'Definieer jezelf door waar je van houdt. Haast je niet. Beweeg. Ga niet op zoek naar geluk. Word leraar' en vijf andere levenswijsheden

11 oktober 2013

'Ga niet op zoek naar geluk. Word leraar. Definieer jezelf, door waar je van houdt. Beweeg. Haast je niet.'  Dit zijn vijf van de negen levenswijsheden die Australische komiek Tim Minchin mee wil geven aan de wereld. Dat doet hij tijdens een inspirerende speech tijdens een diploma-uitreiking aan zijn oude universiteit The University of Western Australia. Zijn algemene boodschap? Ons leven is onbeduidend, maar we kunnen het wel vullen. Als je het dan vult, doe dat dan met de belangrijke dingen des levens: zoveel mogelijk leren, (com)passie hebben, ideeën delen, sporten en liefhebben. 'It’s an incredibly exciting thing, this one, meaningless life of yours. Good luck.'

Een samenvatting en filmpje van de hele speech vind je hieronder.

1. You don't have to have a dream.

'I never really had one of these big dreams. And so I advocate passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals. Be micro-ambitious. Put your head down and work with pride on whatever is in front of you.'

2. Don't seek happiness.

'Happiness is like an orgasm: if you think about it too much, it goes away. Keep busy and aim to make someone else happy, and you might find you get some as a side effect.' 

3. Remember, it's all luck.

'Understanding that you can’t truly take credit for your successes, nor truly blame others for their failures will humble you and make you more compassionate.'

'Empathy is intuitive, but is also something you can work on, intellectually.'

4. Exercise.

'Play a sport, do yoga, pump iron, run… whatever… but take care of your body. You’re going to need it.' 

5. Be hard on your opinions.

'We must think critically, and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out onto the verandah and beat them with a cricket bat. Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, your privilege.'

6. Be a teacher.

'Please be a teacher. Teachers are the most admirable and important people in the world.' 

7. Define yourself by what you love.

'Be demonstrative and generous in your praise of those you admire. Send thank-you cards and give standing ovations. Be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff.'

8. Respect people with less power than you.

 'I don’t care if you’re the most powerful cat in the room, I will judge you on how you treat the least powerful.' 

9. Don't rush.

'You don’t need to already know what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. I’m not saying sit around smoking cones all day, but also, don’t panic. Most people I know who were sure of their career path at 20 are having midlife crises now.'