Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “The most influential expert right now is artificial intelligence”

One of Türkiye’s leading names in the field of psychiatry, President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, participated in the first “Veteran Days” event organized by the Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS). Providing advice to young people regarding their education and career paths and answering questions from the audience, Tarhan emphasized the importance of being open to learning. He reminded attendees that success requires stepping out of one’s comfort zone and stated that one’s goals should be big enough to go beyond the self. Drawing attention to the significance of technology, Tarhan added that the most influential expert of our time is artificial intelligence.

The event, held at the Çarşı Campus Emirnebi 1 Conference Hall, was coordinated by VSHS Director Prof. Mesut Karahan, with journalist Şaban Özdemir serving as the moderator.

The program received great interest from both students and academics.

Prof. Mesut Karahan: “Our goal is for you to graduate as fully equipped health professionals”

VSHS Director Prof. Mesut Karahan delivered the opening speech of the program. Karahan stated: “Üsküdar University’s Vocational School of Health Services is one of the most comprehensive vocational schools in Türkiye. We currently have 8,000 active students. You receive theoretical lessons, and the practical applications of those lessons are carried out in the labs downstairs. Just 2–3 months ago, we inaugurated our podiatry, hair care, and pathology labs. Another component is your field training, which includes workplace vocational training or summer internships. Our aim is for you to graduate from here as fully equipped health professionals.”

“Academic humility is important…”

Emphasizing the importance of being open to learning, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said:
“There are three types of learning. The first is learning through trial and error. But life is too short to learn everything this way. The ideal form of learning is to benefit from the experiences of others. Right now, the most important expert is artificial intelligence. The AI expert has replaced all other experts. And there’s a third learning style I often mention: a person makes a mistake, then repeats it, and keeps repeating it. Someone who constantly makes the same mistake is called hödük (a stubborn fool). They follow only their own nose, never changing course. This is an example of not being able to learn. What’s essential here is being open to learning. To be open to learning, one must have a passion for it. And also, academic humility is necessary. The ‘I know everything’ attitude, that is, the head-teacher type of academic, is becoming obsolete. Universities, high schools, and companies are learning organizations, and they are living systems. Because the employees are learning, the managers are learning, and everyone is learning. That is why combining academic humility with the philosophy of a learning organization is important to us. This approach is one of the fundamental principles of our university,” he began.

“Those who fail to renew themselves become obsolete”

Tarhan emphasized how rapidly information becomes outdated and stated that “Previously, the half-life of information was 30 years; now it is down to 3 years. Knowledge is quickly becoming outdated. In this era, those who do not renew themselves are easily left behind. There’s even the 15% rule in innovation. If a person dedicates 10 hours to their job, they should spend 1.5 of those hours thinking about the work they do, that is, reflecting on the philosophy behind it. If they do that, they free themselves from repetition and the trap of making the same mistakes. That is why the 15% rule is widely used in innovation and entrepreneurship. Otherwise, weeks, months, even years pass and we end up asking, ‘What happened?’ To avoid this, one must declare a sort of moratorium, that is, pause and reflect. It means taking a break to think and revise. Then, you start again. This is one of the practical methods of self-development,” he said.

"Free will is the right to make mistakes"

Responding to questions from participants, Tarhan emphasized that human beings are relational creatures and said: "Animals and plants do not possess free will. Free will is the human right to make mistakes. Without that, free will wouldn't exist at all. These are fundamental consciousness studies, and such studies are a major focus of neuroscience. Currently, this area of consciousness is entering the realm of quantum science. That is to say, the human being is a relational being, not a closed box. Thanks to our mirror neurons, our brains communicate with the brains of others."

“We also have spiritual organs!”

Noting that we have both material and immaterial organs, Tarhan said that "Just as we have physical organs such as the heart, lungs, respiratory system, and circulatory system, we also have abstract organs, and what we call 'spiritual organs.' In truth, the word 'spiritual' refers to meaning. For example, when we buy a pen, its physical aspect is its color, but its meaningful aspect is its function: writing. It’s the same with looking at the universe or at human beings, and there is the physical aspect of what they do, but also a meaningful, spiritual dimension. That spiritual dimension becomes visible here. In the journey of life, it’s the same. If you only look at the color or decoration of a traffic sign, you’ll be misled. What matters is what it means, where it is directing you. The same applies to people, and to the universe as a whole."

“There is a journey of growth in human beings”

Emphasizing the presence of meta-cognitive genes in humans, Tarhan said that
"Free will means the ability to make choices freely. That’s why life is about choices. In fact, ‘Life is Choice’ is the motto of Üsküdar University. For everything we do, we make a choice. Putting a pen in my pocket, and that is a choice. Coming here, and that is also a choice. Everything is a conscious decision. Other living beings do not have this capacity. They act in accordance with their genetic codes. In animals, those genetic codes revolve around eating, drinking, and shelter. But human beings have meta-cognitive genes, that is, higher-order mental functions. One example is the ‘search for meaning’ gene. A human asks: ‘Why did I come into this world? Where did I come from? Where am I going?’ Animals never ask about the meaning of life. But humans do. The second is the gene for perceiving time. Humans perceive the past and the future. No other living being questions time. For instance, in slaughterhouses, animals continue grazing even if they are about to be killed. They have no sense of future. The third is the gene for seeking innovation. A spider built the same web a thousand years ago that it builds today. Humans do not repeat, and we evolve. There is growth, development, and renewal in human beings. This does not exist in other creatures."

“Free will does not mean we are not responsible for good or evil”

Drawing attention to the idea that the universe may be a simulation, Tarhan explained:
"Quantum physics today shows us that the universe may be a simulation. What we perceive as real life may not be real at all. According to string theory, physicists are beginning to interpret matter differently, which is the smallest unit of matter is not a particle, but rather a tiny vibrating string, an electronic vibration. In other words, matter does not really exist, and everything consists of vibrations. What we perceive as matter is actually just the repulsion of one electron cloud against another. Matter, therefore, is entirely dependent on our perception. In quantum physics, even time is not absolute. While time flows forward with the collision of atomic-scale particles, it can flow backward with subatomic particles. This shows that time is not fixed, but relative. So, we exist and do not exist at the same time. We are here, and not here. We are merely subjective observers. Quantum uncertainty tells us exactly this, and that is something that it can exist and not exist simultaneously. You can think of it like a computer simulation. There is a programmer who wrote the software and coded the system. Imagine a very well-designed football video game. The player does not know whether they’ll score a goal, but the designer knows exactly what angle and position will result in a goal.
In this simulation, we are players. We make choices with our free will, but we don’t know the outcome. However, the programmer of the universe knows what the outcome will be for every step we take. That is what destiny is. Therefore, possessing free will does not mean we are free from responsibility for good and evil."

“Today, most people no longer deny that there is design in the universe!”

Stating that without information, other forms of matter could not exist, Tarhan said that “Matter has three known states: solid, liquid, and gas. But now there’s a fourth state: the state of information. The first and most fundamental state of matter is the informational state. First comes information, then mathematics, geometry, physics, energy, chemistry, matter, and finally biology, in other words, life. At the beginning of the universe, there was first a design, and then energy, chaos, and other processes followed. How this design came to be is a debated issue. People ask, ‘Did this design happen by chance, or was it intentional?’ Today, most people no longer deny that there is a design in the universe. The real debate now centers on whether this design was conscious or coincidental. This is also the core discussion in today’s philosophy of existence.”

“There is no greater wealth than living with dignity”

Emphasizing that success requires stepping out of one’s comfort zone, Tarhan said: “Previous generations had to mature through hardship and scarcity. Today's generations must mature in abundance, and that’s a difficult process, because everything is easily accessible now. The comfort zone has expanded. As a result, studying, working, or striving can feel overwhelming. However, life has a hidden rule: it opens its doors to those who embrace difficulty and step out of their comfort zones. It does not open them to those who avoid effort and discomfort. This functions like a psychological law. Therefore, one must earn through labor, have strong values, and live with dignity. There is no greater wealth than living with honor, to walk with your head held high in society and to rest your head on your pillow at night with a clear conscience. That is the truest form of wealth. It’s not an easy path, but it is incredibly valuable both for one’s inner peace and for reaching the end of life with the ability to say, ‘I left something good behind.’”

“Our goals should be so big that they surpass us”

Offering advice to young people, Tarhan said that “The worst decision is better than indecision. Today, what makes decision-making most difficult is financial concern, that is, the fear of what will happen after graduation. There’s a saying in Anatolia: ‘A good building stone never stays unused.’ That is, if a person improves themselves, regardless of their profession, they will eventually be recognized and valued somewhere. We should think of our profession not as an identity, but as a garment. Clothes can be changed, but your skin cannot. That’s why a profession should not be seen as a fixed lifestyle. A person may carry their diploma in their pocket, but what truly sets them apart is becoming someone who is sought-after in their field of expertise. Like a quality building stone when someone sees a good stone, they want to use it somewhere. Today, it is almost impossible for young people who equip themselves with relevant knowledge and remain open to growth to remain unemployed. Despite everything, we are living in the most abundant era in human history. Even during World War I and II, there was never such abundance of food. Although the population is increasing, agricultural production has also increased thanks to technology. Of course, this has side effects, like hormone-treated foods, but still, there is abundance. Today’s poverty is not due to a lack of food, and it stems from the greed of the wealthy and the injustice of income distribution. Wild capitalism has created enormous income inequality across the world. When we look at obesity rates, the highest is in the United States, followed by Saudi Arabia and then Türkiye, that is, proving that abundance is not being distributed equally. Despite this picture, young people who do not fall into despair or pessimism, and who continue to develop themselves, can still achieve career success. Our goals should be so big that they surpass us. Those who are productive, who know their talents, and who can recognize the talents of others can find the right field based on need and open new paths for themselves. Let us not forget: every person has a talent. The issue is finding that talent, and refining it,” he concluded.

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)