Open Mindedness
How to define open-mindedness - you might be surprised as Richard THOUGHT he knew, but was pleasantly surprised at what it all entailed. Abstract adopted from TEDX Youtube.
Note: There was a typo in the title of the TEDX YouTube video. The speech is by Richard Xing.
Introduction On Brochure
Shirui Xing is a BJ80 International Department alumnus and a current student at NYU, majoring in Math and Economics with minors in Business Studies and Philosophy. After an “accidental” start to his college journey in London, Shirui has spent the past two years navigating life between two of the world’s most global cities—London and New York. From moments of self-doubt in London to a growing sense of connection in New York, Shirui invites you to look beyond appearances and ask: what does it take to truly form the international mindness, without losing yourself in the process?
Speaker:
-Shirui(Richard) Xing
-BJ80 23er
-NYU 27er major in Math&Econ, minor in Business Studies and Philosophy, and finished NYU Liberal Studies Core.
-Pronoun He/him
Fun Facts about me:
-I study at NYU but started my first year in London by accident.”
-I’m an experienced K-pop dancer who learn everything without going to a class
-Despite studying STEM, I’m actually also an actor and have performed in New York!
-I was the president of the student union of BJ80
Introduction of myself:
A big hello to whoever is reading this introduction of Richard Xing! I’m currently a sophomore at NYU. But before that, I spent my freshman year studying abroad in London. So in the past two years, I’ve called two of the world’s most international cities home. Originally from China, I’m moving between these two great cities at the age of 20, which taught me something surprising: that being so-called “International” isn’t depend on where you are, how many stamps and visas you have on your passport, or who your parents and friends are. This realization started on my way to school on the tube and subway…
Topic:
Everything I Need is Underground
Aim of the Speech:
Main Argument:
-The international mindset isn’t built on where you came from and where you went. It depends on the extent of your willingness to engage, to listen, and to look at others' backgrounds and to change your own prejudice.
-Please, everyone, have the courage to reveal the veil of the sense of mystery of everything around you. Knowing that the essence of all places around the world is actually just “草台班子” and has similar logic behind it.
Sub points:
-London experience:
During my first year abroad in London, I was coming into contact with foreign culture for the very first time. But influenced by what I had seen on social media—and my own hesitation—I wasn’t exactly open. In fact, I was scared. I held back from trying new things, avoided reaching out, and often rejected opportunities to connect.
Even when friends offered me kindness during difficult moments, I shut myself off. Looking back, I realize now: I was naive. I hadn’t yet let go of my ego or my fears. I had crossed borders, but not mental ones.
-New York experience:
A year later, things started to change. I had grown used to life abroad. It wasn’t nearly as dangerous or intimidating as I once imagined. And so, I began to notice another side of New York—especially in the subway: performers everywhere, artists, music, and spontaneous shows. Even Ed Sharron once performed in the New York subway!
That’s when it really clicked for me: international-mindedness has nothing to do with how many cities you’ve visited or how prestigious your degree is.
It’s about whether you’re willing to step into the stories around you. Whether you’re aware of the biases and blind spots you carry. And whether you’re open enough to change how you think, to make room for what’s new, unfamiliar, and maybe even uncomfortable.
“ The subway is a place where you can see a place without its mask. You can either choose to sit in the box with headphones in and eyes down, or, like me, look up. To see and engage with the city, and ask where they are from and their perspective on art. Once you choose to move with others, the others keep you growing
-Internationalized vs. International Mindess
I also want to emphasize a big misunderstanding I think that commonly occurs: being internationalized and having international mindedness are two completely different things!
“Having an international mindness doesn’t mean being international. For a long time, I confused the two.”
Bullet Points:
● Internationalized means to fit in by modifying him/herself
To be internationalized, one can simply learn other languages, have more visas, and wear Lululemon in a brunch store. That is, one is actively adding international tags on him/herself to reach the connection to the global community and pop culture. Also, in short, I’m pretty sure all my listeners, including myself, are already Internationalized.
● International Mindness means to fit in by engaging him/herself
To have international mindedness, one not only has access to connect with others, but also has the ability to grow hie/herelf. One needs to actively understand the culture one is in and get to know all the individuals around one to gradually grow one's international mindedness.
“You can hold an international passport, score 120 in TOEFL and 1600 in SAT, and still fail to understand the person sitting next to you.”
Outline of the speech:
Introduction 1min
● A big hello to everyone in the room! I’m Richard from NYU and a graduate of the BJ80 high school!
● Fun Facts
○ 1st year in London
○ I’m an actor
○ Kpop dancer
○ Student President
● Transition： Emphasising the London experience
Why London 1min
● An accident when I did my Common Application
● After discussion with my parents and teachers, I choose to accept my fate, the unknown, and possibilities
In London2min
● Introduce my dorm → the tube beside my dorm: Russell Square, Piccadilly line(Scary and gloomy)
● Start my story with a tube: How I was scared based on my stereotype from social media(Funny gay story and play around with that),
● What is even crazier: my friend gets drunk and loses his mind( btw, 18-year-olds are eligible to drink in the U.K.) I was so scared, and there were a bunch of local people who actually tried to help me. But it turns out: I refused to all of them cuz I was soooo scared.
● A similar thing happened not only in the tube but also outside the tube. In my first year of college, I actually had a different attitude toward my foreign friends than my Chinese friends, not in a bad way, but in a way with more caution and gingerliness. I was so afraid that I would say something wrong that could cause any misunderstanding.
● A year passed so fast that I actually didn’t realize that I was naive. I hadn’t yet let go of my ego or my fears. I had crossed international borders, but not mental ones.
In NY 2min
● Gladly, these naive people didn’t walk with me to New York!
● Move from tube to subway, NY is actually pretty safe! (Probably due to the propaganda on social media being too extreme)
● In the NY Subway, you indeed will see two things, one is the subway for commuting, and the other is actually city artists. (Sunday showcase, violinist, even Ed Sharron)
● How I feel about that beauty and reflections on my attitude
● “ The subway is a place where you can see a place without its mask. You can either choose to sit in the box with headphones in and eyes down, or, like me, look up. To see and engage with the city, and ask where they are from, and their perspective on art. Once you choose to move with others, the others keep you growing
Internationalized vs. International Mindness 1min
● I also want to emphasize a big misunderstanding I think that commonly occurs: being internationalized and having international mindedness are two completely different things!
● “Having an international mindedness doesn’t mean being international. For a long time, I confused the two.”
● Definition of internationalized:
Internationalized means to fit in by modifying him/herself
To be internationalized, one can simply learn other languages, have more visas, and wear Lululemon in a brunch store. That is, one is actively adding international tags on him/herself to reach the connection to the global community and pop culture. Also, in short, I’m pretty sure all my listeners, including myself, are already Internationalized.
● Definition of International Mindness
International Mindness means to fit in by engaging him/herself
To have international mindedness, one not only has access to connect with others, but also has the ability to grow hie/herelf. One needs to actively understand the culture one is in and get to know all the individuals around oneself to gradually grow one's international mindedness.
● “You can hold an international passport, score 120 in TOEFL and 1600 in SAT, and still fail to understand the person sitting next to you.”
Call to action& Conclusion 1min
● Using the subway metaphor: Have you been staying in your cultural carriage for a long time?
● Have you ever switched lines—just to see what someone else’s world looks like?
Maybe today is the day to start practicing international-mindedness.
To:
● Start a conversation with someone from a different background.
● Go to a cultural event you’ve never been to, or try a dish you’ve never heard of.
● Or maybe… just look up the next time you’re on the subway in a different country.