海马星球 Seahorse Planet 2025海马澳洲大会番外篇：优绩主义对我们隐瞒了什么
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Aug 14, 2025 Yifei shares her journey from Shanghai to Harvard, where her beliefs in meritocracy crumbled upon facing stark class disparities. She reframes life as an adventure game, discovering paths beyond competition. In Japan, she learns to appreciate life's small pleasures over relentless ambition. Yifei dives into the hidden rules of capital, stressing the importance of equity and independent judgment in decision-making. With practical advice for founders, she illustrates the blend of passion and analytical thinking necessary for success in startups.
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Small Luxuries Signal Big Differences
- Yifei describes a classmate who refused dorm life and had clothes bought then discarded until their mother purchased a nearby apartment.
- That was her first vivid encounter with family resources changing life logistics and dignity.
First Clash With Privilege
- Yifei recounts meeting classmates born into trust funds who spoke multiple languages and never worried about money.
- That encounter triggered intense inferiority and shattered her belief that effort alone guarantees parity.
Meritocracy Masks Structural Gaps
- Seeing wildly different life paths exposed the limits of the standard 'follow the path and you'll succeed' education.
- Yifei realized mainstream meritocratic narratives hide structural differences that make equal outcomes impossible.