TEDSummit 2019
Pico Iyer: What ping-pong taught me about life
Filmed:
Readability: 4.3
1,814,395 views
Growing up in England, Pico Iyer was taught that the point of a game was to win. Now, some 50 years later, he's realized that competition can be "more like an act of love." In this charming, subtly profound talk, he explores what regular games of ping-pong in his neighborhood in Japan have revealed about the riddle of winning -- and shows why not knowing who's won can feel like the ultimate victory.
Pico Iyer - Global author
Pico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships. Full bio
Pico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Every other night in Japan,
0
1409
2942
00:16
I step out of my apartment,
1
4375
2027
00:18
I climb up a hill for 15 minutes,
2
6426
3504
00:21
and then I head into my local health club,
3
9954
3650
00:25
where three ping-pong tables
are set up in a studio.
are set up in a studio.
4
13628
4526
00:30
And space is limited,
5
18178
1975
00:32
so at every table,
6
20177
1712
00:33
one pair of players practices forehands,
7
21913
2930
00:36
another practices backhands,
8
24867
2293
00:39
and every now and then,
the balls collide in midair
the balls collide in midair
9
27184
3588
00:42
and everybody says, "Wow!"
10
30796
2079
00:46
Then, choosing lots,
we select partners and play doubles.
we select partners and play doubles.
11
34067
5450
00:51
But I honestly couldn't
tell you who's won,
tell you who's won,
12
39891
2889
00:54
because we change partners
every five minutes.
every five minutes.
13
42804
3729
00:59
And everybody is trying really hard
14
47097
3485
01:02
to win points,
15
50606
1437
01:04
but nobody is keeping track
of who is winning games.
of who is winning games.
16
52067
4110
01:08
And after an hour or so
of furious exertion,
of furious exertion,
17
56992
4237
01:13
I can honestly tell you
18
61253
1650
01:14
that not knowing who has won
19
62927
2913
01:17
feels like the ultimate victory.
20
65864
2825
01:21
In Japan, it's been said,
21
69800
1914
01:23
they've created a competitive spirit
without competition.
without competition.
22
71738
4579
01:30
Now, all of you know that geopolitics
is best followed by watching ping-pong.
is best followed by watching ping-pong.
23
78178
6334
01:37
(Laughter)
24
85281
1497
01:38
The two strongest powers in the world
were fiercest enemies
were fiercest enemies
25
86802
4881
01:43
until, in 1972, an American ping-pong team
26
91707
4684
01:48
was allowed to visit Communist China.
27
96415
3022
01:52
And as soon as the former adversaries
28
100191
2515
01:54
were gathered around
some small green tables,
some small green tables,
29
102730
3985
01:58
each of them could claim a victory,
30
106739
2605
02:01
and the whole world
could breathe more easily.
could breathe more easily.
31
109368
2880
02:05
China's leader, Mao Zedong,
32
113320
2281
02:07
wrote a whole manual on ping-pong,
33
115625
3338
02:10
and he called the sport
"a spiritual nuclear weapon."
"a spiritual nuclear weapon."
34
118987
4206
02:16
And it's been said that the only
honorary lifelong member
honorary lifelong member
35
124078
3910
02:20
of the US Table Tennis Association
36
128012
2800
02:22
is the then-President Richard Nixon,
37
130836
2849
02:25
who helped to engineer
this win-win situation
this win-win situation
38
133709
3713
02:29
through ping-pong diplomacy.
39
137446
2405
02:33
But long before that,
40
141318
1453
02:34
really, the history of the modern world
41
142795
2603
02:37
was best told through
the bouncing white ball.
the bouncing white ball.
42
145422
4160
02:42
"Ping-pong" sounds
like a cousin of "sing-song,"
like a cousin of "sing-song,"
43
150461
3680
02:46
like something Eastern,
44
154165
2098
02:48
but actually, it's believed
that it was invented by high-class Brits
that it was invented by high-class Brits
45
156287
5216
02:53
during Victorian times,
46
161527
1770
02:55
who started hitting wine corks
over walls of books after dinner.
over walls of books after dinner.
47
163321
5070
03:00
(Laughter)
48
168415
1049
03:01
No exaggeration.
49
169488
1182
03:02
(Laughter)
50
170694
1070
03:03
And by the end of World War I,
51
171788
1962
03:05
the sport was dominated by players
from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire:
from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire:
52
173774
5697
03:11
eight out of nine
early world championships
early world championships
53
179495
3036
03:14
were claimed by Hungary.
54
182555
1685
03:16
And Eastern Europeans grew so adept
55
184844
2858
03:19
at hitting back everything
that was hit at them
that was hit at them
56
187726
3349
03:23
that they almost brought
the whole sport to a standstill.
the whole sport to a standstill.
57
191099
3507
03:27
In one championship match
in Prague in 1936,
in Prague in 1936,
58
195266
4612
03:31
the first point is said to have lasted
two hours and 12 minutes.
two hours and 12 minutes.
59
199902
5736
03:37
The first point!
60
205662
1250
03:38
Longer than a "Mad Max" movie.
61
206936
2749
03:41
And according to one of the players,
the umpire had to retire with a sore neck
the umpire had to retire with a sore neck
62
209709
6012
03:47
before the point was concluded.
63
215745
2039
03:49
(Laughter)
64
217808
1017
03:50
That player started hitting
the ball back with his left hand
the ball back with his left hand
65
218849
3864
03:54
and dictating chess moves between shots.
66
222737
2794
03:57
(Laughter)
67
225555
1025
03:58
Many in the audience
started, of course, filing out,
started, of course, filing out,
68
226604
3286
04:01
as that single point lasted
maybe 12,000 strokes.
maybe 12,000 strokes.
69
229914
4789
04:06
And an emergency meeting of
the International Table Tennis Association
the International Table Tennis Association
70
234727
5056
04:11
had to be held then and there,
71
239807
2678
04:14
and soon the rules were changed
72
242509
2155
04:16
so that no game could last
longer than 20 minutes.
longer than 20 minutes.
73
244688
3825
04:20
(Laughter)
74
248537
1785
04:22
Sixteen years later,
Japan entered the picture,
Japan entered the picture,
75
250970
3415
04:26
when a little-known
watchmaker called Hiroji Satoh
watchmaker called Hiroji Satoh
76
254409
4389
04:30
showed up at the world championships
in Bombay in 1952.
in Bombay in 1952.
77
258822
5126
04:36
And Satoh was not very big,
he wasn't highly rated,
he wasn't highly rated,
78
264647
4270
04:40
he was wearing spectacles,
79
268941
2412
04:43
but he was armed with a paddle
that was not pimpled,
that was not pimpled,
80
271377
4842
04:48
as other paddles were,
81
276243
1700
04:49
but covered by a thick spongy rubber foam.
82
277967
4015
04:54
And thanks to this silencing
secret weapon,
secret weapon,
83
282853
4252
04:59
the little-known Satoh won a gold medal.
84
287129
3285
05:02
One million people came out
into the streets of Tokyo
into the streets of Tokyo
85
290954
4120
05:07
to greet him upon his return,
86
295098
2409
05:09
and really, Japan's postwar resurgence
was set into motion.
was set into motion.
87
297531
4753
05:16
What I learned, though,
at my regular games in Japan,
at my regular games in Japan,
88
304072
5158
05:21
is more what could be called
the inner sport of global domination,
the inner sport of global domination,
89
309254
6063
05:27
sometimes known as life.
90
315341
2238
05:30
We never play singles in our club,
91
318850
3142
05:34
only doubles,
92
322016
1347
05:35
and because, as I say,
we change partners every five minutes,
we change partners every five minutes,
93
323387
4552
05:39
if you do happen to lose,
you're very likely to win
you're very likely to win
94
327963
3652
05:43
six minutes later.
95
331639
1301
05:45
We also play best-of-two sets,
96
333789
2952
05:48
so often, there's no loser at all.
97
336765
2833
05:52
Ping-pong diplomacy.
98
340026
2248
05:54
And I always remember
that as a boy growing up in England,
that as a boy growing up in England,
99
342298
3293
05:57
I was taught that the point
of a game was to win.
of a game was to win.
100
345615
3420
06:02
But in Japan, I'm encouraged to believe
that, really, the point of a game
that, really, the point of a game
101
350067
5356
06:07
is to make as many people as possible
around you feel that they are winners.
around you feel that they are winners.
102
355447
5716
06:13
So you're not careening up and down
as an individual might,
as an individual might,
103
361187
3345
06:16
but you're part of a regular,
steady chorus.
steady chorus.
104
364556
3638
06:21
The most skillful players in our club
105
369306
3952
06:25
deploy their skills to turn
a 9-1 lead for their team
a 9-1 lead for their team
106
373282
4555
06:29
into a 9-9 game in which everybody
is intensely involved.
is intensely involved.
107
377861
5076
06:34
And my friend who hits
these high, looping lobs
these high, looping lobs
108
382961
4501
06:39
that smaller players flail at and miss --
109
387486
3957
06:43
well, he wins a lot of points,
but I think he's thought of as a loser.
but I think he's thought of as a loser.
110
391467
4136
06:48
In Japan, a game of ping-pong
is really like an act of love.
is really like an act of love.
111
396641
5599
06:54
You're learning how to play with somebody,
112
402264
2342
06:56
rather than against her.
113
404630
1887
06:59
And I'll confess,
114
407343
1150
07:00
at first, this seemed to me
to take all the fun out of the sport.
to take all the fun out of the sport.
115
408517
4794
07:05
I couldn't exult after a tremendous upset
victory against our strongest players,
victory against our strongest players,
116
413335
5222
07:10
because six minutes later,
with a new partner,
with a new partner,
117
418581
2491
07:13
I was falling behind again.
118
421096
1770
07:15
On the other hand,
I never felt disconsolate.
I never felt disconsolate.
119
423914
3780
07:20
And when I flew away from Japan
and started playing singles again
and started playing singles again
120
428476
4185
07:24
with my English archrival,
121
432685
3102
07:27
I noticed that after every defeat,
I was really brokenhearted.
I was really brokenhearted.
122
435811
5055
07:33
But after every victory,
I couldn't sleep either,
I couldn't sleep either,
123
441953
3271
07:37
because I knew there was
only one way to go,
only one way to go,
124
445248
2423
07:39
and that was down.
125
447695
1791
07:43
Now, if I were trying to do
business in Japan,
business in Japan,
126
451398
3746
07:47
this would lead to endless frustration.
127
455168
2801
07:51
In Japan, unlike elsewhere,
128
459136
2175
07:53
if the score is still level
after four hours,
after four hours,
129
461335
3476
07:56
a baseball game ends in a tie,
130
464835
3642
08:00
and because the league standings
are based on winning percentage,
are based on winning percentage,
131
468501
4644
08:05
a team with quite a few ties
can finish ahead
can finish ahead
132
473169
3309
08:08
of a team with more victories.
133
476502
2262
08:12
One of the first times an American
was ever brought over to Japan
was ever brought over to Japan
134
480000
3833
08:15
to lead a professional
Japanese baseball team,
Japanese baseball team,
135
483857
3507
08:19
Bobby Valentine, in 1995,
136
487388
2694
08:22
he took this really mediocre squad,
137
490106
2603
08:24
he lead them to a stunning
second-place finish,
second-place finish,
138
492733
3311
08:28
and he was instantly fired.
139
496068
2458
08:30
Why?
140
498550
1151
08:31
"Well," said the team spokesman,
141
499725
2181
08:33
"because of his emphasis on winning."
142
501930
2660
08:37
(Laughter)
143
505185
1008
08:38
Official Japan can feel
quite a lot like that point
quite a lot like that point
144
506217
3271
08:41
that was said to last
two hours and 12 minutes,
two hours and 12 minutes,
145
509512
3739
08:45
and playing not to lose
146
513275
2258
08:47
can take all the imagination,
the daring, the excitement, out of things.
the daring, the excitement, out of things.
147
515557
5365
08:54
At the same time,
playing ping-pong in Japan
playing ping-pong in Japan
148
522444
3803
08:58
reminds me why choirs
regularly enjoy more fun
regularly enjoy more fun
149
526271
5079
09:03
than soloists.
150
531374
1595
09:05
In a choir, your only job is to play
your small part perfectly,
your small part perfectly,
151
533866
5754
09:11
to hit your notes with feeling,
152
539644
2763
09:14
and by so doing, to help to create
a beautiful harmony
a beautiful harmony
153
542431
4104
09:18
that's much greater
than the sum of its parts.
than the sum of its parts.
154
546559
3284
09:23
Yes, every choir does need a conductor,
155
551190
2963
09:26
but I think a choir releases you
from a child's simple sense of either-ors.
from a child's simple sense of either-ors.
156
554177
6698
09:33
You come to see that the opposite
of winning isn't losing --
of winning isn't losing --
157
561858
3706
09:38
it's failing to see the larger picture.
158
566440
2862
09:43
As my life goes on,
159
571753
2944
09:46
I'm really startled to see that no event
160
574721
4136
09:50
can properly be assessed
for years after it has unfolded.
for years after it has unfolded.
161
578881
4960
09:57
I once lost everything
I owned in the world,
I owned in the world,
162
585282
3764
10:01
every last thing, in a wildfire.
163
589070
2920
10:05
But in time, I came to see
that it was that seeming loss
that it was that seeming loss
164
593275
4618
10:09
that allowed me to live
on the earth more gently,
on the earth more gently,
165
597917
3935
10:13
to write without notes,
166
601876
2430
10:16
and actually, to move to Japan
167
604330
2629
10:18
and the inner health club
known as the ping-pong table.
known as the ping-pong table.
168
606983
3190
10:23
Conversely, I once stumbled
into the perfect job,
into the perfect job,
169
611427
4571
10:28
and I came to see that seeming happiness
170
616022
3032
10:31
can stand in the way of true joy
171
619078
3126
10:34
even more than misery does.
172
622228
2167
10:37
Playing doubles in Japan
really relieves me of all my anxiety,
really relieves me of all my anxiety,
173
625825
5373
10:43
and at the end of an evening,
174
631222
1612
10:44
I notice everybody is filing out
in a more or less equal state of delight.
in a more or less equal state of delight.
175
632858
6363
10:52
I'm reminded every night
176
640497
2180
10:54
that not getting ahead
isn't the same thing as falling behind
isn't the same thing as falling behind
177
642701
5800
11:00
any more than not being lively
is the same thing as being dead.
is the same thing as being dead.
178
648525
4350
11:06
And I've come to understand why it is
179
654216
2436
11:08
that Chinese universities
are said to offer degrees in ping-pong,
are said to offer degrees in ping-pong,
180
656676
5571
11:14
and why researchers
have found that ping-pong
have found that ping-pong
181
662271
2960
11:17
can actually help a little
with mild mental disorders
with mild mental disorders
182
665255
3785
11:21
and even autism.
183
669064
1595
11:24
But as I watch the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,
184
672205
4690
11:28
I'm going to be keenly aware
185
676919
2620
11:31
that it won't be possible
to tell who's won or who's lost
to tell who's won or who's lost
186
679563
4214
11:35
for a very long time.
187
683801
2158
11:39
You remember that point I mentioned
188
687650
2330
11:42
that was said to last
for two hours and 12 minutes?
for two hours and 12 minutes?
189
690004
2884
11:45
Well, one of the players from that game
ended up, six years later,
ended up, six years later,
190
693689
4745
11:50
in the concentration camps
of Auschwitz and Dachau.
of Auschwitz and Dachau.
191
698458
4118
11:55
But he walked out alive.
192
703944
1880
11:59
Why?
193
707145
1410
12:00
Simply because a guard in the gas chamber
194
708579
3130
12:03
recognized him from
his ping-pong playing days.
his ping-pong playing days.
195
711733
3163
12:08
Had he been the winner of that epic match?
196
716326
3071
12:11
It hardly mattered.
197
719421
1318
12:12
As you recall, many people had filed out
before even the first point was concluded.
before even the first point was concluded.
198
720763
5800
12:19
The only thing that saved him
199
727437
2505
12:21
was the fact that he took part.
200
729966
2121
12:25
The best way to win any game,
201
733464
2369
12:27
Japan tells me every other night,
202
735857
2794
12:30
is never, never to think about the score.
203
738675
5195
12:37
Thank you.
204
745365
1151
12:38
(Applause)
205
746540
3446
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pico Iyer - Global authorPico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships.
Why you should listen
In twelve books, covering everything from Revolutionary Cuba to the XIVth Dalai Lama, Islamic mysticism to our lives in airports, Pico Iyer has worked to chronicle the accelerating changes in our outer world, which sometimes make steadiness and rootedness in our inner world more urgent than ever. In his TED Book, The Art of Stillness, he draws upon travels from North Korea to Iran to remind us how to remain focused and sane in an age of frenzied distraction. As he writes in the book, "Almost everybody I know has this sense of overdosing on information and getting dizzy living at post-human speeds ... All of us instinctively feel that something inside us is crying out for more spaciousness and stillness to offset the exhilarations of this movement and the fun and diversion of the modern world."
Pico Iyer | Speaker | TED.com