Letter to the Class of 2018

Yearbook letter to the Harvard Class of 2018

by Oliver Knill

Nov 11, 2017

I'm honored to have been voted again by the Class of 2018 as one of their favorite professors. This is a draft for the yearbook letter. (Here was the letter for the Class of 2012. And here is the draft for 2020.)

The actual letter will be shorter and a few points which are harder to understand, especially without links or pictures, have been left out.

Dear Class of 2018,

isn't advise from famous or important people the only truly valuable advise? No. Highly successful people are outliers. Grand achievements are often related to other factors, separate from their world view. Only rarely can their successes be imitated. It is therefore helpful to hear words of wisdom from average folks, like myself:

Happiness is achievement minus expectation. It is the most important law I know. Observe this in yourself, in those around you, and in the life stories of many famous and important people who lived and died miserably. Moderate expectations are key if you want to enjoy what successes you achieve, big or small!
Make time in the day to think. Go into the "zone". Cut yourself off from the constant distractions of our modern world, once in a while.
Just do it! Go for a run, practice an instrument, investigate an intriguing subject, have dinner with friends and family. Minor victories add up.
You never have really started yet! Even if you have not succeeded, even if things look bleak. Galois had his best idea the night before his death.
Aim high, brush off wrong attempts, start again. As higher you aim, as more likely you fail. Try to avoid missteps but embrace also failure as an achievement.
The friendship paradox is the phenomenon that most people have fewer friends than their friends have, on average. Even simpler is the law that in any race, all except one loses! So, embrace loss, enjoy the ride and try again.
All human brains have the same hardware specifications. How come then that some are more successful? It must the operating system (I guess). Like when working with a computer, it can be beneficial to tweak your learning abilities, your work flow, or time management tools.
Creativity is a great asset. It is soon the only thing in which we are better than machines. Keep a diary of ideas. Collect them. They are like gems.
Always have a few problems to think about. Like a computer, you can run background processes. They work at night, while doing something else. When completed, you can harvest their fruits.
Success can be a motivator. But it is nothing in comparison with the energy, which the lack of success can bring. Gather both the energy from success and failure.
"Demotivators" are great motivators. Look them up! Two of my favorites: "Dream small. It is your only hope for success. Really." or "Never give up. Never stop trying to exceed your limits. We need the entertainment".
All the best in the adventure of life. Embrace it, however it comes. And that brings me to the last word of wisdom: Don't forget to laugh also at the follies which await. In our mad, mad world it is often necessary to have a good sense of humor.

Oliver