acquire over the course of your life, although 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:18.837 those are obviously very helpful and can, you know, continue to inform the 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:21.797 conditions that make you who you are. 00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:25.957 Um, but to know what you come into a situation with, because 00:26:26.040 --> 00:26:30.077 our strength is are the differences that we have, and 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:34.037 that's what makes any situation unique and interesting, because everybody has a 00:26:34.120 --> 00:26:36.997 different perspective, everybody has a different toolkit. So, the better you 00:26:37.080 --> 00:26:41.917 know what you have, the more you can actually provide value for any situation 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:46.717 that you're in. Um, because you want to provide, you want to 00:26:46.800 --> 00:26:50.237 make something better, and only you can do it, because only you have those 00:26:50.320 --> 00:26:53.677 skills. So, um, yeah, I think that everybody has 00:26:53.760 --> 00:26:56.877 inherent value irrespective of kind of 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:01.157 the the you know, bedrock or the foundations from which 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:05.157 they rose. >> Um, it's a good segue. Um, you know, 00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:09.597 we've been talking about systems of support, um, but also discovering the 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:13.837 oneself, one's skills, developing one's own toolkit, and so forth. 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:14.797 Um, 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:17.997 but if if we can help design an 00:27:18.080 --> 00:27:20.877 ecosystem that is to support the next 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:22.557 generation, 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.237 what might that ecosystem look like? 00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:28.637 What are the elements of an ecosystem 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:35.480 um, can be designed to help other people succeed? 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:38.877 >> A few things. Um, 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:42.157 I think one is mutual respect. That's 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.797 really, really important for anything to succeed. Two, and that extends beyond 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:51.117 just like the right for someone to exist, but it's also like genuinely 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:55.997 giving space for someone's input and perspective, and not holding a value 00:27:56.080 --> 00:28:00.157 system for whose voice is louder than someone else, whose opinions are more 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:04.117 important than someone else. Everybody has something unique to say and to 00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:06.797 provide, and so I think bringing that 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:11.277 student mentality into every interaction you have, and really trying to say, 00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:14.597 "Okay, what can I learn from this encounter?" I think that's really 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:16.877 important. Um, secondly, I think 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:21.637 curiosity is really important. So, just always holding a microscope to to all 00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:25.597 the things in life, and coming back to the point in AI, like that's a great 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:30.597 tool to have to enable curiosity, and to really just, you know, superpower it. 00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:33.877 And and so I think that's super important. The third is probably 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:37.597 resilience, and, you know, no skill is 00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:40.637 objectively difficult because on a two 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:44.837 different days, I can be equally stressed about going to dinner and doing 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:48.717 a trick that I've never done before. And it depends on probably how much sleep I 00:28:48.800 --> 00:28:50.997 got, how resilient I feel. It's more 00:28:51.080 --> 00:28:54.397 about how well prepared I feel I can 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:58.837 deal with any adversity. And so the higher our tolerance, our threshold, our 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:02.877 resilience generally is, I think that it's like our having a higher tolerance 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:06.237 for life, I think is generally a good skill to have. 00:29:06.320 --> 00:29:11.037 Um and then of course community. And and community is more than just, you know, 00:29:11.120 --> 00:29:14.237 people who you like and who you feel, you know, care about you and who you 00:29:14.320 --> 00:29:17.277 care about. But it's also what helps you 00:29:17.360 --> 00:29:21.357 craft legacy because more than anything your impact on the world is probably 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:25.477 most profound on the people who are closest to you. And and so that I think 00:29:25.560 --> 00:29:28.997 is really important. And I think about legacy as like an inflection point. So 00:29:29.080 --> 00:29:33.557 like you can map, okay, this is where this person happened and after that 00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:37.717 everything became easier or everything started moving faster or um 00:29:37.800 --> 00:29:41.757 after that, you know, the the people who followed or the people around them were 00:29:41.840 --> 00:29:45.717 positively affected in some way and everybody else was then able to become a 00:29:45.800 --> 00:29:49.757 better version of themselves. That is kind of like the general philosophy that 00:29:49.840 --> 00:29:53.757 I subscribe to. Um so yeah, I think those would be kind of like my my 00:29:53.840 --> 00:29:58.277 founding principles. >> Great. Um you know, this is the Karim 00:29:58.360 --> 00:30:02.597 Family Foundation Inspiring Women Leadership Series and in many 00:30:02.680 --> 00:30:06.917 conversations that I've had um pertaining to women leadership, one of 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:08.837 the questions that's often asked is this 00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:11.037 and I I will ask the question of you as 00:30:11.120 --> 00:30:16.397 well. And that is um very often we have someone in our lives who advocate for 00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:20.037 us, who open the doors for us, who help us 00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:23.597 um with our path. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have more than that 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.077 one person. Um we know your mother has been 00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:31.397 fantastic and done so much for you. Is there anyone else who's advocated for 00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:33.877 you that you think has made a difference 00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:38.637 for you? And now that you're in a position perhaps to advocate for others, 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:42.720 um what do you think you might do with that? 00:30:44.040 --> 00:30:48.347 Okay, definitely my mom. I'm just going to have to reiterate that. 00:30:48.430 --> 00:30:50.837 >> [laughter] >> Can never reiterate that enough. 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:54.557 I think I'll tell a little story and I think it's an it's a small anecdote, but 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:57.797 it really captures the spirit of something that I believe strongly in. 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:00.717 When I was 7 or 8, I started in a ski 00:31:00.800 --> 00:31:03.637 team. I was the only girl on my team. 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:06.397 And it's important to note that I was 00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:08.317 also attending an all-girls school at 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:12.317 this time. So, from age 4 to 13, I was 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:16.437 at an all-girls institution. So, Monday to Friday, I was only with girls. And 00:31:16.520 --> 00:31:19.837 then on the weekends, I was only with boys. So, it was like this alien 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:24.237 environment. I had no idea what was going on. I It was like I I wanted to 00:31:24.320 --> 00:31:27.517 fit in was the most important thing. I wanted to have friends and I wanted to 00:31:27.600 --> 00:31:30.357 build community. That was like intuitively what I wanted to do, but I 00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:33.357 didn't know how to do it. It's like this alien species. What's going on? 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:37.197 Um and so, my coach at the time, 00:31:37.280 --> 00:31:41.357 he would set up these games in skiing. 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.477 And it would be little things, you know, who can slide this rail? And if you 00:31:44.560 --> 00:31:48.637 slide the rail, you get a pack of gummy bears or a sticker or a dollar. 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:53.037 And through the power of sport, you start, you know, punching each other on 00:31:53.120 --> 00:31:54.717 the shoulder and you're like, "Oh, okay. 00:31:54.800 --> 00:31:58.917 Well, I did it last week, so you have to go first this time." Or um "No, watch 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.317 me. I got it. Like this is, you know, my time." And then everyone would line up 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.557 next to the rail. And I remember so specifically the very first time that 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:10.237 anybody on our ski team slid a rail, we were we were all like lined up next to 00:32:10.320 --> 00:32:13.157 the rail and they were like, "Okay." The coach said, "Okay, who wants to go 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:17.677 first? You get a sticker." And I remember in that moment I was 00:32:17.760 --> 00:32:20.077 like, "I will go first. It will be me." 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:23.157 And everyone's like, "Ah." You know, "Oh my gosh." And so, I I hike 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:26.837 up to the top of the rail. Everyone's holding their breath and I literally 00:32:26.920 --> 00:32:30.477 remember it like it was yesterday. I go and I slide the rail. It was good. 00:32:30.560 --> 00:32:32.557 Everyone's just ecstatic, okay? 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:34.357 Everyone's clapping, they're cheering. 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:37.637 We're like a massive little huddle of just, you know, eight-year-old bodies 00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:41.917 wearing hoodies that are way too big for us, you know, past our knees. And in 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:44.477 that moment I was like, "Wow, this is 00:32:44.560 --> 00:32:47.117 what it feels like to to be included, to 00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:50.197 belong." Because I'm being uplifted by 00:32:50.280 --> 00:32:54.477 people who I care about and respect, but who are also my peer group, and we are 00:32:54.560 --> 00:32:58.357 improving together. Because by the end of the day, everyone, of course, had 00:32:58.440 --> 00:33:02.717 slid the rail. But what's important, I think, from that is that competition is 00:33:02.800 --> 00:33:04.877 about pushing each other to be better, 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:08.597 and it's about feeling empowered to try. 00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:11.437 And so much of it is about not being 00:33:11.520 --> 00:33:13.717 afraid to be the first, not being afraid 00:33:13.800 --> 00:33:16.917 to fail, and being willing to celebrate 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:19.437 when other people also achieve success. 00:33:19.520 --> 00:33:23.197 So, it's uplifting other people alongside you and using competition 00:33:23.280 --> 00:33:26.117 through, you know, through my example, it's sport, but it could be any avenue 00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:30.917 in life, to uplift yourself and to bring other people with you, and to celebrate 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:34.477 when people surpass you, because it means that there's more opportunity and 00:33:34.560 --> 00:33:37.957 more excitement and more engagement and more opportunity for you to rise up even 00:33:38.040 --> 00:33:41.117 more. So, um the it's really important, 00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:45.317 I think, to take this idea of like sportsmanship with you. 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:49.757 >> Um you know, as you were speaking, it struck me that um 00:33:49.840 --> 00:33:50.837 it 00:33:50.920 --> 00:33:52.957 it takes a particular kind of 00:33:53.040 --> 00:33:56.837 confidence, if you will, to um 00:33:56.920 --> 00:33:58.957 want to be in a competition and to be 00:33:59.040 --> 00:34:01.157 better than someone else, or to better 00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:03.997 to be better than yourself. And on this 00:34:04.080 --> 00:34:08.237 question of building confidence, you've you've talked about how 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:11.637 um creating your own pond, rather than 00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:15.237 competing in crowded ones, is uh that 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:17.557 there is a wisdom to that. I wonder if 00:34:17.640 --> 00:34:20.077 you'd elaborate on that and share your 00:34:20.160 --> 00:34:23.117 thoughts with your audience. 00:34:23.200 --> 00:34:28.317 >> Sure, yeah. I think to my point on like the anecdote, you sometimes need someone 00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:31.237 to give you the platform or the confidence to try, 00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:33.757 um to say, "Hey, how about you or you 00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:38.397 know, I'm giving you the opportunity to rise up. So so that's one but I think as 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:41.997 far as creating your own pond what I meant by that is 00:34:42.080 --> 00:34:45.277 I'm going to take kind of like a woman's angle here because given it's also where 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:47.037 that's kind of one of our themes for for 00:34:47.120 --> 00:34:50.357 the discussion today. I think that now 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:55.517 is a really interesting time to be a young woman because we have more career 00:34:55.600 --> 00:34:58.357 opportunities, more educational opportunities, more family 00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:01.357 opportunities, more support than anytime 00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:04.677 in history. And what that means is that 00:35:04.760 --> 00:35:07.837 there is more space for us in places 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:11.757 that have historically felt maybe a little competitive. And what I think 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:15.557 that's interesting because you hear this phenomenon a lot of like there's one 00:35:15.640 --> 00:35:18.917 woman in the boardroom meeting or there's you know, one woman on the ski 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:21.517 team and what that breeds is this sense 00:35:21.600 --> 00:35:23.637 of like okay, there's only space for one 00:35:23.720 --> 00:35:28.637 of us and so by default my competition is all women ever but I want to reverse 00:35:28.720 --> 00:35:30.317 that and and think about there's 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:33.837 actually more seats in the room than one 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:36.397 and so the competition is very rarely 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:38.557 other people. The competition is just 00:35:38.640 --> 00:35:40.997 yourself to be good enough to earn and 00:35:41.080 --> 00:35:44.197 to provide value and to earn that seat 00:35:44.280 --> 00:35:48.277 to to be good enough to be there but it's not about beating other people. 00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:52.557 It's about uplifting the entire community so that every single person 00:35:52.640 --> 00:35:54.517 ends up being better in the way that a 00:35:54.600 --> 00:35:58.037 rising tide raises all ships and so I 00:35:58.120 --> 00:36:00.477 want to think about kind of healthy 00:36:00.560 --> 00:36:02.597 competition and in many ways no 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:05.157 competition at all because there's only 00:36:05.240 --> 00:36:08.237 one of you and only one person has the 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:12.317 perspective and history and skillset that I mentioned earlier. And that's 00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:15.077 you. And every single person has unique 00:36:15.160 --> 00:36:17.877 value and so the question is how can you 00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:22.277 be the best version of yourself so that you can provide the most value and help 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:24.117 the most people and tell the most 00:36:24.200 --> 00:36:28.117 interesting and relevant stories to to 00:36:28.200 --> 00:36:31.157 inflict that legacy point. And so in a 00:36:31.240 --> 00:36:35.637 lot of ways, the whole pond metaphor of like, am I a big fish in a small pond or 00:36:35.720 --> 00:36:39.517 a small fish in a big pond? Stop looking at the other fish. It doesn't matter are 00:36:39.600 --> 00:36:42.877 there other fish or not? Are they like the fish even exist, right? Like we 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:47.197 don't care. Be your own fish and you can be a pretty fish. You can be a shiny 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:50.717 fish. You can be a little fish. You can be a vegetarian fish. You can be a 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:54.957 whatever kind of fish you want to be, right? So I think that's a much more 00:36:55.040 --> 00:36:58.157 interesting and productive conversation than looking around and seeing what 00:36:58.240 --> 00:37:00.157 other fish are in the pond with you. 00:37:00.240 --> 00:37:03.757 >> You know, um there are just so many questions that I could ask, but I am 00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:07.877 mindful of the time. So I'm going to give this last question to one of our 00:37:07.960 --> 00:37:09.437 students. 00:37:09.520 --> 00:37:14.397 Um and this is Weixin Seto, who is uh 00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:17.517 the class of 2027 BBM. 00:37:17.600 --> 00:37:20.557 And she says, if you could ask yourself, 00:37:20.640 --> 00:37:24.957 sorry, if you could ask one question to your future self, what question would it 00:37:25.040 --> 00:37:29.640 be? >> Ooh. 00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:34.680 Only one? 00:37:35.850 --> 00:37:37.870 >> [sighs and gasps] 00:37:40.080 --> 00:37:42.957 >> What 00:37:43.040 --> 00:37:47.117 inputs or what things did you observe 00:37:47.200 --> 00:37:50.357 that you felt were the most productive 00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:52.997 in finding the path 00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:57.517 that you cared about most? So I think a lot of the time it's easy 00:37:57.600 --> 00:37:59.877 to follow direction or momentum. 00:37:59.960 --> 00:38:04.237 Actually working working hard is hard, but working hard is not as hard as 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:09.317 finding the right direction. So you can like work really hard and bang on a wall 00:38:09.400 --> 00:38:13.357 and that does very little, whereas learning what the route is so you can 00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:15.397 walk around the wall is much more 00:38:15.480 --> 00:38:18.197 productive. So I want to learn the 00:38:18.280 --> 00:38:20.517 direction and then work hard in that 00:38:20.600 --> 00:38:22.637 direction. So I already trust in my 00:38:22.720 --> 00:38:26.277 ability to work intensely um and 00:38:26.360 --> 00:38:28.477 rigorously. And so, I think what's 00:38:28.560 --> 00:38:31.317 probably more productive for me is 00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:35.917 knowing what to observe and what inputs to give value to so that I can move in 00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:39.877 the right direction. >> That's wonderful. Um ladies and 00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:41.997 gentlemen, we have covered so much 00:38:42.080 --> 00:38:44.757 ground in a short time. Um you know, 00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:47.317 testimony to Eileen's intellect as well 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:50.397 as her experience in life despite being 00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:53.717 23 years old. We've covered, you know, 00:38:53.800 --> 00:38:57.877 everything from how we can train oneself both physically as well as 00:38:57.960 --> 00:39:00.117 intellectually, training the mind and 00:39:00.200 --> 00:39:02.357 the body. We've talked about how AI 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:05.597 actually can be a positive rather than 00:39:05.680 --> 00:39:08.517 um something to fear. We've talked about 00:39:08.600 --> 00:39:10.557 the importance of mutual respect, of 00:39:10.640 --> 00:39:14.917 curiosity, of resilience, of community, 00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:17.077 and the sense of inclusion and belonging 00:39:17.160 --> 00:39:19.317 in our journeys in life. 00:39:19.400 --> 00:39:22.077 And we've talked about how competition 00:39:22.160 --> 00:39:25.917 is not necessarily that ugly thing where 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:28.837 we're out at each other's throats, but 00:39:28.920 --> 00:39:31.957 that it is about feeling empowered to 00:39:32.040 --> 00:39:37.397 try. It is about pushing each other to be better so that as a community, we are 00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:38.677 better. 00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:41.997 And it is perhaps uplifting for the 00:39:42.080 --> 00:39:47.477 entire community where a rising tide as to use Eileen's words can raise all 00:39:47.560 --> 00:39:50.117 boats. And 00:39:50.200 --> 00:39:54.627 the one thing I've learned, there is such a thing as a vegetarian fish. 00:39:54.710 --> 00:39:56.730 >> [laughter] 00:39:57.360 --> 00:40:02.157 >> Algae. Right? >> Yes. You're right. Actually, maybe all fish 00:40:02.240 --> 00:40:05.077 are vegeta- I don't know. Okay, they're not all vegetarian. 00:40:05.160 --> 00:40:06.997 >> Not all [laughter] fish. 00:40:07.080 --> 00:40:10.797 >> Um wonderful. I would like to invite the 00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:14.397 audience in this hall that has been a tremendously 00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:18.957 attentive audience to join me in thanking Eileen in this wonderful 00:40:19.040 --> 00:40:22.930 conversation. >> [applause] 00:40:27.460 --> 00:40:29.480 [applause] 00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:34.117 >> You've got a little fan there. 00:40:34.200 --> 00:40:36.197 The little girl stand up again and wave. 00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:37.557 Eileen's going to wave at you. 00:40:37.640 --> 00:40:41.157 >> Hi cutiepie. >> Wonderful. Thank you once again for 00:40:41.240 --> 00:40:44.357 spending the time with us. We're very grateful for the time that you've given 00:40:44.440 --> 00:40:46.517 to us and the you know many thoughts 00:40:46.600 --> 00:40:48.717 that you shared very candidly with us. 00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:52.917 I'm going to hand back to Jasmine who will 00:40:53.000 --> 00:40:54.557 lead us through the next segment. 00:40:54.640 --> 00:40:57.517 >> Thank you so much Eileen and Professor Cong Claire. Please give them another 00:40:57.600 --> 00:41:00.720 round of applause.