[Applause] Four years ago, I moved to a new town and I honestly thought the hardest part would be finding decent coffee. Turns out it was finding connection. I was the city kid.I walked too fast, talked too fast, and apparently had a facial expression that didn't quite fit the local rhythm. Now, no one was being rude, but I could feel it. That subtle distance, you know, when people are smiling with their mouth but not their eyes.Yeah. That I realized something. People were making decisions about me before I ...

Research Findings - Analysis of 90,000 comments from 600 videos tagged with "black people" and "China" revealed that 10% were race-related, with 80% of those expressing negative sentiments [3] - Manual categorization of 2,000 comments highlighted recurring themes such as mockery/harassment of Chinese women in interracial relationships and the portrayal of Black people as criminal, stupid, and animalistic [3][4] - The research uncovered instances of racial slurs and calls for genetic purism within the online comments [4] Societal Context - Despite outward diplomacy and strong ties between China and African countries, the daily reception of Black individuals in China tells a different story [5] - Historical events, such as the 1988 protests and the 2020 COVID-related mistreatment of Black residents in Guangzhou, highlight underlying tensions [5][6] - The tragedy involving a Black American teacher and a Chinese student was twisted to support claims of inherent Black violence, clashing with the Black Lives Matter movement [7] Algorithmic Influence - Algorithms on platforms like Bilibili incentivize outrage and controversy, leading to the amplification of hateful and extreme comments [9] - The design of these platforms fosters negativity bias, echo chambers, and confirmation bias, contributing to the spread of hate [10] Solutions and Recommendations - Meaningful connection, rather than mere proximity, is crucial for changing prejudice [13] - There is a need for better policies that encourage cross-cultural dialogue, humanize individuals, and hold platforms accountable [13] - The report advocates for recognizing that racism is not solely a Western issue but exists within our own platforms and language [16]

Core Idea - The speech emphasizes the importance of unlearning outdated beliefs and habits to foster personal and professional growth [1][5] - It frames unlearning not as forgetting, but as a conscious choice to adopt new perspectives and challenge inherited assumptions [19] Key Steps to Unlearning - Willingness to learn new things by shifting mindset from "I may be wrong" to "they or something else may be right" [9][10] - Loosening grip on existing beliefs, holding them with open palms rather than clenched fists, allowing for modification [12] - Courage to ask "but why," challenging systems of thought and inherited beliefs to reshape societies [13][14][15] Obstacles to Unlearning - Confirmation bias, the tendency to seek information that confirms existing beliefs, even if untrue [6][7] - Difficulty in overcoming cognitive dissonance, the discomfort experienced when learning something that contradicts existing knowledge [8] Practical Applications - Unlearning in relationships, adapting how one loves or ending unhealthy relationships [16] - Unlearning self-limiting beliefs and scarcity mindsets in personal life, tracing their origins to external sources [16][17] - Unlearning in professional life, embracing new ways of thinking and working with emerging technologies like AI [17]

[Music] Hello everyone. Just to start off, you've already made a judgment about me. No, seriously, you did.Whether this is your first impression of me or if you see me around the hallways before I'm your friend or your classmate, you've made the whole picture of me. You decided who I am, whether I'm trustworthy, kind, brave, all of that. And you made that judgment under less than a second.Now, let's try something out. I'm going to show you a picture of two people, and I want you to decide for yourself witho ...

[Music] [Applause] Have you ever tried to convince a diehard Ronaldo fan how Messi is clearly the better player. or told an Italian friend how pineapple actually belongs on pizza. If you have, you know how frustrating yet almost impossible it feels to change someone's mind.But why is this so difficult. The answer lies in what Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein describes as the information cocoon. The information cocoon is a social phenomenon.It describes how social media and news algorithm surround us with ...

Cognitive Biases & Perception - Perception acts as a lens through which we view reality, influencing choices, relationships, and overall reality [3][4] - The halo effect, a cognitive bias, causes initial impressions in one area to influence overall perception of someone [7] - Stereotypes, mental shortcuts based on race, gender, or background, lead to often inaccurate judgments [11][12] - Confirmation bias shapes interpretation of news, media, and experiences, reinforcing existing beliefs [26] Decision Making - Priming, where seeing or hearing something influences response, affects decision-making [15] - The mind uses two systems: System One (fast, intuitive) and System Two (analytical, problem-solving), with reliance on System One due to efficiency [16][17] - Heuristics, cognitive rules of thumb, can lead to systematic judgment errors, such as the availability heuristic and anchoring heuristic [17][18][19] Overcoming Biases - Questioning initial assumptions and giving people a second impression can help overcome biases [12][13] - Actively seeking new perspectives and questioning assumptions can help challenge confirmation bias [27] - Slowing down, questioning impressions and decisions, and seeking the entire picture are crucial for real understanding [29][30][31]