Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, one of Turkey’s leading figures in the field of psychiatry, participated in the first 'Doyen Days' event organized by the Vocational School of Health Services (SHMYO). Tarhan, who gave advice to young people about their education and career lives and answered their questions, spoke about the importance of being open to learning. Reminding that one must step out of their comfort zone to be successful, Tarhan emphasized that goals should be large enough to surpass oneself. Tarhan also drew attention to the importance of technology, adding that today's most important doyen is artificial intelligence.
The event, held at the Çarşı Campus Emirnebi 1 conference hall, was coordinated by SHMYO Director Prof. Dr. Mesut Karahan, while Journalist Şaban Özdemir moderated the discussion.
The program was met with great interest by students and academics.
Prof. Dr. Mesut Karahan: “Our Goal is for You to Become a Fully Equipped Health Professional Upon Graduation”
SHMYO Director Prof. Dr. Mesut Karahan delivered a welcoming speech within the scope of the program. Karahan said; “Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services is one of Turkey's most comprehensive vocational schools. We currently have 8,000 active students. You take theoretical courses, and you carry out the practical applications of these courses in the laboratories below. In fact, 2-3 months ago, we opened podology, hair care, and pathology laboratories. Another aspect is your field application, meaning workplace vocational training or summer internships. Our goal is for you to become a fully equipped health professional upon graduation.”
“Academic Humility is Important…”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, speaking about the importance of being open to learning, began by saying; “There are three types of learning. The first is learning by trial and error. A person’s life span is not enough for this type of learning. That is, ideal learning is benefiting from the experiences of others. The most important doyen right now is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, the doyen, has taken the place of all doyens. And there is a third learning style, which I mention from time to time. That is, a person makes a mistake, then makes it again, and again. They continue to make mistakes repeatedly. Someone who keeps making the same mistake is called a fool. They go their own way and never change. This is also an example of an inability to learn. Being open to learning is the most important thing here. For a person to be open to learning, they must have a passion for learning. And academic humility is also needed. Academics who act like headmasters, saying 'I know everything,' are becoming a thing of the past. Universities, high schools, and companies are learning organizations; they are alive. Because employees learn, managers learn, everyone learns. Therefore, being able to combine the approach we call academic humility with the philosophy of a learning organization is important for us. This approach is already one of the fundamental principles of our university.”
“Those Who Don't Renew Themselves Become Obsolete”
Tarhan, noting that information quickly becomes outdated, stated; “Previously, the half-life of knowledge was 30 years, now it has fallen to 3 years. Information quickly becomes obsolete. In this era, those who do not renew themselves easily become obsolete. In fact, there is a 15 percent rule for innovation. That is, if a person dedicates 10 hours to their work, they should spend 1.5 hours thinking about the work they are doing. They should think about the philosophy of that work. If they do this, they break free from the whole. They avoid repeating the same thing and making mistakes. For this reason, the 15 percent rule is widely used in innovation and entrepreneurship. Otherwise, we look back and see weeks, months, years have passed. We ask, what happened? To avoid saying this, one must declare a moratorium on it. Stop and think, take a break. That is, you revise things, and you start again. This is one of the practical methods for self-improvement.”
“Free Will is a Person's Right to Make Mistakes”
Tarhan, also answering questions from participants, emphasized that humans are relational beings; “Animals and plants do not have free will. Free will is a person's right to make mistakes. Without it, there would be no free will anyway. These are fundamental consciousness studies. Fundamental consciousness studies are also an area that neuroscience focuses on. Currently, this consciousness is entering the quantum realm. In other words, humans are relational beings. They are not a closed box. Thanks to our mirror neurons, our brains communicate with the brains of other people.” he said.
“We Also Have Spiritual Organs!”
Tarhan, stating that there are material and spiritual organs; “Just as we have material organs such as the heart, lungs, respiratory system, and circulatory system, we also have abstract conceptual organs. We also have spiritual organs. The word 'spiritual' actually means 'conceptual' or 'semantic'. For example, we pick up a pen. The material dimension of the pen is its color. Its semantic dimension is writing. It's like that. In the same way, you look at the universe, you look at humans. It has a material dimension, it has a function. And it has a semantic dimension. It has a spiritual dimension. That spiritual dimension emerges here. It's the same on the path of life. If you look at the paint, the decoration of a traffic sign, you will be mistaken. You need to look at what it means, where it directs you. It's like this in humans, and it's like this in the universe…” he said.
“There is an Evolution in Humans”
Tarhan, emphasizing the existence of metacognitive genes in humans; “Free will is our ability to make choices freely. That's why life is a choice. 'Life is a choice' is the motto of Üsküdar University. You make a choice for everything you do. I put the pen in my pocket, that's also a choice. I come here, that's also a choice. Everything is a choice. Conscious choices. Other living beings do not have these choices. Other living beings act according to their genetic codes. Genetic codes include eating, drinking, and sheltering, but humans have metacognitive genes. Supra-mind genes. For example, one of these is the gene for the search for meaning. It asks, 'Why did I come to this world? Where did I come from? Where am I going?' Animals never ask about the meaning of life, but humans have a search for meaning. The second is the gene for perceiving time. That is, humans perceive the past and the future. No living being other than humans questions the past and the future. For example, think of slaughterhouses. Animals are about to be slaughtered but continue to graze. That is, they have no anxiety about the future. The third is the gene for seeking novelty. Spiders built the same house, the same nest a thousand years ago, and they still do the same now. Humans don't do that. In other words, there is an evolution in humans. There is development, new development. Other living beings do not have this.” he stated.
“Free Will Does Not Mean We Are Not Responsible for Good and Evil”
Tarhan, pointing out that the universe is a simulation; “The current state of quantum physics indicates that the universe is a simulation. That is, what we live in is not real life. According to string theory, physicists now interpret the existence of matter differently because the smallest unit of what we call matter is actually a tiny string, an electronic vibration. So, there is no such thing as matter; everything consists of vibrations. What we perceive as matter is actually just one electron cloud pushing another electron cloud. In other words, matter is entirely dependent on our perception. According to quantum physics, time is not an absolute thing either. While time flows forward with the collision of supra-atomic particles, time can flow backward in subatomic particles. This shows that time is not constant but relative. In fact, we simultaneously exist and do not exist, we are here and we are not. We are merely subjective observers. Quantum uncertainty already states this. Everything can both exist and not exist at the same time. We can think of this as a computer simulation. There is someone who wrote the software, they wrote the codes. For example, imagine a very well-designed football game. The player cannot know whether it will be a goal or not, but the designer of the game knows from which coordinates and at what angle a shot will be a goal. We are players in this simulation. We make choices with our free will, but we do not know the outcome. However, the one who wrote the universe's program knows where we will end up with each step we take. This is what fate is like. Therefore, having free will does not mean we are not responsible for good and evil.” he stated.
“Today, Most People No Longer Deny That There is a Design in the Universe!”
Tarhan, stating that other forms of matter cannot be formed without information; “Matter has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Now there is a fourth state: the state of information. The first and most fundamental state of matter is the state of information. First there is information, then mathematics, geometry, physics, energy, chemistry, matter, and finally biology. That is, life. At the beginning of the universe, there is first a design, then energy, chaos, and other processes come into play. How this design came about is a controversial topic. It is asked, 'Did this design arise by chance, or is there a conscious design involved?' Today, most people no longer deny that there is a design in the universe. The main debate focuses on whether this design is conscious or coincidental. This is precisely the fundamental debate of existential philosophy today.” he said.
“There is No Greater Wealth Than Living with One's Dignity”
Tarhan, stating that one must step out of their comfort zone to be successful; “Previous generations had to mature through hardship and scarcity. Today's generations, however, must mature amidst abundance. This is a difficult process because everything is easily accessible. The comfort zone has expanded. As a result, studying, working, or struggling seems daunting. However, life has a hidden rule. Life opens its doors to those who pursue challenges and step out of their comfort zones. These doors do not open for those who do not put in effort or endure hardship. This is like a psychological law. Therefore, you should earn with your effort and have strong values so that you can live with your dignity. There is no greater wealth than living with one's dignity. Walking tall in society, having a clear conscience when you lay your head on the pillow at night. This is the truest wealth. This is not an easy path, but it is very valuable for both a person's inner peace and for being able to say at the end of their life, 'I left behind good things.'” he expressed.
“Our Goals Must Be Big Enough to Surpass Ourselves”
Tarhan, offering advice to young people; “The worst decision is better than indecision. What makes decision-making most difficult today are financial worries. The anxiety of 'what will happen after graduation' comes to the forefront. There is a saying in Anatolia, 'A building stone does not remain exposed.' That is, if a person develops themselves, no matter what profession they are in, they will surely find their worth somewhere. We should think of a profession not as an identity, but as a garment. Clothes can change, but the skin does not. Therefore, one should not view a profession as a fixed lifestyle. A person puts their diploma in their pocket, but the real difference is made by becoming a sought-after person in the field they have developed themselves. Like a building stone. Anyone who sees a beautiful building stone will surely want to utilize it somewhere. Today, it is almost impossible for young people who equip themselves with knowledge suitable for the needs of the time and are open to development not to find a job. Because, despite everything, we are in the most abundant period of human history. Never before has there been such an abundance of food, including during World War I and II. The population is increasing, but agricultural production has increased thanks to technology. Of course, there are side effects like hormone-treated foods, but still, there is abundance. Today's poverty does not stem from a lack of food, but from the greed of the rich and income inequality. Wild capitalism has created great income inequality in the world. When we look at obesity rates, the highest obesity is in America, then Saudi Arabia, and then Turkey. This shows that abundance is not distributed equally. Despite this situation, professional success is still possible for young people who do not fall into despair and pessimism and who develop themselves. Our goals must be big enough to surpass ourselves. Someone who succeeds in producing, knows their talent, and can recognize the talent of others can find the right field according to their needs and open new paths for themselves. Let's not forget, every person definitely has a talent. The point is to find and cultivate that talent…” he concluded.