Yanwen’s blog

When I met my Korean student last week, I shared with her one of my observations from China: the robots.

Last year, I was fascinated by the police robot cars patrolling the streets, which lined up with busy shops. After returning to New York City and reading about shop robbery crimes here, I thought about these robot cars. It would be super cool if these robot police were here in NYC, where crime rates are higher than in most big cities in the world.

I told my student, this year I saw more of them in China, such as at restaurants serving food, hotels cleaning rooms, and airports providing information. They seem more integrated, narrowing their distance with humans.

My student asked me, 'What do you think will happen next year in Beijing?' I'm not exactly sure what will happen, but I believe robots will eventually integrate into human life, becoming members of families and providing physical and emotional support, as well as playing roles in companionship and caregiving in China's aging market. Even my sister looks forward to having a 机器人保姆, a robot babysitter.

To achieve this, advancements in AI technology are necessary to close the gap between machines and humans.

Of course, some concerns arise with it, such as privacy and boundaries. Additionally, among seniors and vulnerable populations, there are reasonable concerns about potential economic exploitation and emotional manipulation by emotionally intelligent robots.

Many young people worry that robots are taking over more and more jobs traditionally performed by humans.

Those who rely on robots for emotional support and companionship could potentially become dependent on technology to fulfill their emotional needs.

These close human-robot interactions are not all blessings. Humans become humans because of human environments. Just imagine how much a child would miss if he spends most of his waking hours with a robot companion.

While it might be natural for someone like me, a worrisome head, to have concerns about the possible robot intrusion in human life, at least we should be aware of both opportunities and challenges involved and open up dialogues so we can proactively maximize benefits and minimize risks.

Happy birthday to my sister! She is in Shanghai meeting her son there, the best birthday gift for her.

This came yesterday from an old friend of mine, “看张洁毕淑敏的书，她们都是过了六十开始做减法。房子卖了，书送人，减少一切不必要的关系，活动。…赤条条来去无牵挂。挺好。"

Here's my rough translation. "I read the books by Zhang Jie and Bi Shumin. Both started downsizing after turning 60, selling their houses, giving away books, reducing unnecessary relationships and activities... We come to this world with nothing, so be it when we leave."

Our big family in Beijing forms a small WeChat group, 10 of us, my mother and members from three of our sibling families. When I was in China, I noticed that one member disappeared from the group. I asked my sister who asked her son, the absent one.

The young man came to America when he was 23 years old. He must be very busy with his work and life here and find it irrelevant to stay connected with the going-ons of people he grew up with in Beijing.

It reflects the reality that as people pursue their careers and move away from their hometown, they may become disconnected from the loved ones they grew up with and the close bonds and relationships they once cherished. It makes me think of the Red River Valley song.

Sometimes the most precious things in life are free and abundant, like 蓝天，空气，亲情，微笑 (lán tiān, kōng qì, qīn qíng, wēi xiào) blue sky, fresh air, the bonding feeling from loved ones, and smile. Very often people take them for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I may be old fashioned, still I wish people understood the importance of staying connected with loved ones, even across geographical distances, even amidst the heated pursuit of material wealth and success. Sometimes, it's essential to pause and recognize the intrinsic value of simple joys and meaningful connections.

By the way, the young man's withdrawal reminds me of what my sister said when I was in Beijing, that at my age I should start shrinking down my circle. On the contrary, the opposite is what I'm going to do.

Yesterday a friend of mine shared something with me, mentioning this word, 格局 (gé jú). The first time I heard of this was long ago from a young relative of mine in China, who used it to describe her better half as having small 格局. Not good.

As a serious person, I tried to grasp the meaning of the term. On that I failed. I asked someone today and was told of something about planning or vision for the future.

From its Chinese characters, I understand it as encompassing the overarching box or structure or framework for understanding and interpreting the world. Simply put it, it is a way of thinking and explaining events around our lives.

From the way I understand, though I might run the risk of oversimplifying it, there's no big or small, good or bad 格局. There's only different framework of thinking and resulting in different consequences. While some are restrictive, some are mind-opening and liberating. 

Different mindsets and different frameworks can have different impact on one's life and actions. A lawyer's framework is his law book, which is vastly different from that of a businessman. But we can’t apply a lawyer’s or businessman’s framework on everything in life.

What we need to be aware of is the restriction of our fixed thinking on our actions and our life as the whole. Most importantly, imagine how suffocating it is if we always think within a box! Perhaps having big 格局 is someone who can think out of the box or having many boxes.

Recently I learned this from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" 昔之善战者，先为不可胜，以待敌之可胜。不可胜在己，可胜在敌。故善战者，能为不可胜，不能使敌之必可胜。Here's my rough translation. 

"In the past, those skilled in warfare made themselves invincible first and then waited for the moment when the enemy become vulnerable. 

While it is up to you to make yourself invincible, it is up to the enemy to make themselves vulnerable. Therefore, those skilled in warfare are able to make themselves invincible but cannot necessarily make the enemy vulnerable."

Here are my reflections on this text. First, the prerequisite for winning a battle or anything is to make ourselves super strong and capable, whether in warfare or any other aspect of life. Don't rush into actions without getting yourself ready.

Second, it's crucial to wait for the right moment, the importance of strategic patience, especially in decision-making and leadership.

Third, for personal and professional growth, we need to know our strengths and weaknesses. With this knowledge, we can focus on enhancing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses.

Finally, Sun Tzu's words are very much relevant to us today. Self-awareness, self-strength, preparation, patience, and strategic thinking are keys to winning in both warfare and other areas of life, including career development.