Stanford professor speaks about societal pressures and individuality

by Vivek Bharadwaj, Winged Post STEM Editor|November 7, 2014

Stanford professor Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu addressed the Upper School in two separate assemblies today afternoon to discuss student issues such as depression, individuality and finding one’s own path in life.

Sporting a traditional Japanese Kimono, Shigematsu kicked off each assembly speaking in Japanese, a tactic he has uses for his students at Stanford on the first day of class. Switching to English, he explained that the exercise was meant to promote awareness before launching into a discussion of mindfulness in the midst of distractions.

Professor Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu talks about authenticity during the second of two assemblies held today afternoon. Shigematsu covered a variety of topics during his speech, including mindfulness, individuality, and finding one's path in life.
Justin Su
Professor Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu talks about authenticity during the second of two assemblies held today afternoon. Shigematsu covered a variety of topics during his speech, including mindfulness, individuality, and finding one’s path in life.

“We have a lot of research that shows that [mindfulness] is extremely useful for learning,” Shigematsu said. He proceeded to cover topics such as anxiety, peer pressure and societal expectations in his hourlong speech.

Throughout the assembly, Shigematsu referenced his inspirations, from Albert Einstein to the late Robin Williams. He played a clip of Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address, in which the Apple founder talked about dropping out of Reed College to find his identity in life.

“I remember at [a young] age being really obsessed with this question, ‘Who are you?’” Shigematsu said, gesturing to a high school yearbook photo of him in a bright kimono and sunglasses. “I thought ‘This is what will determine the next step in life.’”

Ishanya Anthapur (12) appreciated Shigematsu’s speech and thoughts on life.

“I thought it was insightful,” Ishanya Anthapur (12). “I liked how he related a lot to Robin Williams, since I could relate to that.”

Morgan Douglas (9), who listened to Shigematsu at a similar assembly one year ago, appreciated her second time hearing Shigematsu speak.

“The same speaker came last year in middle school, but it was really informative, and he seems like a really smart guy,” Morgan said.

Shigematsu drew heavily from personal experience in his talk. He spoke about the death of his father and struggling with the meaning of life while growing up. At one point, he recalled asking his 111-year-old grandmother about the meaning of life.

“Her answer surprised me,” Shigematsu said. “It was ‘when you have moments in which you feel [that] it’s good to be alive.’”