Gita Gopinath On Not Having All The Answers

Brut India

She has been selected to be the second highest-in-command in the IMF. In this 2019 speech, Gita Gopinath narrated her story of becoming an 'accidental economist'...

Transcript

00:00I'm going to tell you, I'm completely an accidental economist.

00:03At this point, it's not about whether women have to prove something, it is about society

00:10having to recognize what women have already done.

00:14So the question is, should you have all the answers at this point?

00:18Right? Now that you're graduating, should you have this question crystal clear to you?

00:22What is it that I'm going to do? Is this the right job that I took?

00:25Am I making the right decision going into another degree?

00:28Am I making the right decision to stay here or go outside and study?

00:33You don't need to have all the answers.

00:35And it's perfectly fine if you are still in a state where many things are unsolved,

00:41unresolved in your mind.

00:43And it's perfectly fine to be that way.

00:45And why do I say that?

00:47Because I just want to tell you that I myself am completely an accidental economist.

00:52I grew up in Mysore, I guess it's called Mysore now.

00:56And trust me, no parent in Mysore wanted a kid who was going to do economics.

01:01The whole idea was, we want somebody who would be an engineer or a doctor.

01:05And so how did I end up doing economics?

01:07Again, it's completely one of those accidents where my father said,

01:13well, I have two daughters. My older daughter should be an engineer.

01:17That's how it was decided back then.

01:19And my second daughter should be in administrative service.

01:23And somebody told him, well, if she wants to be in administrative service,

01:29it would be great if she knew some economics.

01:31So I was sent off to Delhi to lay this year out of college.

01:35When I was at Princeton, they cared mostly about the originations of the world

01:41in terms of policy.

01:44But I came from India.

01:46And I did my undergrad between 1989 and 1992,

01:50which covered the period when India had an external account crisis,

01:55when the Indian government was short of funds to pay for certain things.

02:02And the International Monetary Fund came in,

02:05and there was financial assistance provided,

02:08and along with the Indian government, the programs were in place.

02:11The whole liberalization of 1991 in India started.

02:14So that excited me a lot.

02:17And one other feature that was very helpful,

02:20something I didn't really have, but I tried to remind myself

02:23as I used to have, is to be what's called irrationally optimistic.

02:29It is one of the best traits you can have in life.

02:33It's probably going to bond with you.

02:35It's not necessarily irrationally optimistic.

02:37It might be optimistic for you all.

02:39I was never one of those.

02:40I was always one of those pessimists

02:41that were always worried about all the things that could possibly go wrong.

02:44I think actually it helps to be irrationally optimistic.

02:46This is the individual.

02:47You make all your calculations of what the positives and the negatives are,

02:52and it adds up to be something that maybe you should try,

02:55and maybe you should try.

02:56It helps you get up every day in the morning and get on with what you want to do.

02:59So be irrationally optimistic,

03:03and if it doesn't come to you naturally,

03:05just work at it.

03:06Fade it.

03:07Be what you have to do.

03:08I'm sure each of you know some friend

03:10who tends to be irrationally optimistic,

03:12and I think we'll see those people.

03:13They're going to be happier people

03:14and live happier lives.

03:16A few women, I just had my own little message I wanted to give you,

03:21which is, firstly,

03:23that you have absolutely nothing to prove.

03:26At this point,

03:28it's not about whether women have to prove something.

03:31It is about society having to recognize

03:33what women have already done.

03:43So,

03:44please be your strongest advocate.

03:47Speak with mentors.

03:49Mentor other women.

03:53And have a good time.

03:54And if anybody reminds you that they're trying to do you a favor

03:58because you're a woman,

03:59again, strut it up.

04:00You absolutely deserve it.

04:01Okay?

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