Thursday, February 14, 2013

Stephen Fry: What I Wish I'd Known When I Was 18

I have deep and profound respect for Stephen Fry. He embodies and expresses the three aspects of personality that I value the most: intelligence, humor, and kindness.

Here is a 30-minute talk he gave, about a wide range of things: http://vimeo.com/11414505.

In it, Stephen talks about a whole lot of things, but several points stand out to me (I'm paraphrasing):

  1. People who give to others, be it time, money, knowledge, or any other thing, invariably earn more love and respect than those who do not.
  2. Too many people, especially when interacting with others via the internet, are too self-centered and egotistical.
  3. Don't set goals; life is a journey, not a destination.
  4. Do what you love, or love what you do. Or both, if at all possible.

Suffice it to say, none of these points are particularly innovative and I'm sure you've heard each many times before, phrased in a variety of ways. I had written a lengthy bit about each of these points, but I think Stephen Fry says it better and I don't have anything to contribute that would actually add value. Observations about how his talking points relate to my own life are not particularly interesting, and I don't have the disposition to preach to my readers. I do hope you enjoy the video and find Fry at least as stimulating as I do.

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