Perception of People in Different Countries

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The speaker shared a personal story about how he perceives people differently in India and New Zealand, with a belief that people in India are more interesting than in New Zealand. He acknowledged that this is a subjective perception and highlighted the importance of challenging and changing such beliefs if needed. The speaker explained that he intentionally chose to be less social in New Zealand to focus on work and spend more time with his child, as he found the people in Singapore, where he previously lived, too interesting and demanding of his time. This intentional choice to move to a place where he found people less interesting allowed him to prioritize being a good father, leading him to choose New Zealand as his current residence.

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Is nothing objectively true? What kinds of things are we trying to communicate with the stories we tell? Why do we feel the need to take a side on every issue? Which sorts of issues should be tied to our identities? How can we set the definitions for terms in a conversation, if possible? Should people just believe whatever works for them? Is it better to try to compensate for our biases or to reduce them? Should we strive to have lower confidence in ourselves and our abilities? How should we think about assigning blame when something goes wrong? When should we say yes or no to new opportunities? To what degree should we try to optimize our lives?

Derek Sivers is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Sivers’ books (How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, and Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs

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