At that time, I just wanted to write novels. However, my parents were born in poverty and had no college education. They think my restless imagination is just a quirk and can't be used to pay off the mortgage or earn a pension at all.
They hope I can get a vocational degree; I want to study English literature. Later, a compromise was reached. In retrospect, no one was satisfied, so I went to learn modern languages. As soon as my parents' car turned the corner at the end of the road, I gave up German and galloped along the classical literature corridor.
They want me to take another professional degree. I want to study English literature. Finally, a compromise was reached that both sides were not satisfied with: I changed to learn a foreign language. But as soon as my parents left, I signed up for classical literature.
I don't remember telling my parents that I was studying classical literature; They probably discovered it for the first time on graduation day. Of all the subjects on this planet, I think it is hard for them to name a subject that is more useless than Greek mythology, when it involves getting the key to an executive bathroom.
I don't remember telling my parents about it. They may have found out on graduation day. I think, among all the majors in the world, they may think that there is no more useless major than studying Greek mythology, and it is impossible to have an independent and spacious bathroom.
By the way, I don't blame my parents for their opinions. ... I can't criticize my parents and hope that I will never experience poverty. They were once poor, and I was once poor. I agree with them very much. It was not a noble experience. Poverty brings fear, stress and sometimes depression; It means a thousand trivial humiliations and hardships. Getting rid of poverty through one's own efforts is indeed something to be proud of, but only a fool would romanticize poverty itself.
I want to make it clear that I don't blame my parents. ..... They just want me not to live in poverty, and I can't criticize them. They are poor themselves, and I used to be poor, so I understand them very well. Poverty is a tragic experience. It can bring fear, stress and sometimes depression. It means a lot of humiliation and hardship. It is indeed proud to get rid of poverty by your own efforts, but only a fool would romanticize poverty itself.
Only seven years after graduation, I experienced a large-scale failure.
Only seven years after graduation, I was defeated.
An unusually short marriage broke down. I lost my job and became a single mother. Besides being homeless, I am the poorest person in modern Britain. My parents' worries about me and my worries about myself have all come true. According to the usual standards, I am the biggest loser I know.
My short marriage broke up like lightning. I lost my job and became a difficult single mother. Apart from the tramp, I am one of the poorest people in contemporary Britain, and I really have nothing. My parents' worries about me and my worries about myself have all come true. By the standards of ordinary people, I am the most failed person I know.
That period in my life was dark. I don't know how long the tunnel is. For a long time, any light at the end of the tunnel is hope rather than reality.
Those days were dark days in my life. I don't know how much longer I have to walk in the dark. For a long time, all I had was hope, not reality.
So why should I talk about the benefits of failure? Because failure means stripping away unnecessary things. I stopped pretending to be someone else and began to devote all my energy to finishing the work that is only important to me.
Why do I say failure is good? Because failure stripped away all those unimportant things. I stopped pretending to be myself, I found my true self, and I put all my energy into completing the only job that is most important to me.
If I really succeed in other areas, I may never have the determination to succeed in what I think really belongs to me.
If I have succeeded in other places before, then I may never have such determination to devote myself to this field that I am confident really belongs to me.
I am free, because my biggest fear has come true, I am still alive, I have a daughter I love deeply, I have an old typewriter and a great idea. Therefore, the valley bottom has become a solid foundation for me to rebuild my life.
I am free, because my worst fears have come true, but I am still alive. I still have a beloved daughter, an old typewriter and a big dream. The lowest valley of my life has become a solid foundation for me to rebuild my life.
Failure gave me a sense of inner security, which I never gained by passing the exam. Failure has taught me about myself, which I can't learn from other ways. I found that I have a strong will and more discipline than I thought; I also found that I have some friends who are really worth more than rubies.
Failure gave me a sense of security, which I didn't have when I was admitted before. Failure made me see myself clearly, which I never realized before. I found that I have stronger will and determination than I thought. I also found that I have some friends who are more precious than precious stones.
You will never really understand yourself, or the strength of your interpersonal relationship, unless both have experienced the test of adversity. Such knowledge is a real gift. Although it is hard-won, it is more valuable to me than any qualification certificate I have obtained.
Only when adversity comes will you really know yourself and the people you know. This kind of understanding is the real wealth, although it was bought with pain, but it is more useful than any certificate I have obtained before.
Should Harvard encourage its teachers to bear the worst inequality in the world? Should Harvard students know the extent of global poverty ... the prevalence of hunger in the world ... the lack of clean water ... girls are kept out of school ... children who die of diseases that we can cure?
Does Harvard encourage her teachers to study and solve the most serious inequality in the world? Have Harvard students learned anything from extreme poverty in the world ... worldwide famine ... lack of clean water resources ... girls who can't go to school ... children who died of non-malignant diseases ... have Harvard students learned anything from it?
Should the most privileged people in the world know the life of the least privileged people in the world?
Have those who live the best life in the world learned anything from those who are the most difficult?
These are not rhetorical questions-you will answer them with your policies.
These questions are not rhetorical in language. You must answer them with your own actions.
When you consider what we people in this yard have been given-talents, privileges and opportunities-the world has the right to expect from us infinitely.
Think about what people in our yard have been given-gifts, privileges and opportunities-so it can be said that people all over the world have almost unlimited rights and expect us to make contributions.
Should Harvard encourage its teachers to bear the worst inequality in the world? Should Harvard students know the extent of global poverty ... the prevalence of hunger in the world ... the lack of clean water ... girls are kept out of school ... children who die of diseases that we can cure?
Does Harvard encourage her teachers to study and solve the most serious inequality in the world? Have Harvard students learned anything from extreme poverty in the world ... worldwide famine ... lack of clean water resources ... girls who can't go to school ... children who died of non-malignant diseases ... have Harvard students learned anything from it?
Should the most privileged people in the world know the life of the least privileged people in the world?
Have those who live the best life in the world learned anything from those who are the most difficult?
These are not rhetorical questions-you will answer them with your policies.
These questions are not rhetorical in language. You must answer them with your own actions.
When you consider what we people in this yard have been given-talents, privileges and opportunities-the world has the right to expect from us infinitely.
Think about what people in our yard have been given-gifts, privileges and opportunities-so it can be said that people all over the world have almost unlimited rights and expect us to make contributions.
Should Harvard encourage its teachers to bear the worst inequality in the world? Should Harvard students know the extent of global poverty ... the prevalence of hunger in the world ... the lack of clean water ... girls are kept out of school ... children who die of diseases that we can cure?
Does Harvard encourage her teachers to study and solve the most serious inequality in the world? Have Harvard students learned anything from extreme poverty in the world ... worldwide famine ... lack of clean water resources ... girls who can't go to school ... children who died of non-malignant diseases ... have Harvard students learned anything from it?
Should the most privileged people in the world know the life of the least privileged people in the world?
Have those who live the best life in the world learned anything from those who are the most difficult?
These are not rhetorical questions-you will answer them with your policies.
These questions are not rhetorical in language. You must answer them with your own actions.
When you consider what we people in this yard have been given-talents, privileges and opportunities-the world has the right to expect from us infinitely.
Think about what people in our yard have been given-gifts, privileges and opportunities-so it can be said that people all over the world have almost unlimited rights and expect us to make contributions.
The fact that you are about to graduate from Harvard shows that you are not very familiar with failure. You may be driven by fear of failure and desire for success. In fact, your understanding of failure may not be far from that of ordinary people, because you have already flown high academically.
The fact that you are Harvard graduates shows that you do not know much about failure. You may be desperate for success, so you are very afraid of failure. To tell the truth, the failure in your eyes is probably the success in the eyes of ordinary people. After all, you have been very successful in your studies.
However, as Harvard graduates in 2008, how likely are you to influence other people's lives? Your wisdom, your ability to work hard, and the education you get and receive give you a unique position and responsibility. ..... That's your privilege and your burden.
But, all the graduates of Harvard University in 2008, how much do you know about other people's lives? Your wisdom, your ability and your education give you unique advantages and responsibilities. ..... Your advantage is your responsibility.
If you choose to use your position and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; If you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but also with the powerless; If you retain the ability to imagine yourself entering the lives of people who don't have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud family that celebrates your existence, but thousands of people whose reality has been helped to become better by you.
You should use your position and influence to speak for those who are ignored; You should not only see those who are powerful, but also those who are powerless; You must learn to imagine how people who are not as good as you live; In that case, not only your relatives will be proud of you, but thousands of people in Qian Qian will live a better life because of your help.
We don't need magic to change the world. We already have all the power we need inside: we have the ability to imagine better.
We don't need magic to change the world. We have our own strength: in other words, we have always dreamed of making the world a better place.