The author of Moneyball was asked to give a commencement speech at Princeton recently and he made this very obvious yet surprising remark to the so called IVY league graduates. To paraphrase - Success in most cases is a series of fortunate events that can be chalked up to dumb luck. I do think that once someone gets lucky it requires intellect to recognize it as such and put your whole effort behind it to maitain momentum and indeed savor the flavor of success.
The author Michael Lewis is himself a graduate of Princeton and has since had different careers including a bond salesman and now an author of popular books some that have become a movie.
He went on to emphasize that those lucky ones then somehow owe it to themselves and to society to return the favor in the form of helping others achieve what they seek, in most cases success itself. Although an intangible idea the message was to pay it forward.
He calls it the graduating generations' responsibilty to take the effort to help others.
He wrote a new book called Boomerang with ideas that I get and quoted here -
In Greece the banks didn't sink the country. The country sank the banks;
Fishermen are a lot like American investment bankers - like bankers, fishers' "overconfidence leads them to impoverish not just themselves but also their fishing grounds";
Countries borrow not only the best practices, but the worst;
Nothing lasts forever, even real estate.
I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.
Although as I have noted somewhere before 'Success' itself is a very vague idea. After all its in the mind of the beholder. Just because a lot of people believe something does not make it gospel. A perfect heist is also considered a Successful Job in the mind of the one pulling said heist. As is the destruction caused by fundamentalists. One parent in Afghanistan may be overheard to say - Aziz went on to be a successful terrorist.
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