“Having a rival is the best way to improve.”

Yifan Tong: “Ever since I was young, I was always really competitive. I hated when someone was better than me at something I cared about and it gave me the drive to improve. It could be something small, like how many books I read over the summer. Or it could be something else, like how good I was at a video game. As a result of this, I’ve picked up many hobbies over the years, like reading and gaming. In all of these areas, I always had someone who was originally better than me, that I surpassed later on. In my opinion, human beings are fundamentally lazy. By having a rival, you give yourself a goal to work towards, for rewards such as satisfaction and an ego boost.”