Bill Gates - 11 Rules

United States
July 31, 2008 6:45am CST
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, here’s some advice. Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2 : The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Rule 6 : If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. Rule: 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one. I was reading this and someone said it should be posted in every school in America. I agree. One of the schools I work at, the gym teacher has it proudly displayed in her gymnasium for all her students to see.
2 people like this
4 responses
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
31 Jul 08
I completely agree. I especially like number 8. I don't understand why people think they are helping children by eliminating competition and 'failing' grades. It may be sparing them disappointment in the moment, but it is not preparing them for real life. In fact, it is giving them the wrong impression- that this is what real life is like, and setting them up for major disappointments and failures later when they find out the truth. I agree that it should be posted at schools, and copied and handed out to every teacher, school administrator and parent.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Jul 08
--and student. Sorry, I left that out.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Aug 08
Thanks for the response. My two favorite ones are #4 and #6.
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
1 Aug 08
This topic looked so familiar. I remember reading it before somewhere. Hmm... let me see... let me see.... heck, I was the one who posted it before! check it out here -- http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1569248.aspx
• United States
1 Aug 08
Ooops Sorry. I usually search discussions before I post but the one time I didn't, it has already been posted. Thanks for the response.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
1 Aug 08
*evil grinz* Naugthy Naughty. Snatching discussion from ahgong.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Hey there. Because of so much untrue stuff on the net, I must ask--did Bill Gates really make this speech or is it just something circulating on the internet? I understand there is a website or 2 where such things can be verified as truth or myth. I do think this is a pretty inspiring speech. I am wondering if teenagers will respond to its approach and manner of communication (orders to clean up their rooms, etc.). I'm sure all of the parents, however, would have related to its messages and themes. I'd be quite interested to know how the teens themselves (since the speech was to them and for their benefit, I hope) responded to this speech. Maybe there are some myLot teens out there that will share their thoughts with us. Great discussion, kimbers867. Guess I have to go turn off the tv...And just for the record, I am VERY nice to nerds...
• United States
1 Aug 08
PearlGrace - thank you. I just checked out snopes and here is the link: http://www.snopes.com/language/document/liferule.asp it was authored by not by Bill Gates. Sorry everyone for thinking it was Bill Gates. The link above will show the entire list and who wrote it.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Aug 08
Hi kimbers867. I am glad you checked this out because it didn't sound anything like what I know about Bill Gates (which is very little, by the way)! Even the attitude with which it is written didn't seem to match him. Even so, it makes some pretty good points. Alas, I'm not sure teenagers respond all that well to an adult--even a famous one--talking down to them, even though they are "telling it like it is." You are on top of it with the Snopes thing. I keep forgetting the name of that website, but it's fantastic. Thanks for providing the link. I checked it out and it was very interesting.
• India
31 Jul 08
that was a nice read ... better people start implementing some of them if not all of them. Bill Gates is a man worth listening to and also a great man and brilliant in his own self. and all the 11 rules made some sense ... and the rule 7 is what i liked the most.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Aug 08
I like #7 also! I am living this somewhat with my oldest daughter. Thanks for the response.