Quotes from the Last Lecture

The Last Lecture by Prof. Randy Pausch has been a most popular book worldwide for a while, and it has excellent reasons to be so. I am glad that I took time to read it. It gave me insight into life that may take decades for me to discover myself. As it is about life in general, I would like to recommend it to everyone.

Pausch, Randy with Jeffrey Zaslow. The Last Lecture. New York: Hyperion, 2008.

Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something. (p. 79)

Want to quickly dispatch telemarketers? Hang up while you’re doing the talking and they’re listening. They’ll assume your connection went bad and they’ll move on to their next call. Want to have a short phone call with someone? Call them at 11:55 a.m., right before lunch. (p. 109-110)

Take a time out. It’s not a real vacation if you’re reading email or calling in for messages. (p. 110)

Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think. (p. 111)

If you’re putting people on the moon, you’re inspiring all of us to achieve the maximum of human potential, which is how our greatest problems will eventually be solved. (p. 133)
My remark: That is called positive externality.

Complaining does not work as a strategy. (p. 139)

Meet over a meal if you can; food softens a meeting. (p. 143)

And talking louder or faster doesn’t make your idea any better. (p. 143)

When you’re frustrated with people, when they’ve made you angry, it just may be because you haven’t given them enough time. (p. 145)

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. (p. 151)

Hard work is like compounded interest in the bank. The rewards build faster. (p. 156)

I’ve always admired people who are over-prepared. (p. 160)

If I do something, what’s the most terrible thing that could happen? Would I be eaten by wolves? (p. 160)

Honesty is not only morally right, it’s also efficient. (p. 163)

If you can find your footing between two cultures, sometimes you can have the best of both worlds. (p. 171)

If you want something bad enough, never give up. (p. 174)

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask, and it can lead to all your dreams coming true. (p. 179)