Let me tell you about "I am me." Two years ago, Rizwan from our mathematics research team was accepted into an EU exchange program from his graduate school in Istanbul and joined the University of Messina in Sicily. I visited him on a European trip starting from CERN (the particle accelerator) in Geneva.
A Seaside Conversation: The Appeal of "I Am Me"
It was a scorching June day. We were enjoying fish at a restaurant overlooking the sea in Palermo, Sicily. I mentioned how I loved the Italian phrase "IO SONO IO" (pronounced "io sono io," meaning "I am me")—the sound is so simple and the letters so round. Rizwan replied, "That's a mathematically beautiful phrase." That exchange, with the brilliant sea and clear sky as our backdrop, has stayed with me.
Solitude and Conviction in Mathematics
As you go deeper into mathematics, fewer and fewer people understand or empathize with you. There's a parallel in business with the beauty of craftspeople who quietly keep making products they're committed to. When you keep digging the same well, your companions dwindle. But in many situations, it's better not to bend your intuition or convictions.
The Harsh Reality of Scientific Research
Meanwhile, with science research budgets being cut worldwide, it's becoming harder to make a living as a full-time researcher while thinking "I am me." Rather than splitting life between a day job and nighttime hobbies, I think it's important to increase the number of people who can live 100% in their "I am me" field. Some of my colleagues are beginning to grasp that kind of life.
"The Flame of Passion" and Our Company's Mission
I respect serious, hardworking people who keep chasing the small flame of their passion. I want to do everything I can, personally and as a company, to bring even a little happiness to people whose dreams haven't been 100% fulfilled yet.
Come to think of it, there was a song by Ozaki Yutaka called "So That I Can Be Myself." The form is different from teenage angst, but I want to keep solving the difficult problem of "the scientist's struggle."