Yanwen’s blog

It's always exciting to watch sports games. While swimming today, I thought of the Paris Olympic Games and felt inspired and energized. Some athletes exemplify greatness both on and off the field, and one such athlete is Roger Federer.

In the history of every sport, there are always one or two dominant athletes. In boxing, it's Muhammad Ali; in basketball, it's Michael Jordan. In tennis, Roger Federer (born 1981) is undoubtedly dominant.

On June 9, 2024, Federer delivered a commencement address to Dartmouth's class of 2024 and received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. He shared three important lessons during his speech.

First, “Effortless" is a myth. Federer said, "I didn’t get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents." Rather than exploiting his opponent's weaknesses, Federer plays to their strengths. If his opponent has a strong forehand, he targets their forehand. If they excel at the baseline, he matches them at the baseline. If they're offensive, he competes through offense. By overcoming an opponent's strongest aspect, the rest becomes easier.

Federer emphasized, "Those are the victories we can be most proud of because they prove that you can win not just when you are at your best, but especially when you aren’t." He believes that success often hinges more on grit than on innate talent, adding, "In tennis, like in life, discipline is also a talent."

Second, "It’s only a point." Federer acknowledges, "You can work harder than you thought possible and still lose. I have. Tennis is brutal." Despite winning almost 80% of his 1,526 career singles matches, Federer won only 54% of the total points played. This statistic illustrates that even the best players win just over half the points they play. 

Understanding that "it's only a point" is crucial for maintaining a healthy mindset. Federer advises treating each point as the most important one in the world while playing, but once it's over, whether you win or lose, you must move on. The key is to focus immediately on the next point, embodying resilience and adaptability.

Third, “Life is bigger than the court.” Federer highlighted the limited physical space of a tennis court—2,106 square feet for singles matches, akin to the size of a dorm room. He remarked, "Even when I was just starting out, I knew that tennis could show me the world... but tennis could never be the world." Federer encourages embracing a broader perspective beyond one's profession.

Drawing strength from various fields contributes significantly to personal growth and a fulfilling life. Federer exemplifies this by founding a charity in South Africa, his mother's homeland, to fund children's education, finding meanings, purpose and accomplishment beyond his tennis career.

In conclusion, Federer’s lessons—embracing hard work, understanding the significance of each point, and recognizing the vastness of life beyond one's profession—are applicable both on the court and in life.

A few days ago, my family and I discussed 萝卜快跑 (luó bo kuài pǎo), a company under Baidu known in English as Apollo Go. This driverless robotaxi service platform operates fully autonomous vehicles for public use, and it is a significant development for several reasons.

First, Apollo Go has been in operation since 2020, logging millions of kilometers in both test and commercial operations. In recent years, it has expanded its services to numerous major cities across China. The long-term goal of Apollo Go is to integrate its services into broader urban transportation networks, leveraging its vast accumulated data to ensure safety and accessibility in major cities and urban centers.

Second, Apollo Go recently achieved a milestone in Wuhan, becoming the first city to implement a city-wide driverless taxi service. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province with a population of nearly 14 million, is known for its crowded streets filled with cars and free-style pedestrians. If driverless cars can navigate Wuhan successfully, it will pave the way for their deployment in other large cities across China.

Why is this a big deal? Apollo Go could signal the beginning of transformative changes in transportation across China and beyond. However, there are already concerns about potential job losses among taxi drivers. It could mean a harsh reality and hardship for many taxi drivers, some of them being the only bread-earners in the family.

Additionally, legal challenges have emerged, such as determining liability when a law-abiding driverless car collides with a jaywalking pedestrian. On the positive side, driverless cars could encourage better adherence to traffic laws and discourage illegal street behaviors.

More importantly, what is happening in Wuhan will provide an avant-garde case study for many other major cities around the world.

Apollo Go represents a significant forward move in autonomous driving technology and urban transportation. While it brings challenges and concerns, it also offers new opportunities and potential improvements in road safety and transport efficiency. As the world watches China's experiment with driverless taxis, the lessons learned could shape the future of transportation globally.

Yesterday, we had a friend and her 18-year-old son over for lunch. Our children also joined us. My friend moved to the States 8 years ago, first to Kansas, then to New York. It was great to catch up and for my children to learn about the first generation of immigrants.

Also yesterday, a friend introduced me to "街电" (jiē diàn), which means "Street Power." Founded in 2015, Street Power company is a leading company in China providing shared power charging services. These services include power banks, two-wheeler charging stations, community charging stations, car charging stations, and car power banks. The company has served over 500 million users worldwide, with daily peak orders exceeding 3 million, covering 95% of cities in China.

My friend admitted something she's not proud of when she learned about Street Power Company: her excessive phone usage. She wished to be less dependent on it.

Indeed, the popularity of Street Power company highlights another side of China: the convenience of power charging and the dependency on cellphones for work, social interaction, and finances.

This issue of cellphone dependency relates to another topic I discussed recently — reading. Sometimes we tend to blame external factors for our failures.

For example, my Korean student claims she's too busy to read. Yet, she stays updated with K-pop culture, easily accessible via her phone. I think if there's time for K-pop shows, there's time for reading.

You might think, "I'm exhausted, I just want to relax with my phone." You're treating reading as a burden. True, reading requires thinking, meaningful engagement with the author, and a lot of mental energy. It's not as effortless as binge-watching TV shows, and you have the right to relax after work.

So the real excuse for not reading isn't a lack of time; it's the preference for the ease of phone scrolling. With this preference you might end up spending more time on your phone than reading. Believe it or not, taking your phone to the bathroom might keep you there for half an hour, while a book might only hold you for 10 minutes.

Reading isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's about life itself. Reading can change your destiny. Ask yourself: what changes can endless screen scrolling bring to you?

I have a few things to talk about, starting with my students.

At the beginning of the summer, one of my Korean students planned to start a summer reading program with her daughters. Her 9-year-old daughter doesn't enjoy reading, and she wanted to help her develop a love for it. She knows how important reading is. Now, with the summer nearly over, they haven't started the plan yet.

She isn't alone in falling behind her plan. I advised the mother of my 6-year-old student, "I made a recording of new words and sentences for you. You need to listen to it and practice with your daughter every day." She promised that she would do it. But it hasn't happened either.

In fact, they aren't the only ones struggling to keep their promises. Despite understanding the importance of their plans, they can't seem to follow through. Sometimes, they come up with excuses, even when they know how weak those excuses sound. I have many examples like this. It almost feels futile talking to these people about having a plan.

There is plenty of research on why people give up their New Year's resolutions even before the end of January. Common reasons include having plans that are too general, unrealistic, or not specific enough, or not feeling motivated. Additionally, people often struggle with procrastination, lack of accountability, or self-discipline.

I'm going to share this with them: no more empty promises to me or to yourself. You deceive yourself and deceive me when you make a promise, knowing you are not going to keep it. A Chinese saying, "忽悠自己" (hū you zì jǐ), meaning: "deceive yourself."

No more self-deceiving. Just challenge yourself with one single task at a time, believing that you possess the strong will, discipline, and determination to meet at least one challenge at this moment in your life. Remind yourself that it's a shame if you can't even meet this simple challenge.

Second thing today, with the opening of 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, I dwell on some old questions about the functions of sports in human society. In ancient times sports provided a legal channel for people to let out their aggressive and competitive urge.

These games developed into a major public spectacle that entertained and engaged large audiences, like today's cheerleaders. Today the collective participation in the event allowed the wider community to experience the excitement of competition, providing a social release valve for collective aggressive tendencies.

In conclusion, the struggle to keep promises underscores a fundamental challenge of self-discipline and commitment. Achieving even the simplest goals demands genuine resolve and integrity.

As we watch the 2024 Olympic Games unfold, let us remember that athletes must first cultivate strong discipline and determination to succeed—and the same holds true for everything in life.

In our pursuit of genuine progress, we must replace empty promises with meaningful actions and steadfast dedication.

Recently, I was reading The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932–1972 by William Manchester, published in 1974. The book spans from FDR's New Deal to Nixon's Watergate, covering significant events such as WW II, the Korean War, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the Vietnam War.

One part that particularly intrigued me was the removal of General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) during the Korean War. MacArthur was fired by President Truman in 1951 when he was 71 years old.

Essentially, Truman and MacArthur had very divergent visions for the war. Truman sought a "limited war" to avoid a massive expansion in Asia and the potential onset of WW III with Soviet involvement.

MacArthur, on the other hand, publicly advocated for a more expansive use of American military power, including bombing China, employing Nationalist Chinese forces from Taiwan, and potentially using nuclear weapons. He believed anything short of this wider war represented “appeasement,” an unacceptable concession to the communists.

MacArthur was ultimately fired for insubordination. One notable instance was when he thwarted Truman’s attempt to negotiate a ceasefire by ordering his troops to invade North Korea and push past the 38th parallel.

There are a few key lessons from the clash between Truman and MacArthur.

First, Truman considered the global situation, including potential Soviet and European moves, while MacArthur's regional focus failed to foresee the destructive consequences of his actions. A Chinese saying "大局为重" (dà jú wéi zhòng)meaning: "Seeing the bigger picture is of utmost importance." It emphasizes the importance of considering the larger goals and broader strategic perspective.

Second, American society highly values individualist heroism, exemplified by MacArthur’s bold strategies and assertive personality. However, both the military and corporate environments require teamwork and adherence to a chain of command. MacArthur's insubordination highlights the tension between individualism and the need for hierarchical cooperation.

While individualism is celebrated, there must be a commitment to collective goals. MacArthur’s removal was due to his ego conflicting with the broader strategic objectives set by civilian leadership.

Third, General MacArthur was highly popular in America. Removing him from power could mean political suicide for Truman. It takes a great courage of a great leader to do the right thing for the country and for the people. For this, I have a great respect and admiration for president Truman.

Finally, in any work environment, while innovation and initiative are encouraged, they must align with the organization’s goals and respect its hierarchy. Being a team player means contributing to collective success, even if it requires subordinating individual preferences. There is few room for individualist heroism in a company's culture.

Ultimately, the clash between Truman and MacArthur is a testament to the delicate balance between individual initiative and collective responsibility. It reminds us that true leadership requires vision, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to the greater good.