“The brain, as busy as it can be, is actually very lazy… It sees what it expects to see.”

This quote, from Dr. Doty himself, embodies his life. It shows how he has used his mind to push through it, however difficult it may be. It also represents his current research on compassion at CCARE. The quote refers to how focusing your mind on something and changing your mindset will cause your brain to lead you to your goal.

I have chosen to research Dr. James Doty, a neurosurgeon, for my Eminent project. To begin with, I believe Dr. Doty is eminent because of the many considerable challenges he has faced in his life, the lives he has changed, and the contributions he has made to research on compassion. Most notably, his family was unfortunately poor – his father was an alcoholic, his mother had a chronic illness – and as a result, he has experienced far more challenges than the vast majority of people. In his family, he was the first to get accepted into college, to say the least, enter medical school and become a doctor. Key to his success include teachings from a kind woman named Ruth, who taught him how to relax and feel empathy by meditation and vividly visualize and work towards his goals. However, Dr. Doty has been met with overwhelming failure several times in his life. First, while still in medical school, he developed excessive arrogance and ignorance, believing he was invincible with his success, and as a result, nearly died in a car crash. Second, after becoming a neurosurgeon and investing in companies with potential, Dr. Doty effectively lost all his wealth from the dot-com crash. All these experiences caused him to rethink the values he stood for and realize the importance of compassion. He is the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford, focused on understanding – through rigorous scientific studies – the influences of compassion on human behaviour and educating its importance. Dr. Doty is also a philanthropist and innovator himself. For example, he has changed lives with how he funded and contributed to the development of the Cyberknife, which he believed had immense potential to change radiation therapy. He has also donated $30,000,000 to various charities, even while he was himself in $3 million in debt (from the dot-com bubble). Dr. Doty has created scholarships for disadvantaged students at universities, set up health clinics around the globe, and formed programs to support those with disabilities and disorders. In his life, we can learn many important lessons, whether from how he has overcome its obstacles or dedicated himself to a career of service and compassion. His contributions and research have had long-lasting effects on individuals and fields alike and are among the most important and influential. Second, I have many personal connections with Dr. Doty. For example, I am affected by his memoir, Into the Magic Shop, a book that tells his story, the considerable challenges and failures he has faced, and the techniques he learned that have helped him achieve success. Into the Magic Shop enters the events described above in detail, especially into his difficulties and failures. Therefore, it teaches many important lessons that have been highly instructive for me. Not only have I been inspired to become a neurosurgeon because of his work, but I have learned and applied visualization, meditation, and the importance of practicing compassion, the techniques described previously. These have helped me become less stressed, feel happier and more emphatic towards others, and have helped me to achieve my goals (and it will continue to). Likewise, I also believe that this wisdom is well worth learning and would be a crucial takeaway in a study of Dr. Doty. Next, qualities we share include insuppressible determination and persistence, while those I aim to emulate are his compassion, selflessness, bravery, leadership, and teamwork. These qualities, and my goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, clearly exemplify what I would like to become and guide my goals in TALONS. Finally, while there are many differences between myself and Dr. Doty (e.g., he was born poor, he lives in the U.S.), this does not affect my research – I will look to communicate with him as part of my project. These differences also encourage us to never judge someone by upbringing and help us better feel empathy. To conclude, I chose to research Dr. James Doty for my Eminent project because of his profound impact on society, my connections to him, and the lessons his life can teach us (and has taught me already).

For the next phase of my research, my goal is to reread Into the Magic Shop and find other sources to add to my knowledge of his life, challenges, and contributions and find a way to communicate with Dr. Doty.