Chapter 18 Your potential is far beyond your imagination

I suggest that you give yourself some opportunities to show your ability in this area, maybe like me, you will be surprised that your potential is far more than you think. --Kai-fu Lee This is a sentence in a letter written by Li Kaifu to Chinese college students.Written in the summer of 2000, the letter tells about his own a story: When I was working at Apple, one day, the boss suddenly asked me when I could take over his job?I was very surprised and said that I lacked management experience and ability like him.But he said that these experiences can be cultivated and accumulated, and he hopes that I can do it in two years.With such hints and encouragement, I began to consciously strengthen my learning and practice in this area.Sure enough, I did take over his job two years later.

"I suggest that you give yourself some opportunities to show your ability in this area," Kai-Fu Lee went on to say to the college students, "maybe like me, you will be surprised that your potential in this area is far beyond what you imagined." This letter was later publicly published in many media, and it also had an official title: "A Letter to Chinese College Students".Kai-fu Lee had already left China at that time, but many of the thoughts he left in this letter have been widely disseminated among students.We will talk about this point later, but now I will only mention one point. He believes that the purpose of education is to maximize the potential of children; the purpose of education is to find "the most authentic self" , and a "true self" is often better than an "imagined self".

The famous American writer William Faulkner once said: "Don't try your best to compete with your colleagues. You should care more about: you are stronger than you are now." Kai-fu Lee told this sentence to college students, and then said It is ridiculous to think that one has achieved fame only by getting good grades and rankings in one school. "You know, there are mountains beyond the mountains, and there is a sky beyond the sky. In the 21st century, competition has no boundaries. You should let go of your thinking, stand at a higher starting point, and set yourself a more challenging standard. With a precise direction of efforts and broad prospects, one must not be a 'frog at the bottom of a well'."

With that experience, I suddenly realized that my original idea was wrong.Beating others and getting the first place is not the most important thing.The most important thing is, can you learn to respect yourself, and can you discover where your value lies. ——Shen Xiangyang "When a person understands a truth, there is always one thing as an opportunity." Shen Xiangyang said, and then began to talk Tell the story that became his "opportunity". In 1980, Xiang Yang became a college student in the Automatic Control Department of Nanjing Institute of Technology.He was 13 years old that year and was the "youngest student" of the university.This aroused the excitement of teachers and students. Many people said that there was a "child prodigy" in this school, but he felt in his heart that entering this university was "a failed experience".

"I let my middle school teacher down and I was too embarrassed to see him afterwards," he said. In fact, Xiang Yang has always been the teacher's favorite student in middle school because of his young age and because of his good grades.Teachers all prefer students with good grades and pin their expectations on them, and Xiang Yang's class teacher is no exception. Before the college entrance examination, the teacher took Xiang Yang for a physical examination, just like a mother taking her own child, following behind the doctor, step by step, with a tense face, until finally, he finally uttered a sentence: "Is there anything wrong with my child?"

The doctor said, "No problem." The teacher smiled: "It's fine if there is no problem. This child is a 'preparatory student of the Chemistry Department of Peking University'." Although the teacher is joking, in fact, he has already planned the future university for this child in his heart, which is Peking University.But expectations also carry weight.A child grows up in an increasingly superior environment, with so many people's expectations on his shoulders.This expectation is heavier than the exam paper. "I don't know if the ability to withstand psychological pressure can be cultivated, and I can't tell." Years later, Xiang Yang recalled the situation that day, and the feeling is still very clear: "It was because of psychological pressure that I failed the college entrance examination."

"Whether you did well in the exam or not, the transcripts are all in front of everyone." He was thinking about this all day long in those days.Before I knew it, I started to have diarrhea again.He knew it was a bad sign, that the fear was rising, but no one knew it but himself. It has been said that confidence comes from the hint of success; fear comes from the hint of failure.This statement is based on facts.There are tens of thousands of images in your mind, and some of them belong to you. They release power invisible and guide you towards the direction hidden deep in your heart.If you catch "confidence," it will lead you to success. If you catch fear, negative results will follow.

On the morning of the first day of the college entrance examination, something went wrong. The title of the composition is "Feelings after Reading Huadan".Xiang Yang knew that this was about the story of "Da Vinci Draws an Egg", but he was nervous, and he didn't know what to write for a long time. The teacher was waiting outside the examination room. Seeing him coming out, he hurriedly asked questions.Before Xiang Yang could say a few words, the teacher's face turned pale: the text was wrong. For a composition of 40 points, at most 5 points can be scored. In the afternoon, the mathematics test continued, and Xiang Yang missed again.How many mock exams have been full marks, but this time, I misunderstood a question.

The final score was off par.The expected "Department of Chemistry of Peking University" is dead.The teacher wanted to save him and asked him to enroll in the "Junior Class of University of Science and Technology of China".That was also the place Xiang Yang yearned for, but he was disappointed again: the enrollment quota was already full. Xiang Yang came to Nanjing Institute of Technology in this way. In the eyes of others, such a result is already remarkable, but in his view, it is of course a "failure".As he himself said, he "sometimes feels like he's a genius, omnipotent, and sometimes he's nothing."Now, that "nothing" image prevails.He started to "mix", and all his playful and active nature burst out.He fell in love with football, and later learned martial arts and boxing. He passed the first grade, the second grade, and the third year.

But the "experience of failure" has always made him brood. It may be a kind of regret, but it is more like "unconvinced".There is a power surging in my heart, always looking for new opportunities to try again, but I haven't realized it yet.He suddenly realized it when he was in the third year of college. One day, the teacher called him to his office.This teacher was originally responsible for the ideological work of the students, and temporarily taught the electronic circuit class.After standing on the podium for a few days, her eyes were focused on this very young and naughty student.

"Hey, do you know your own value?" She said to Xiang Yang, "You shouldn't be messing around. You should be like Zha Liguan." Xiang Yang knew about Zha Liguan: she was the only female professor in the country at that time, she had very remarkable academic achievements, she was famous all over the country, and she was also Xiang Yang's idol in his heart.Now, the teacher actually compared him with Zha Liguan. It was as if something had turned on the switch in his heart. "When I came out of the teacher's office, I felt a surge of pride in my chest. I really felt that I should study hard and do a little career." On that day, Xiang Yang made a decision: to examine Professor Li Guan's graduate students. But it is not an easy task to get a child who is used to playing to sit down.Restraint is not born, but acquired, which is the same for anyone.Talking about this point, Xiang Yang was deeply moved: "Discipline is trained. Children will never have discipline, and it must be possible to train." Restraint means more than restraint, it actually means that one sets one's goals and sticks to them.This requires both inner desire and external strength.Xiang Yang does not lack inner desire, but he lacks external power. It seems that if one wants to be successful in one's life, one really needs a series of chances. Xiang Yang's chance at this time was brought by one of his classmates. On this day, Xiang Yang told his classmates about his new decision, and the classmates' eyes lit up when they heard it.He is several years older than Xiang Yang, has strong self-esteem and self-confidence, has long-term ideals, and works hard.In the first three years of university, his academic performance was much better than that of Xiang Yang.The most important thing is that he knows Xiang Yang, the two often play together and know each other well. "Actually, you are better than me," he said to Xiang Yang, "you just don't know it." "real?" "If you don't believe me, let's try." "But I just can't sit still." "It's okay, do as I say." Starting from this sentence, every night, two people walked into the classroom together and occupied a corner.The classmate ordered Xiang Yang to sit inside, while he sat outside himself, blocking Xiang Yang's way out. "I want to go out for a while." Xiang Yang couldn't sit still any longer. "No." The classmate said firmly. "I want to go to the bathroom." "It doesn't work either." Four months later, the two were admitted to graduate school together.This time, Xiang Yang surpassed his classmates and all the candidates, becoming the number one in the department. There is no doubt that changes have happened to Xiang Yang.It's not just what we can see, of course, and it's not even the "Number One", the changes are happening inside him: the negative images go away, and the positive ones come back. Here's how he later spoke of the transition: That was one thing that had a big impact on me.I seem to have suddenly understood a lot of truths. Although I can’t say it’s a complete understanding, it’s still a comprehension.My whole body suddenly became very relaxed. People always want to prove something in their whole life.Prove what?Sometimes you don't really know it yourself.Before that, I was particularly concerned about being "first in the exam" and beating everyone in every competition.When I was a child in the countryside, I just wanted to beat the country people, but when I came to the city, I wanted to beat the city people.But with that experience, I suddenly realized that my original idea was wrong.Beating others and getting the first place is not the most important thing.The most important thing is, can you learn to respect yourself, and can you discover where your value lies. What I want to say is that even a person with full self-confidence does not necessarily realize his own value.I am very grateful to my teacher and this classmate all my life.What is a good teacher and helpful friend?This is a good teacher and helpful friend.Of the two of them, one made me realize my worth, and the other made me prove my worth.When you know your own worth, your self-confidence will not be overwhelmed by fear. There are many things that I have learned so hard and seriously, but now I have forgotten them, and what I really keep in my mind is of no use.There are still many things that I feel I need very much now, but I have never learned them. ——Tong Xin When Tong Xin received his Ph.D., it coincided with the establishment of Microsoft Asia Research Institute.He knows that the graphics research group here Dangqiang, who has the best people in this field in the world, couldn't help being fascinated, and immediately sent his resume. After a rigorous recruitment process, he was accepted by Microsoft. From then to now, 5 years have passed, and Tong Xin has become quite a well-known figure in the field of computer graphics.His research results have continuously entered the "World Graphics Congress".This "conference" is the temple of computer graphics scientists all over the world, and it is also recognized as a touchstone for measuring world-class level.If the results of a research group are accepted by the "Congress", then the research groups all over the world will recognize that this is a world-class group.If a scientist's research results are accepted by this "congress" once, it shows that his research has reached the world level. If his results can be accepted by the "congress" continuously, then everyone will think that he is a world-class scientist.Tong Xin's research results are continuous in nature.For the past three years, he has presented a paper at a graphics conference every year.These achievements gave him worldwide influence and became one of the "Four Young Masters of Microsoft". The starting point of his life is Zhangjiakou City, which is isolated from the world among the mountains in northern Hebei.Back then, his father and mother warned him "not to stay in this city" and asked him to "get rid of occlusion and poverty."So with a strong impulse, he left his home, went to Hangzhou to study, and then came to Beijing from Hangzhou.Today, he and his family have settled in Beijing.Parents are very satisfied with everything about their son, and what they care most about is whether he is in good health and whether he is happy. He admits that he is very lucky to get so many opportunities, and all the hard work he has put in over the years has all paid off.Most importantly, he has fun at work.Of course, he also has his own troubles. For example, he always thinks in his heart: In the past five years, "there have been more failures than successes, at least half to half."Sometimes I worked hard for several months and wrote a paper, but was rejected by others.Once such a thing happened, he was particularly skeptical: "What is the meaning of what I do? I even feel confused about what I want to pursue in my life." After a string of great successes, however, he was more at peace than before. "Now I won't be particularly happy if I succeed. I won't be particularly sad if I fail." He is grateful that Microsoft allows him to fail, and he is also grateful that he "can continue to learn from failure." This is something he never experienced when he was in school. the feeling of passing Like all the best Chinese students, Tong Xin has been studying for 20 consecutive years - primary school, secondary school, university, master's degree and Ph.D.Read from 7 to 27 years old. He was born in "turbulent" years.The childhood of this generation is not so colorful, unlike the children of the past, who have so much time for themselves, and can play whatever they want; nor are they like the children of today, who can learn piano, dance and painting. On the day when I became sensible, I began to "make up for the youth that was delayed by the Gang of Four".From elementary school to university, they not only study but also study. "It wasn't a very good experience." Tong Xin said later. When he was in elementary school, he heard similar words from many older classmates. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to accept the lessons of others, so he had to experience it himself.In fact, most people are like this. It is not until after they have stumbled that they can slowly realize some truths. Tong Xin's grades in both elementary and middle schools are good. Although he is not number one, he always ranks in the front, so his parents are very reassuring about him and never ask him about his exams. He is quite confident in his ability, but he always said that he is "not a genius, at least there are many people around me who are smarter than me." He always feels that smart children are very playful, and only work hard when the exam is about to come.And he never dared to do it. "I'm not that kind of person." He said, "I can't do things well just by being smart. I have to work hard." The father also believes that his son is not a genius, but he knows that a smart person must be a person who can use his brain.So he always said a sentence to his son repeatedly: "Work with your brain." When his son was doing anything, he would say next to him: "Think about how to do it to be the best. "For example, Tong Xin insisted on sharpening a pencil once, but his movements were clumsy, and the sharpening of the pencil was ugly, "like a dog chewing on it."At this time, his father would put the pencil and knife in his hand again, let him start again, and said: "Sharpen with your brain, not with your hands." Since Tong Xin was a child, his father said this sentence countless times. This sentence became Tong Xin's deepest memory, and it had a particularly great impact on him. He has an amazing quality, that is, he is not burdened or nervous during the exam.The review period before the college entrance examination, in the eyes of many children, is like hell, and all normal life rhythms have been disrupted, making a mess.But Tong Xin regards this matter as an established procedure.I arrange my daily time well, and do things at any time, even such things as "buying breakfast in the morning" and "running three laps on the playground" are meticulous.He never stayed up late and worked overtime to do exercises.Go to bed at 9 o'clock every night.Sometimes he finds that he can't fight day and night like his classmates, and he can't help but feel uneasy.At this time, he would think of what his father said, "Work with your brain." He completed all his studies in such a stable and step-by-step life. According to the teacher's requirements, he memorized all the textbooks that should be memorized, and did all the exercises that should be done several times. An important university, there are no ups and downs, and no unexpected things happen. There is only one thing, the farther the time passes, the closer he feels the distance is, that is his student days.He recalled the story at that time more and more often, and felt that he had learned more lessons than experience: "There are many things that I have learned so hard and earnestly, but now I have forgotten them, and the things that really remain in my mind are not. What’s the use. There are still many things that I feel I need very much now, but I have never learned them because they are not in the textbooks. Maybe they are in the textbooks, but I didn’t think they were useful for exams at the time, so I didn’t study hard.” So, a thought appeared in his mind more and more often: "If I were to go to school again, what would I do?" It looked a bit like an "E-student" manifesto: If I have the opportunity to go back to school, I will put more effort into the two subjects of mathematics and English.Because I feel that these two courses are more and more important, but unfortunately I didn't understand them when I was in school. If I had the chance to go back to school, I wouldn't be reading as hard as I used to.I don't try to study courses that don't interest me just for the grades.I might just make it pass enough.I will spare more time to learn something other than textbooks.I will cultivate my interest.I want to read more books. If I have the opportunity to go back to school, I will more consciously master the method of learning, instead of just instilling knowledge.Now it seems that my knowledge is still too dead.The more such knowledge is accumulated, the less the brain is able to enter into a particularly active state.I only now understand that people who memorize by rote are smart for a while, and those who find a way are smart forever. Given the opportunity to go back to school, I would ask teachers to change their approach to education.They place too much emphasis on right and wrong and too little attention to asking questions.They let students get a lot of knowledge, but they don't let students master the method of applying knowledge, and they don't let students learn to acquire new knowledge. If there is a chance to go back to school, I will not spend so much time to endorse, because I have already understood that the most important thing is not memory, but understanding.You have to have an understanding of what you have learned, just like what my dad taught me, you have to work with your brain.It may be the most stupid way to master knowledge with simple repetition. Given the chance to go back to school, I would definitely be wiser.My dad also said that if you are a smart person, if you see someone else fall, you will not fall the same fall.If you are not very smart, you may fall one by yourself, and you will not fall a second time.If you are the stupidest person, you will fall the same somersault next time.I have seen somersaults thrown by others, and I have seen somersaults thrown by myself. At least, I will not fall the same somersault again. Those who dare to try must be smart people, they will not lose.Because even if they don't succeed, they can learn from it.Therefore, only those who do not try are absolute losers. ——Zhang Yaqin The China University of Science and Technology Junior Class is called the "Prodigy Concentration Camp", but if anyone wants to go there to find the so-called "Prodigy Concentration Camp", "Evidence, nine out of ten will be disappointed. "Those of my classmates, to this day, some are great, some are ordinary, and some are not so good." Yaqin commented on the students of the Junior Class of USTC in this way: "So how is the Junior Class? I think it’s too early to evaluate. The same is true for junior classes in other universities. What is success? What is failure? Everyone’s standards are different. We are only in our thirties. It is difficult for people of this age to tell whether it is success or failure.” In the past 25 years, China has produced thousands of "young college students". The most striking one is not Yaqin. Before him, there is a child who has already taken the lead. His name is Ning Bo, and he is the "first person" in the junior class of a Chinese university. He is very smart and obedient.He has all the elements of a perfect child in the Chinese mind.By chance, he became the first young college student and became the target of reporters.They made the child famous, made the child a "prodigy", made the child emit a mysterious and fiery brilliance, made the child a role model for children across the country, and a new model for parents to educate their children. Ning Bo and Yaqin were studying in the same school, but at that time his reputation was far higher than Yaqin's. "At that time we only knew that there was Ning Bo, but we didn't know that there was Yaqin." Li Shipeng, who entered USTC three years later, said, "But it's strange that after 20 years, the two people turned upside down." The kind of ordinary person who is unknown, only the people in the University of Science and Technology of China know that he is a teacher in this school, and Yaqin's name is popular all over the world. When Yaqin talked about this matter once, he still felt that Ning Bo was smarter than himself. "At least," he said, "I'm no smarter than Ning Bo." The misfortune of Ning Bo is that people place too much honor and expectations on him.After all, he was still a child at that time, unable to carry such a heavy load.He began to worry about his ability, afraid of failure.He felt he couldn't afford to fail because no one would accept failure from a "child prodigy".As a result, he lost one of the most amazing things in the "child prodigy" - self-confidence, and he was even timid about what he longed for, and he dared not reach out for it. We have already described Yaqin's active and whole-hearted devotion in the college entrance examination, and also described the great influence that postgraduate examination had on Shen Xiangyang.Now we want to say that Ning Bo also faced almost the same thing, but his decision was completely opposite and the result was completely opposite. He always thought: "What if it fails?" After graduating from university, Ning Bo had a strong desire in his heart to apply for a postgraduate entrance examination, but he repeatedly gave up his hope.The first time was after registration, but he gave up; the second time, after the physical examination, he gave up again; the third time, he even got the admission ticket, but just before entering the examination room, he gave up again.He later never fought for a similar opportunity for himself. Yaqin later talked about his classmates, feeling very sorry: I believe that Ning Bo just took a wrong step in the matter of taking the postgraduate entrance examination.If he takes a step forward and walks into the examination room, he will surely pass the examination, because he has a high IQ and excellent grades.It is a pity that he did not enter the examination room.This is not a question of being smart or not. He may be afraid of losing face if he fails the exam, so I say he made a wrong judgment. This is all a matter of one thought.Let me use my example. I was sick in the hospital for the college entrance examination that year. In fact, I didn’t have to take the college entrance examination, but I had less worries and more confidence, so I made a very simple choice.But Ning Bo had more worries, less self-confidence, and made a wrong judgment. As a result, his wisdom could not be fully utilized. It was a pity. Later, he did not dare to try many opportunities.Those who dare to try must be smart people, they will not lose.Because they think, "Even if I don't succeed, I can learn from it." So, only those who don't try are the absolute losers. Sometimes we look back at the past and compare all kinds of people around us, and we will find that some people are smarter and more outstanding than you, it is not because they are unique, in fact, you are as good as them.If your situation today is different from theirs, it is only because your mental state is different from theirs.In front of the same thing, your thoughts and reactions are different from theirs.They are more confident and courageous than you.This alone determines the success or failure of things, and a completely different growth path. Zhang Yaqin's point of view: Self-confidence is a feeling. Confidence is a feeling.A person's growth and success often depend on this feeling.This feeling guides your judgment.A correct judgment not only determines your success or failure in one matter, but more importantly, it is the dividing line in which direction you are going.For example, there are two people who have the same environment, and one of them suddenly goes up, and the other may never be able to go up this level.The most important difference is what kind of judgment he makes.This is something that cannot be measured by test scores , but it is decisive.Ever since I was a child, there were always many people around me, but because of a single thought, everything changed afterwards. Wang Jian's point of view: Self-confidence is the standard in your heart. Some people must get the first place, must go to a key middle school, or a prestigious university, in order to make themselves more confident, in fact, that is not true self-confidence.Those who overemphasize success and try to prove themselves are actually not so confident.A truly confident person must emphasize his point of view very much, but he can also give up his point of view at any time.Giving up also requires self-confidence.Excessively wanting others to recognize yourself, for example, you must strive for the "first place", even if you get the second place, you will think that you have a problem. This is not self-confidence, but "lack of confidence".The essential problem is that what kind of person you are is your own inner standard. No one in the world knows yourself better than yourself. You don’t need to pass exams to prove that you are good at studying, and don’t care about others. evaluate you. Zhang Hongjiang's point of view: self-confidence is to get rid of the shackles. After middle school, I became sensible and surrounded by more and more people.I found that my life was completely different from when I was at home, and it was also different from school.So I started to express myself, began to demand myself with higher standards, and had a desire to go up.When I strongly want to transcend the education methods in middle school and university, or when I really realize something and get rid of the limitations of my education, I feel that I have entered a new realm. Shen Xiangyang's point of view: Self-confidence is the desire to overcome fear. Confidence is a person's desire to overcome fear.Self-confidence is our confidence in our ability to grow.We should grow up as we expect, but we are always afraid of this and that.In fact, the most fearful thing is nothing but fear itself, so self-confidence is obtained in overcoming fear.As long as you pay attention, you will find that self-confidence is not innate, self-confidence needs to be cultivated.However, people always dream of gaining self-confidence without paying a price, just as they always dream of gaining wealth without labor. 1. To the question "Are you confident?", all our subjects answered in the affirmative.This is in stark contrast to their 100% denial of the question "Are you smart?" 2. While 100% believe that you are very confident, you also have 100% experience of fear and tension. 3. Abandon the old idea that self-confidence and success are linked.In fact, self-confidence based on success is not solid .Self-confidence is built on a deep understanding of one's own worth, not on success, because no one can always be successful without failing. 4. It is only for those who are not confident enough and therefore want to prove themselves that whether they are successful and recognized by others is particularly important.Truly confident people don't care about certain "accepted standards", such as whether they are better than others.They care more about their inner feelings. 5. Education is the process of cultivating students' self-confidence. English difference can correspond to "different", "difference" or "special" in Chinese, but another meaning in this word not only cannot correspond to Chinese culture, but also runs counter to it.When Westerners use this word to describe a person or a thing, it usually expresses a strong compliment.In fact, being different has always been seen as a positive character and encouraged in Western culture.But we Chinese are often the opposite. A child who is different always brings troubles to parents and teachers.When an adult says to a child, "I've never seen you like this", or "Why are you special", the face must be very ugly, which is a strong reprimand.If they say, "Look People, why don’t you know how to learn”, that must be asking children to make themselves like others. One day in the summer of 2003, in an ordinary Beijing home, a father and son had a conversation.At that time, my father was writing a sentence on the computer: "We are standing at the entrance of the 21st century. The world is ever-changing, but the whole society is doing one thing, which is to ask our descendants to be exactly the same people." After finishing writing, he suddenly wanted to discuss this issue with his son.The son is a first-year university student. He completed all the school's courses step by step since he was a child, and got very good grades, but he always showed a strong dislike for learning and school, so the father felt that his son must have something to say. "Yes," the son saw his father's words and immediately agreed, "I have been in school for 12 years. My classmates and I read the same books and do the same homework every day. The teacher uses the same standard to measure us. , either right or wrong, and then we pass the same test paper, and then we run towards the same goal — good college.” "You don't think it should be like this?" "If I had chosen, I would not have spent my childhood and adolescence this way." "So what exactly do you want?" "Then...then I can't tell. I just know that I don't want to study like I am now, but I can't tell what I want. Strange, why have I never thought about this question?" "Last year, you and more than 5 million children took the college entrance examination together, and this year there are more, there are 6 million. So many children are working hard, but how many of them enjoy happiness from this kind of hard work? Probably the strongest feeling is suffering. Word." "Isn't it just miserable? It's almost like life is worse than death." "So, what you have to do is not what your parents, teachers, classmates ask you to do, not what you 'have to do', not what you 'should do', but what you 'want to do'." "But I always feel that it's not that simple. The education in our country has been finalized. Who would dare not to follow its path? Unless you directly dismantle Tsinghua University and Peking University, students are not prioritized, and universities are not good or bad." "It's not tearing down the school, it's tearing down your perception of the school." "Remove 'view'?" "Yes, change your mind about school." After reading this conversation, we look back at "difference", and we can vaguely feel that this English word contains the third secret of "E students", that is: what do i want I am not a good student of the professor.Because I don't like to follow the professor's plan and always do what I want to do. ——Xu Fengxiong In the late 1980s, two major events occurred in the computer field, which caused a sensation in the world.They came from two students in the computer department of Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. First, there are dozens of the best computer experts in the world working on speech recognition technology. They all racked their brains to make computers understand human language, but it was not until 1987 that a student in his 20s made history. , that is Kai-fu Lee. Second, in 1988, a computer named "Deep Thought" became an "international master chess player" for the first time, and defeated the chess grandmaster Bent Larsson.Its maker is Xu Fengxiong. To this day, Xu Fengxiong and Li Kaifu are still the pride of Carnegie Mellon University.If we go back and re-evaluate the outstanding performance of these two people, we will find that every student has unlimited potential.Most students never express their abilities perfectly because they never think clearly about what they want, and never have an urge to grab something.Only a few people can realize what they really want, feel that it is calling ahead, and grab it desperately.A strong desire not only produces diligence, but also creates talent, motivating them to overcome all obstacles and make a difference. We have already described in "Following Wisdom" how Lee Kai-fu parted ways with 15 experts and found another way, and how his mentor, Professor Roger Reddy, "disagreed with him, but supported him".Now let's look at Xu Fengxiong.He was a doctoral student who enrolled one year earlier than Kai-fu Lee, and now he is a senior researcher at Microsoft Research Asia. 看见许峰雄的时候，我们脑子里冒出来的第一个念头是“深蓝”：这就是那个被叫做“深蓝之父”的人吗？ 是的，就是他。他和他的两个伙伴制作出来的那台“深蓝”是个庞然大物，有1.4吨重，里面装了32个并行处理器、世界上所有国际象棋大师的棋谱，还拥有每秒计算2亿步棋的能力。1997年5月11日，许峰雄用它战胜了卡斯帕罗夫。后者拥有很多辉煌的头衔：国际象棋世界冠军、世界排名第一、特级大师、有史以来最伟大的国际象棋棋手。所以，“深蓝”的胜利让全世界电脑和人脑两大领域又惊又喜，还有一种五味俱全的感觉。自从1958年国际商用机器公司那台名叫“思考”的计算机掀开与人类博弈的第一页，“40年人机大战的历史”就在这一天彻底改写了。 “别人都说你在卡耐基梅隆大学是个非常出色的学生，是吗？”有人这样问许峰雄。 “我也不知道，”他腼腆地笑了，“我们学校不分名次，学生也就是合格和不合格两种。不过，我不是教授的好学生。因为我不喜欢按照教授的计划走，总是在做自己想做的事。” 此人中等个子，看上去温文尔雅，年龄不算大，却已早生华发，一副深度眼镜后面的那双眼睛，有时候有些木然，心不在焉，但是突然间又会神采飞扬，把脸上的表情甚至全身都带动起来。1997年5月那次持续一周的“人机大战”之后，“许峰雄”这个名字在全世界传扬开，也为很多中国人知晓。但是昔日的同学和今日的同事并不叫他“许峰雄”，而是叫他“CB”——Crazy Bird，意思是“疯狂鸟”。 “CB”的早期教育简历很简单，但却令人印象深刻。他出生在台湾，自幼“好新奇之事”，中学时期“奇思妙想层出不穷、天空海阔恣意驰骋”。在台湾大学读书的时候成绩优秀，但他给同学留下的印象是“思想异于常人”、“特立独行”。1982年他来到美国，进入卡内基梅隆大学计算机系，又是一个“不务正业”的学生。他所谓“不是老师的好学生”，包含了如下一个事件：有一天校园出现一个“黑客程序”，可以控制老师学生的计算机系统，还能把人家私下往来的电子邮件发布到学校网站的电子布告栏上，以至那些诸如“昨天我在洗手间捡到的连裤袜是谁的”之类的隐私也被公开。结果证明始作俑者正是“CB”，而他只不过是在“愚人节”里开了一个玩笑。当今微软公司负责全球科研的高级副总裁里克·雷斯特博士，就是这一事件的“受害者”之一。那时候雷斯特是这所大学里的教授，而“CB”是计算机系一个尚未取得博士学位的学生。 不久以后发生的一件事情，再次证明此人所谓“特立独行”不是夸张，他后来总是说，自己走上“人机博弈”的道路“完全是机缘”，也是在说这件事： 有位教授来找我，要我帮忙去完成一台能下国际象棋的电脑。我喜欢下棋，也喜欢电脑，还知道让电脑学会下棋的努力已经持续了很多年，但直到那时为止，电脑还只是具有业余级别的棋力。我喜欢做这件事，可是我不能同意教授的计划。他们打算按照国际象棋的64个格子做出64块芯片，所以那是一个很大的东西。我觉得这种做法很笨，对教授说：“现在的技术可以把这些东西装进一个晶片，为什么要做64块？”教授坚持当时流行的观点：如果加快电脑速度，必然增加电脑体积。我说“不一定”。结果我和教授发生了冲突。我说：“如果你做成一个芯片，我就参加。”教授很生气，说我“根本就不想做。” “CB”离开教授，满脑子只有一个念头：“我非要做出一个来。” 他把自己的想法告诉导师孔祥重。导师支持他，但又说：“人家已经开始，你忽然另起炉灶，所以一定要做得很快。学校没有时间等你。” 导师问他需要多长时间，一年还是三年？ 他说：“6个月。” 对他来说，这是一个前所未有的历程。没有人要求他去做这件事，那是他自己想要的。“很多事情，你不做就不会理解其中艰难，一旦做起来，才能发现自己低估了困难的程度。 ”他这样说，“面对那么一大堆问题，我有时候担心自己也许要做10年。”旁人遇到这种情况，也许会退缩，至少要求导师给自己更多的时间，但他是“CB”——疯狂的鸟，他不肯退缩。 每天从早到晚坐在电脑前。他要把36000个晶体放在一块长6.8厘米宽6.7厘米的芯片上，每一条线路都要重新设计，这用掉了第一个月。然后把一点一线画出来，有几万个点和几万条线，其中大部分依靠手工完成，这又用去了4个月。每天的工作时间越来越长，昏天黑地，不分昼夜，但最大的问题是“前途难测”。他一边往那小小的芯片里面塞进晶体和线路，一边对自己说：“应该可以。应该可以。” 第六个月开始的时候，他把36000个晶体连同所有电路全都装在芯片上了，再多一条线都加不进去。然后开始检测，在发生错误的地方重新开始，这用去了他的最后一个月。“6月限期”全用完了，他的芯片真的诞生了，不仅能够正常工作，而且证明比那64个芯片组成的系统还要快10倍。 他把自己的第一个成就叫做“晶体测试”，它的样子粗糙，甚至不是一台像样的电脑，但是同学们都在为它惊讶不已，对说他：“你应该带着它去参加国际象棋比赛。”他去了。在一场机器对机器的博弈中，“晶体测试”两胜两败。那是“CB”第一次参加大师级别的比赛，时在1986年。 初试锋芒，“CB”信心大增。他继续在“晶体测试”上投入自己的激情和智慧。一年后，“晶体测试”参加北美冠军赛，战胜所有对手，成为冠军。 “CB”现在狂热地爱上了他的芯片，热情与日俱增，似乎没有止境。“我想做一台更快的机器。”他对同学说。他已经计算出，如果能把电脑的速度提高1000倍，就能接近国际象棋世界冠军的能力。 导师看出学生前途无量，给他5000美元，要他做出一台真正的电脑来，还为电脑取了个既浪漫又沉稳的名字，叫“深思”。 一年以后，“深思”诞生。“CB”带着它去参加比赛。这是他第一次带领电脑与人脑下棋。“深思”一往无前，进入决赛，可惜在关键一役中输给一位特级大师，屈居亚军。 “CB”把“深思”带回家去，再接再厉。现在“深思”已经有了200块芯片和两个处理器，每秒钟能分析70万个棋位。半年以后，“深思”战胜特级大师本特·拉尔森，声名大噪。 “深思”如果是一个人，也有人类的七情六欲，那必是当之无愧的“国际大师”了。事情做到这个程度，“CB”已是全校闻名的传奇人物。教授们开始对新来的学生津津乐道：“我们的机器是全世界第一个击败国际大师的电脑。”“什么叫研究？这就叫研究。” 这一年“CB”毕业了，取得博士学位。国际商用机器公司正为推进它的“人机博弈”煞费苦心，听说此事，当即认定此人的工作具有“世界级”的水平，甚至有可能击败世界冠军。于是公司派人前来游说。说IBM将帮助他制成更大更快的计算机。这正是“CB”想要的，他和两个伙伴进入IBM。这一年是1989年。 从“晶体测试”到“深思”，“CB”用了4年。现在他要开始新的历程。新电脑改名叫“深蓝”，其理论上的根据源自他的博士论文。那时候“CB”已经全美知名，因为《纽约时报》在头版发表文章，说这是一场“电脑与人脑之间的战争”，弄得人们既兴奋又紧张。 这场“战争”的结局现在人人都已知道，但是“总攻”发起之前的那一段时间仍然漫长。从“深思”到“深蓝”，CB和他的“三人小组”用了8年，其间有过无数失败、无数烦恼、无数惊喜、无数不眠夜，这一切外人至今还不知道。人们津津乐道事情的成败，“深蓝”的胜利和卡斯帕罗夫的失败，成为那一周世界媒体的头版新闻。美国的《时代周刊》、《纽约时报》，英国的《卫报》，还有新华社、美联社、路透社、共同社，纷纷报道，连中国的《人民日报》这样的严肃报纸也加入进来。IBM甚至单独为这场比赛申请了一个站点，每天有上千万用户访问该站点，发表见解。“这是一部像人的机器和一个像机器的人之间的决斗”，印度人阿南德这样评价“深蓝”与卡斯帕罗夫的较量。卡斯帕罗夫说他“没有想到电脑会如此像人一样下棋。”国际商用机器公司则名声大振。他们为这次比赛投入1000万美元，然后把70万元的“胜利者奖金”发给了自己，又从股票价格上涨中收益2亿美元。 但是“CB”并不在意这些，在他的记忆中，事情的起点才是最值得怀念的。“一切都基于一个信念”。他这样说，“信念会促使你持续不断地努力。” 《纽约时报》当年的一篇评论说，IBM导演的这场“人机大战”，是演给全球最大的软件公司微软看的，“'深蓝'已经打败了棋王卡斯帕罗夫，它能打败比尔·盖茨吗?” 如今，“深蓝”功成身退，它的一部分捐给了博物馆，另一部分则存放在国际商用机器公司，作为资料，也作为纪念。“深蓝之父”许峰雄并没有向比尔·盖茨挑战，他在2003年春天加盟微软，来到比尔·盖茨旗下。 张亚勤说，他是“很安静、很坚韧”的科学家，脑子里每时每刻都跳动着“各种各样的想法”，一旦决定了主攻方向，他便会“执着地整合各种资源”。 沈向洋说：“他应该是所有中国学生的榜样，当然，也是我的榜样。” 他自己说：“当时我也没有想到，这件事情一做就是12年。”有一次他还对朋友说起自 己为什么到那么大的年龄才结婚：“在战胜卡斯帕罗夫之前，我根本不知道女人是怎么回事。” 我终于找到了能让自己心花怒放、精神振奋的东西。那一天我对自己说，大学的后三年再也不拿A以下的成绩了。 --Kai-fu Lee 我们的研究对象有个共性，值得一提。那就是，几乎每个人在学习期间都有一个发现自 己的过程。这过程包含了两个内容： 1.先是发现了自己到底想要什么； 2.然后才是发现了自己的能力所在。 一旦进入这种状态，他们就会感受到有一种前所未有的力量从心底涌出，那情形就像很多人说的，“开窍了”。这是一个突然爆发的时刻。沈向洋的“开窍”发生在大学三年级，张亚勤是在读博士的时候，李开复也是在大学二年级。在此之前，是一个逐渐演化逐渐积累的过程，有点像火山喷发之前的沉寂。 下面是李开复“开窍”的经历： 读中学时，开复希望能成为一个律师。到了上大学的时候，他选择了政治学和数学。他在以前从未想过其他选择。他的父亲是搞政治的，后来离开了政治的舞台在家里写书，也还是在研究政治。“父亲从没有说过他希望我做什么，但我觉得子承父业似乎是很自然的事。” 对抗老师是他做的第一件具有政治和法律意味的事情。那时候他在台湾上小学，他的老师喜欢惩罚学生，最严重的惩罚是用竹尺打，稍微轻一些的就是罚款，常常把同学们的零用钱都罚光了。他回忆道： 班里的同学都恨老师，都在心里想着发泄不满的情绪，这给了我一个机会去展示自己的政治才能。我开始调动小聪明，偷偷计算老师罚款的数额：一天一天地加起来，结果惊讶地发现，老师从学生手里拿走了很多钱，但班费却没有增加。于是我说服同学们相信老师在贪污，向校长检举。校长痛斥老师一顿，老师回来痛斥学生，说是“共产党的行为”，还要追查检举者，但却无从下手，因为我已经预先防备泄露身份，检举信是用左手写的。 第一次向权力挑战就大获成功，这让开复成了同学中的“明星”，也成为“正义的化身”。到美国之后读中学，他开始喜欢法律，觉得自己可以做一个为社会主持公道的律师。 有一天老师要大家写一篇作文，题目是：“谁是美国人面临的最大的敌人？”中国的学校不会出这样的题目，因为这类题目的答案是形形色色的，没有一个标准的对与错，老师就失去了评判的依据。但是开复在美国学校里遇到的题目，大都是没有标准答案的。老师可能说出一些参考书目，让大家自己去看，等到看了一大堆书之后才发现，原来书里并没有现成答案，还是要写出自己的想法。 “我当时看着老师的作文题，忽然豪气大发，写下自己的答案：《漠视——美国人面临的最大的敌人》。为什么这么说呢？我在作文里写道：越南战争给很多美国人带来影响，抽烟喝酒，不看新闻，不看报纸，还吸毒，没有一个很好的目标。人们在心理上“什么都不在乎”。过去美国人只关心自己，这还是一种比较好的情形，因为这在客观上对社会有好处。可是现在，美国人连自己都不关心了。这是最大的问题，比“贸易逆差”、“环境破坏”之类的问题还要坏。因为，这个国家民主制度之所以能够有效，就是因为人人都能受教育，都能关心社会。如果人们什么都不在乎，民主制度就要完蛋了。” 那时候开复还只是个中学生，有这样的思想不免让周围的人大感惊讶。他的《漠视》获得优秀奖，也是那一年全洲最好的10篇论文之一。这似乎证明了他的政治天赋，连他自己也觉得很不一般。到哥伦比亚大学读书的时候选择专业，他第一个就选了人文学院。“那时候我认定自己是要当律师的，要么就是法学家。” 不料情形不像他想的那样。他觉得上课提不起精神，成绩也不好，最让他沮丧的是，他感觉不到那股激情，甚至想把枯燥无味的课本扔到教授身上。有一个时期，桥牌成了他的精神支柱，每天要打好几个小时，有时候逃课，出去参加比赛。那一年他的桥牌成绩比他大学的学习成绩要好得多，曾在美国大学生比赛中获得第一名，还得到过一个“世界亚军”。“中国人都知道杨晓燕是美籍华人中的桥牌高手，其实她总是输给我们的。不过她很有风度，是很好的一个女性。” 他就这样度过了大学一年级，学习成绩很差，也不在乎，因为他真的不知道自己喜欢些什么。但他明白这里不是中学，政治也不再是写信检举老师那么简单的事情。他在这个领域没有什么出众之处，既没有那种炽烈的热爱，更没有献身的欲望，还很厌恶那些娴熟的政治技巧。“你走进这个世界，就不能再说实话。所以我到后来认定那不是一个好的事业。”于是他决定放弃政治学：“我并不为已经花费了一年的时间而懊悔。我认识到那不是我想从事的事业，我没有在那里用掉我的半生甚至毕生的时间，这是我的幸运。” 开复开始探求自己到底想要干什么，先去学习数学，但后来发现真正喜欢的是学校里面那台电脑。他去听了一个月的电脑课，就发现比老师懂得还要多了。那时候电脑还是打卡式的，很笨拙，但是对他来说却有巨大的魅力。当他发现有一个计算机和可口可乐的机器连在一起、学生坐在教室也可以看到可乐机里面有没有可乐的时候，就觉得真是奇妙无穷。 那时候还没有什么人能预测计算机有着一个那么辉煌的未来，人们说到科学的时候，都是说数学家、化学家、物理学家，没有人说计算机科学家的，所以他也没有觉得这是一个事业，“但是这不重要，重要的是我喜欢它。所以我把数学也丢掉了，去学计算机。” “我终于找到了能让自己心花怒放、精神振奋的东西了。那一天我对自己说，大学的后三年再也不拿A以下的成绩了。这是我作了那么多愚蠢的决定、经过了许多尝试之后的一个新 决定。当我投入到计算机课程中去的时候，我感觉周围的一切都安静下来，只有我的内心在说话。在我的记忆中，除了我的家人和朋友，似乎没什么人很注意地听我说话。但现在情况不同了，当我开口说话的时候，我的老师和那些专家们都在仔细倾听，这让我非常惊讶，很受鼓舞，越发勤奋。每天16个小时用在学习上，而我根本感觉不到时间在流逝。有时候我想：“我准是疯了！”但我的确感觉很快乐。 " 从那时起，他果然没有A以下的成绩。大学毕业的时候，他是全校第一名。 回顾那几年的学习生活，开复到现在都十分庆幸。作为一个计算机科学家，能让亿万不同国籍、不同种族、不同文化背景的人们，因为他的发明而改变了自己的生活，这给他的生命带来意义。然而，他可不是在一个早上就踏到这条道路上来的，那是不断幻想、追求、尝试、改变自己的结果。 总是生活在别人的评价体系中，想想挺可悲的。 ——凌小宁 凌小宁生在中国长在中国，有一段在国内读中学读大学的经历。现在想想，那时的课程都不记得了，但是有一篇鲁迅写的文章，给他留下很深的印象。鲁迅在那篇文章里写了中国 民族的一些问题，大意是说，中国少有失败的英雄、任性的反抗，少有单身鏖战的武人，见胜兆纷纷聚集，见败兆纷纷逃亡……小宁在美国生活多年，直到今天还能把这长长的一段背诵出来，而且时间越是久远，他就越是感觉到鲁迅的话真是有道理。 “这就是说，中国是一个'随大溜'的民族。”小宁说，“我们从小受的是集体主义的教育，人人都有共同理想和共同利益，都在追逐一个东西，都希望做一件事。” 出国多年以后，小宁回到中国，和中学时代的同学们相聚在一起，有人建议大家轮流讲述当年的故事。于是，20多年前的往事一件一件铺排开。 “我要讲个凌小宁的故事。”有个同学说，接着就开始讲起来。 那是1966年盛夏，文革正在高潮，政治的批判轰轰烈烈。这班初中一年级学生当时只有13岁。有一天，大批判的矛头直指班主任易老师。几个同学是组织者，站在讲台上，全班50多个同学都坐在下面，小宁坐在最后排。易老师被押上来。她才20多岁，从北京大学毕业不久，来当老师，现在站在学生面前，垂首弯腰。有人用细铁丝拴住一块黑板，挂在她的脖子上，下面还吊着砖头，在黑板上写“修正主义教育路线的代表”，还写“大流氓，大破鞋”。一人高呼口号，要打倒她，大家都跟着，小宁却在后面沉默。有个同学拿了一堆大蒜来，往老师脸上抹，还把老师的鞋脱下来，拿来打她的脸。就在这时，小宁似乎忍无可忍，他站起来，大声说：“你们这样做不对，老师对我们挺好的，你们为什么这样对老师？”一语出口，满座又惊又怒。同学们斥责小宁，教室里像炸锅似的。小宁也不知道从哪里来了一股怒气，跳将起来，冲到前面，又把老师脖子上的黑板摘下来，摔到地上。老师一直默默忍受诸般凌辱，此时忽然哭了，泪流满面。小宁看到老师的脖子被铁丝勒出血痕，鲜血淌下来，似乎更气，抢上一步，把那堆大蒜扔出很远，又挡在老师身前。“我也不知道我当时哭没哭，”他后来回忆道，“也讲不出什么道理，只觉得他们太过分了！老师太可怜了！”教室里吵得一塌糊涂，很多人说小宁“破坏文化大革命”。他说：“不管你们怎么革命，不能这样对待别人。”没有人站起来帮他说话，他感觉寡不敌众，转身跑出教室，有几个人跟他走了。批判会让他这么一闹，不了了之。 当年主持批判会的那个同学，现在和小宁重逢。大家都是快50岁的人了，往事依然历历在目。“我那天特别恨你，”他对小宁说，“我心想，这家伙平时不声不响，关键时候跳出来反对我们。后来我再想想，真是很佩服你：做人就要这样做，不应该欺负弱小的人，要帮助弱小的人。其实从那天以后，我一直在学你。” 这是30多年以后的真情流露，在当时可不是这样。那一年大批判的热潮又持续了几个月，小宁觉得实在不能忍受，不再去学校。他回到家里，沉浸在自己的世界里：做半导体收音机、搞化学实验、做火箭、做天文望远镜和显微镜。做这些东西要买零件、买工具，要花很多钱，而妈妈给他的零花钱总是不够。有一天他在一家汽车修理厂的垃圾堆里发现很多废弃的铜丝，大喜过望。他每天到那个垃圾堆上去，把那些铜丝扒出来，拿到废品收购站去卖，把几角几分攒起来，凑足一笔钱，就跑到商店去买回一个无线电零件。他沉浸在自己的发明世界里，丝毫没有感觉到“捡垃圾”是一件不光彩的事。有一天，他正在垃圾堆里扒着，邻家孩子看到了，嘲笑道：“你怎么在干这个，真不像话，给你家里丢脸，也给你自己丢脸。”小宁一点不脸红，还是不停地捡，心里想：“我又没偷没抢。我只是想把自己喜欢的东西做出来。” 很多年后，有人和小宁谈到这些往事。He said: 做人做事，道理是一样的。你不应该总是跟着别人走，也没有必要看别人怎么评价你。做你自己！你就会发现心里有一块地方是真正属于你自己的。激情一定就在那个地方。认识到自己的激情所在，不要压抑它，把它开发出来，你可以看到，你的价值就在这里。 小宁是在32岁那年到美国求学的。他发现美国人的文化是强调个人价值，强调与众不同，这一切似乎格外符合他的本性。一个人怎么样才算有价值？美国人的理念和中国人是不一样的。他们不是人人都希望做科学家，都希望做大人物，不认为一定要很有学问，一定要挣很多钱。他们更在乎自己是不是快乐。只要自己高兴，做一个饭店服务员、做一个普通的售货员，都很有满足感，不会因此就觉得比别人矮一头。 儿子的童年和他不同，都是生在美国长在美国。有一天他问小儿子：“你长大想干什么？” 儿子说：“我不知道。” “你想不想当总统？” "In no mood." "why?" “那个人太累。” 这细节让小宁经久难忘，因为他从这里看出，美国的孩子想的都不一样，而美国的父母一定是尊重孩子想法的。 然后，小宁又讲了一个故事。这件事他对很多中国的朋友说起过： 我在微软公司有个同事，他非常优秀，是个很出色的计算机