Dear President Faust, members of Harvard Group, directors of the Board of Supervisors, teachers, parents, friends and, most importantly, graduates,
Thank you for letting me share this wonderful day with you.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this wonderful day with you.
I'm not sure if I can meet the high standards of Harvard commencement speakers. Last year, J.K. Rowling, a billionaire novelist, boarded the podium. She was originally a classical literature student. A year ago, Bill Gates, a billionaire, philanthropist and computer nerd stood here. Today, it's a pity that you have me. I am not a billionaire, but at least I am a bookworm.
I'm not sure if I'm qualified to be a lecturer at Harvard University's graduation ceremony. Last year, Ms. J.K. Rowling, a British billionaire novelist, stood on the podium. She used to be a student of classical literature. It was Bill who stood here the year before last? Mr. Gates, he is a super rich man, a philanthropist and a computer expert. It's a pity that I'm your keynote speaker this year. Although I am not very rich, at least I am an expert.
I am very happy to get an honorary degree from Harvard University. This honor means more to me than you can imagine. You know, I am the academic scum of my family. My brother has a doctorate in medicine from MIT and Harvard University, while my brother has a law degree from Harvard University. I think my mother will be very happy when I am awarded the Nobel Prize. That's not true. When I called her on the morning of the announcement, she replied, "That's good, but when will you come to see me next time?" Now, as the last brother with a Harvard degree, maybe she will finally be satisfied.
I am very grateful to Harvard University for awarding me an honorary degree, which is very important to me, perhaps more important than you think. You know, academically, I am the black sheep of our family. My brother received his doctor's degree in medicine from MIT and his doctor's degree in philosophy from Harvard University. My brother got a law degree from Harvard University. I think my mother will be very happy when I win the Nobel Prize myself. However, I was wrong. On the morning of the announcement, I called her and she just said, "This is good news, but I want to know, when will you come to see me next time?" Now, among our brothers, I finally got a degree from Harvard. I think this time, she will be satisfied.
Another difficulty in giving a speech at the graduation ceremony of Harvard University is that some of you may not agree with me to borrow materials from previous speeches. I beg you to forgive me for two reasons.
Another difficulty in giving a speech at the graduation ceremony of Harvard University is that some of you may have opinions and don't like me repeating what my predecessors said in the speech. I beg you to forgive me for two reasons.
First of all, in order to have an impact, it is important to convey the same information more than once. In science, it is important to be the first person to make a discovery, but it is more important to be the last person to make a discovery.
First of all, to be influential, it is very important to send the same message over and over again. In science, the first discoverer is very important, but before being recognized, the last person who made this discovery repeatedly may be more important.
Second, the author who borrows other people's works is following in the footsteps of the best. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who graduated from Harvard at the age of 0/8, said, "All my best ideas were stolen by the ancients." Picasso declared that "excellent artists can learn from it. Great artists steal. " Why should speakers at graduation ceremonies have higher standards?
Secondly, an author who draws lessons from others takes the best road pioneered by his predecessors. Emerson, a Harvard graduate and poet, once wrote, "The ancients stole some of my best ideas." The painter Picasso declared that "excellent artists learn from them, while great artists steal." So, why don't the speakers at the graduation ceremony adopt the same standards?
I also want to point out that if I have the cheek to apply, it is ironic to speak to graduates of a school that may reject me. I married Dean Jean, the former director of the Admissions Office of Stanford University. She assured me that she would refuse me if given the chance. When I showed her the speech, she strongly objected to my use of the word "refusal". She never refuses an applicant; Her letter said, "We can't admit you." It's hard for me to understand the difference. After all, the admissions director of a highly selective school is actually a "rejection director". Obviously, I still have a lot to learn about marketing.
I also want to point out that speaking to Harvard graduates is ironic for me, because if I have the courage to apply to Harvard University, I will definitely be rejected. My wife Jane used to be the admissions director of Stanford University. She assured me that if I applied to Stanford University, she would reject me. I showed her this speech, and she strongly objected to my using the word "refusal". She has never turned down any applicants. In rejection letters, she always writes: "We can't give you the opportunity to enter school." I can't tell the difference between them. In my opinion, the admissions directors of popular schools are not so much so-called "directors who allow you to enroll" as "directors who refuse you to enroll". Obviously, I need to learn how to sell myself.
My speech will follow the classical sonata-style graduation speech. The first movement just introduced is relaxed and happy. The next action consists of unsolicited suggestions, which are rarely taken seriously, remembered and never followed. As Oscar Wilde said, "The only thing you can do for good advice is to pass it on. It has never been of any use to yourself. " So, here comes the suggestion. First of all, whenever you celebrate an achievement, thank those who made it possible. Thank your parents and friends who supported you, those inspiring professors, and especially those professors who forced you to study by yourself because of their not-so-wonderful lectures. Looking forward to the future, self-study ability is the symbol of great liberal arts education and the key to your success. For those students who have made immeasurable contributions to your education in the late-night discussion, hug them. Of course, thanks to Harvard. In case you forget, the alumni will remind you. Second, cultivate a generous spirit in your later life. In all negotiations, don't bargain for the last advantage. Put the change on the table. In your cooperation, always remember that "credit" is not a conserved quantity. In a successful cooperation, everyone gets 90% credit.
Graduation speech follows the structure of classical sonata, and my speech is no exception. This is the first movement-a brisk conversation. The next second action is to send a suggestion to the door. Such advice is rarely taken seriously, almost doomed to be forgotten and never put into practice. However, as Oscar Wilde said, "All you can do for advice is to give it to others, because it is useless to you." So, this is my suggestion. First, when you make achievements, don't forget your predecessor. Thank your parents and friends who supported you, the professors who inspired you, and especially the professors who didn't have good classes, because they forced you to study by yourself. In the long run, self-study ability is very important in excellent liberal arts education and will be the key to your success. You should hug your classmates and thank them for talking with you all night, which brings immeasurable value to your education. Of course, you have to thank Harvard University. But even if you forget this, the alumni association will remind you. Second, be a generous person in the later life. In any negotiation, leave the last benefit to the other side. Don't take all the money from the table. In cooperation, we should remember that honor is not a conserved quantity. Any successful partner should get 90% of all the honors.
As elwood P Dodd in Harvey said, jimmy stewart was quite right. He said, "A few years ago, my mother said to me,' elwood, in this world, you must ... She always calls me elwood ... elwood. In this world, you must be very smart or very likable. "Well, I have been very smart for many years. ... I recommend plesent. You can quote me.
In the movie Harvey, jimmy stewart's character Elwood P. Dowd fully understands this. He said, "Many years ago, my mother said to me,' elwood, in this world, you must be a smart person or a good person." "I have been a wise man for many years. ..... but I suggest you be good people. You can quote me this sentence.
My third piece of advice is as follows: When you start this new stage of your life, follow your passion. If you have no passion, don't be satisfied until you find it. Life is so short that we have to care deeply about some things. When I was your age, I was very determined to be a physicist. After graduating from college, I spent eight years as a postgraduate and postdoctoral student in Berkeley, and then spent nine years in Bell Laboratories. During that time, my central focus and professional pleasure was physics.
My third suggestion is that when you start a new stage of life, please follow your hobbies. If you have no hobbies, look for them until you find them. Life is short, if you want to achieve something, you must pour your feelings into something. At your age, I am super one-track-minded. My goal is to become a physicist. After graduating from undergraduate course, I stayed at the University of California, Berkeley for another 8 years, finished my postgraduate and postdoctoral studies, and then went to Bell Laboratories for 9 years. In recent years, the focus of my career and all the fun have come from physics.
This is my last piece of advice. It is important to pursue personal passion, but it should not be your only goal. When you are old and your hair is gray, looking back on your life, you will want to be proud of what you have done. The source of this pride will not be what you have gained or the recognition you have gained. This will be the life you touched and the change you brought.
I have one last suggestion, that is, hobbies are very important, but you should not only consider hobbies. When you are white-haired and old and look back on your life, you need to be proud of what you have done. Your material life and recognition will not generate pride. Only those people and things that you have helped and changed will make you proud.
After working in Bell Laboratories for nine years, I decided to leave the warm and comfortable ivory tower and go to a university where I thought it was the "real world". Quoting everyone's comments on Mary Poppins, Bell Labs is "perfect in almost every respect", but I want to leave more than just scientific articles. I want to teach and give birth to a group of my own science children.
After staying in Bell Laboratories for nine years, I decided to leave this warm and comfortable ivory tower and enter the "real world" in my eyes-the university. As others have described the film "Joy on Earth", my view of Bell Labs is "almost perfect". However, I want to leave more things to the world than just scientific papers. I want to teach and cultivate my own offspring in science.
A friend and outstanding colleague of mine at Stanford University, Ted Gebale, also went from Berkeley to Bell Laboratories to Stanford University a few years ago. He described our motives best:
I have a very good friend and outstanding colleague Ted Geballe at Stanford University. He also went to Bell Laboratories from Berkeley and left Bell Laboratories for Stanford University a few years ago. He best described our motives:
"The best part of working in a university is the students. They are full of energy, enthusiastic and open-minded, and have not been hurt by the struggle in life. They don't realize this, but they are the best recipients that our society can provide. If a mind is free to be creative, it is time. They began to believe that textbooks were authoritative, but in the end they found that textbooks and professors didn't know everything, and then they began to think independently. Then I began to learn from them. "
"The biggest advantage of working in a university is the students. They are full of energy, enthusiasm and freedom of thought, and have not been changed by the weight of life. Although they don't realize it, they are the best audience you can find in this society. If there is a time in your life when you are free-thinking and full of creativity, then that time is when you go to college. When they entered the school, the students didn't doubt every word in the textbook. Gradually, they found that neither the textbook nor the professor knew everything, so they began to think independently. From then on, I began to learn from them. "
My students, postdoctoral researchers and young researchers working with me in Bell Labs, Stanford and Berkeley are all excellent. More than 30 former members are now professors, and many of them work in the best research institutions in the world, including Harvard University. I learned a lot from them. Even now, at rare moments on weekends, other members of my biophysics team will meet me in the etheric world of cyberspace.
The students I have taught, the postdoctoral fellows I have brought and the young colleagues I have worked with are all excellent. More than 30 of them are professors now. Many of their research institutions are world-class, including Harvard University. I learned a lot from them. Even now, I occasionally surf the Internet on weekends and ask my classmates who are still engaged in biophysics research.
I started teaching with the idea of return; I get more than I give. This reminds me of the last movement of this speech. It begins with a story of an extraordinary scientific discovery and its new dilemma. This is a call to fight, a call to do something.
I started my teaching career with the idea of giving back to the society. In this life, I get more than I give, so I want to repay the society. This leads to the last movement of this speech. First of all, I want to talk about an amazing scientific discovery and the new challenges it brings. This is the battle cry, and it's time to make a change.