NHK World Interview

The video of my interview on NHK World is online now: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/directtalk/2058282/

If you are interested to watch, the video is live online through 16 February. 

NHK World Direct Talk, Tony Wu
NHK World, Direct Talk, 2 February 2018

I received a number of emails and other messages from around the world after the initial broadcast on 2 February. It’s always nice to get positive feedback.

The best thing though, was that nearly all the messages were from people I do not know and have never communicated with. One example:

“I watched your feature this morning on NHK from America and found it extremely inspiring. I personally have just had a “failure moment”/realization in attaining my dreams. I am 23 and have been really upset about this and have been considering giving up. Your whale friends and your words have inspired me to never give up and continue to follow my dreams. “Pick myself back up” as you said during the interview. I hope to spend more time in nature as well, so I appreciate your photos until then— more than words can describe! So, thank you very much.”

This matters to me.

It’s one thing to get comments and encouragement from friends and people I know who are involved in the nature/ underwater/ conservation community. 

It’s even more valuable to me, however, to reach outside that community.

Why?

Because of the phenomenon sometimes referred to as “preaching to the choir.”

Reaching people who are already nature lovers, people who already have seen and understand the issues facing the natural world, is certainly important.

But here’s the thing. Such people don’t need much educating or convincing. It’s everyone else who does. And the people who comprise that everyone else by far outnumber those already in “the choir.”

If we are to change the world for the better, we have to address and engage everyone, not just those who happen to already be on our team, so to speak.

This is the main reason I concentrate the bulk of my efforts on addressing audiences outside of nature publications, dive magazines and such. In a perfect world, I’d like to do everything, but with limited time and resources, I devote my efforts to things like public talks at schools and for general audiences, and whenever possible, working with general media, with recent examples being NHK World and Days Japan.

If you really want to make a difference, step outside the comfort zone where everyone agrees with you, and take on the challenge of influencing people outside the nature community.