1. Make yourself worthy of what you want

What are some important truths that have helped me?

I'm so lucky that I understood the truth at a very young age: the surest way to get something you want is to make yourself worthy of it. This is a very simple principle; it is a golden rule. You should learn not to do to others what you would not like.

In my opinion, for both lawyers and others, this is the spirit they should have the most. Generally speaking, people with this kind of mentality can win a lot in life; they have won more than just money and fame. They have also earned respect, and rightfully the trust of those who deal with them. Being able to gain the trust of others is a very happy thing.

Sometimes you'll find out that some outright villains are rich and famous when they die, but the vast majority of people around you think they die for good. If the church is full of people attending the funeral, most of them go there to celebrate the death of this kid.

It reminded me of a story — one such bastard died, and the priest said, “Is there anyone willing to stand up and say something nice to the deceased?” No one stood up, no one stood up for a long time, and finally someone stood up and said, “OK, his brother is worse.” (Audiences laughing).

This is not the end you want. A life that ends with a funeral like this is not the life you want.

The second truth I understood from a very young age is that proper love should be based on admiration, and we should love our forefathers who have educational significance for us. I understand this principle and have been practicing it my whole life. The love described by Somerset Maugham (Somerset Maugham) in his novel “The Shackles of Human Nature” is a pathological kind of love. It is a disease. If you find out that you have this disease, you should cure it quickly.

2. Acquiring wisdom is a moral responsibility

Another truth — this truth may remind you of Confucius — yes, gaining wisdom is a moral responsibility; it's not just about making your life a better place.

There is a related reason that is very important, and that is that you must keep studying for a lifetime. If you don't study for a lifetime, you won't achieve much. With the knowledge you already have, you won't get very far in life. After you leave here, you still have to keep studying, so you can go further in life.

In the case of Berkshire Hathaway, the most respected company in the world, its long-term large investment performance is probably the best in human history. The method that allowed Berkshire to make a lot of money in this decade might not work that well in the next ten years, so Warren Buffett had to become a machine that kept learning.

The lower levels of life have the same requirements. I keep seeing people who are getting better in life. They are not the smartest, or even the most diligent, but they are learning machines, and they sleep a little smarter every night than that morning. Kids, this habit helps you a lot, especially when you still have a long way to go.

Alfred North Whitehead once said a very accurate statement. He said that only when humans “invent invented methods” can human society develop rapidly. He was referring to the huge increase in GDP per capita and many other good things we are used to today.

Human society only experienced major development a few hundred years ago. Until then, development in every century was almost equal to zero. Human society can only develop after inventing invented methods. In the same way, you can only progress if you learn how to learn.

I'm very lucky. I learned how to study before I went to law school. In my long life, nothing has helped me more than continuous study.

Take Warren Buffett again. If you watch him with a timer, you'll notice that he is awake reading a book for half of the time. He spent most of his remaining time talking one-on-one with some very talented people, sometimes on the phone, sometimes in person; those were all people he trusted and trusted. If you look closely, Warren is a scholar, even though he is very successful in his worldly life.

There are many very valuable things in academia. I came across an example not long ago. I was the chairman of the board of directors at a hospital, and at work I met a medical researcher named Joseph Milla. This brother is a medical doctor. After years of research, he has become the most proficient person in bone tumor pathology in the world. He wants to spread this knowledge and improve the effectiveness of bone cancer treatment.

How did he do it? Um, he decided to write a textbook. Although I think this kind of textbook can only sell a few thousand copies at most, cancer treatment centers around the world have bought it. He took a year off, got all the X-rays on a computer, carefully stored and arranged them. He worked 17 hours a day, seven days a week, and continued for a full year. This is also considered a vacation.

At the end of his vacation, he wrote one of two of the best textbooks on bone cancer pathology in the world. If your worth is about the same as Mira, you can achieve as much as you want to achieve.

3. Only by crossing science can we live an efficient and mature life

Another very useful truth for me was something I learned in law school back then.

At the time, a joking professor said, “What is a legal mind? If two things are intertwined and have an impact on each other, you try to consider only one of them while completely ignoring the other. Thinking that this way of thinking is both practical and workable is a legal mind.” I know he is saying the opposite; the kind of “legal” approach he is saying is ridiculous.

This inspired me a lot because it prompted me to learn all the important principles in every subject so I wouldn't be the idiot that the professor described. Because really important academic principles account for 95% of each subject, it is not difficult for me to absorb 95% of the knowledge I need from all subjects and make them part of my thinking habits.

Of course, once you have mastered these principles, you must use them in practice. It's like a pianist; you can't play well without constant practice. So I've been practicing that kind of interdisciplinary approach my whole life.

This habit has helped me a lot. It makes my life more enjoyable, allows me to do more things, makes me more constructive, and makes me very rich, and this cannot be explained by talent. My thinking habits are really helpful as long as they are put into practice properly.

But this habit is also dangerous because it's so useful. If you use it, when you're with experts in other disciplines — maybe this expert or even your boss, who can easily hurt you — you'll often find that your knowledge is richer than him and can solve the problems he has encountered, and when he's helpless, you sometimes know the right answers.

It is very dangerous to encounter this kind of situation. If your correctness makes people with status feel faceless, it may trigger a great sense of retaliation. I haven't found the perfect way to avoid getting hurt by this serious problem.

Although I played poker very well when I was young, when I thought I knew more than my superiors, I wasn't very good at hiding my thoughts and didn't try to conceal my thoughts very carefully, so I always offended people. People now usually think of me as a strange old man with no malice in his career, but in the past, I had a very difficult time. I suggest you don't learn from me; it's best to learn to hide your wisdom.

I have a colleague who finished first in his class when he graduated from law school, worked for the US Supreme Court, and worked as a lawyer when he was young. At the time, he always showed a well-informed appearance.

One day, his senior partner called him into the office and said to him, “Listen, Chuck, I'm going to explain something to you. Your job and duty is to make customers think he's the smartest person in the room. If you have extra energy after completing this task, you should use it to make your senior partner seem like the second smartest person in the room. You can only express yourself if you have fulfilled these two obligations.”

Um, that's a great way to climb up in a big law firm, but I didn't do that. I usually act frankly. If someone doesn't like my style, then feel free; I don't need everyone to like me.

I would like to further explain why people must have an interscientific mindset in order to live an efficient and mature life.

Here I would like to quote an important thought by Marcus Tulus Cicero, the greatest lawyer of ancient times. There is a famous quote by Cicero. He said that if a person doesn't know what happened before he was born, he will live like an ignorant child. This is very true; Cicero rightly mocked people who were so foolish that they didn't know anything about history.

But if you spread the word Cicero — I think you should do it — there are many things that people must know beyond history. Many of the so-called things are important ideas for all disciplines. However, if you memorize a type of knowledge by memorizing it so that you can get good grades in the exam, this knowledge won't be of much help to you. You must master a lot of knowledge so that it forms a frame of mind in your mind that you can automatically apply in the days to come.

If you can do this, I solemnly promise you that one day you will unknowingly realize, “I've become one of the most effective people of my age.” On the contrary, if you don't put in the effort to practice this interscientific approach, many of you, the smartest, will only achieve moderate results, or even live in the shadows.

4. Think backwards and think more clearly

Another truth I discovered is contained in the story Director McCaffrey just told. The villagers in the story said, “You just need to know where I'm going to die; I'll never go to that place.” What this rural person said sounds absurd, but it contains a profound truth.

For complex adaptive systems and the human brain, problems tend to be easier to solve if reverse thinking is used. If you think about the problem the other way around, you'll usually be able to think things out more clearly.

For example, if you want to help India, the question you should consider is not “How can I help India?” Instead, you should ask, “How can I hurt India?” You should find the thing that will do the most damage to India and then avoid doing it.

Perhaps logically, the two methods are the same, but those who are proficient in algebra know that if a problem is difficult to solve, it can often be solved by using reverse proof. Life situations are the same as algebra. Thinking backwards can help you solve problems that cannot be handled by thinking positively.

Let me use a bit of reverse thinking right now. What makes us fail in life? What should we avoid? Some answers are simple; for example, laziness and ignorance can make us fail in life. If you don't believe what you say, no matter how many advantages you have, you won't be able to avoid a miserable end. Therefore, you should develop the habit of saying what you say and do. It is clear that laziness and lack of faith in words are to be avoided.

5. Avoid extreme ideologies

Also, what should be avoided is extreme ideology, because it can make people lose their minds.

You see a lot of really bad religious evangelists on TV. They have different, strong, and conflicting theological views on the details of theology. They are biased and very stubborn. I think many of them have shrunk their heads into cabbage.

The same is true of political ideology. Young people are particularly prone to falling into strong and foolish ideologies and never getting out of them. When you announce that you are a loyal member of a similar cult group and start promoting that group's orthodox ideology, all you do is keep stuffing that ideology into your mind. This will cause your mind to break down, and sometimes at an alarming rate. So you should be very careful to watch out for strong ideologies, which are extremely dangerous to your precious minds.

Every time I feel that I am in danger of falling into some kind of strong ideology, I use the following example to remind myself that some Scandinavians who play canoes have conquered all the rapids in Scandinavia. They think they can also drive a canoe to successfully conquer the vortex of North America. As a result, the death rate is 100%. The maelstrom is something you should avoid, as are strong ideologies, especially when all of your companions are devout believers.

I have an “iron law” that helps me stay awake when biased in favor of a strong ideology. I don't think I'm qualified to have an opinion unless I can refute my position better than my opponent. I think I'm only qualified to give an opinion if I reach this level.

Dean Atchison (a famous American politician and lawyer) has an “iron law”. It comes from the silent Orange man William (who led the Dutch against Spanish rule in the Nederland War of Independence and is revered as the father of the Dutch nation). The meaning of that sentence is probably “there is no need to have hope to stick to it.”

My approach sounds as extreme as this “iron law.” It's probably too difficult for most people, but I hope it never becomes too difficult for me. My method of avoiding falling into a strong ideology is actually easier than Dean Atchison's “Iron Law,” and it's also worth learning. This method of not falling into extreme ideology is very, very important in life. Serious ideologies are likely to backfire if you want to be wise people.

6. Stay away from your self-centered subconscious mind and avoid self-pity

There is a psychological factor called “self-service preference” that also often causes people to do stupid things. It is often subconscious, and no one is immune to its influence.

You think the “self” is qualified to do what it wants, for example, overdraft income to meet its needs, so what's wrong? Um, once upon a time, there was a person who was the most famous composer in the world, but he had a very miserable life most of the time. One reason was that he always overspent his income. That composer is called Mozart. Not even Mozart can escape the poison of this foolishness, so I don't think you should try it (listeners laugh).

Overall, jealousy, resentment, hatred, and self-pity are all disastrous states of mind. Excessive self-pity can make people almost paranoid. Paranoia is one of the hardest things to reverse, so don't fall into self-pity.

I have a friend who carries a stack of thick cards with him. Every time someone says something of self-pity, he slowly and exaggerately pulls out that stack of cards and hands the top one to the person who talks. The card reads, “Your story has moved me, I've never heard anyone as unlucky as you.” You might think this is a joke, but I think it's mental health.

Every time you find yourself feeling self-pity, no matter what the reason, even if your child is dying of cancer, you should think that self-pity doesn't make up for anything. At times like this, you want to give yourself a card from a friend of mine. Self-pity always has a negative effect; it's a misguided way of thinking. If you can avoid it, your advantage is far greater than anyone else, or almost everyone else, because self-pity is a standard response. You can get rid of it by training.

Of course, you should also eliminate the preference for self-service from your habits of thinking. Don't think that what is good for you is good for society as a whole, and don't use this self-centered subconscious tendency to excuse your foolish or evil behavior. This is a horrible way of thinking.

You need to free yourself from this mentality because you want to be wise rather than a fool, and you want to be a good person rather than a scoundrel. You must allow others to have a preference for self-service in your cognitive actions, because most people can't get rid of this mentality very successfully; this is human nature. If you can't tolerate others showing a preference for self-service in action, then you're a fool.

7. Persuade others to appeal to interests rather than rationality

The legal adviser to Solomon Brothers, who once worked as a student editor for the “Harvard Law Review,” was a smart and noble person, but I saw with my own eyes that he destroyed his future. The competent CEO at the time said that one of his subordinates had done the wrong thing, and the general counsel said, “Oh, we have no legal responsibility to report this, but I think that's what we should do; it's our moral responsibility.”

Legally and morally, the General Counsel was right, but his approach was wrong. He recommended that the CEO of Nichiba do something unpleasant, yet the CEO always pushes this over and over again because he is very busy. It's completely understandable that he didn't mean to make a mistake. Later, the competent department blamed them for not reporting the situation in a timely manner, so both the CEO and the general adviser were screwed up.

When faced with this situation, the right persuasion technique is the one Benjamin Franklin pointed out. He said, “If you want to convince others, you should appeal to interests rather than reason.” The human preference for self-service is extremely powerful and should be used to get the right results.

Therefore, the general adviser should say, “Hey, if this situation continues, it will ruin you; it will ruin your reputation and ruin your family and people. My advice will save you from falling into a desperate situation.” This method will work. You should resort more to interests rather than reason, even when your motives are noble.

8. Avoid being driven by perverted incentive mechanisms

Another thing to avoid is being driven by perverse incentives. Don't be in a perverted incentive system that provides more rewards the more you do the stupidest or worse you act. A perverted incentive mechanism has a powerful power to control human behavior, and people should avoid being influenced by it.

You will find out in the future that some law firms require extremely long working hours; at least a few modern law firms do. If I had to work 2,400 hours a year and I wouldn't be able to live, that would cause me a lot of problems, and I wouldn't accept this kind of condition. I have no way of dealing with this situation some of you will face; you will have to figure out how to handle these important issues on your own.

9. Work under the authority of respected people

Perverted work relationships should also be avoided. You should especially avoid working under people you don't respect or want to be like him. That is very dangerous. Everyone is controlled to some extent by authority figures, especially those who provide us with rewards. Addressing this danger properly requires both talent and determination.

When I was young, my method was to find someone I respected, then find a way to transfer them to him, but don't criticize anyone, so I can usually work under a good leader. Many law firms allow this, as long as you are smart enough to do a very decent job. In short, when you work for someone you rightly admire, what you achieve in life will be more satisfying.

Of course, developing some habits that allow you to maintain objectivity and impartiality is very helpful for cognition. We all remember that Darwin paid particular attention to contrary evidence, especially when he falsified a theory he believed in and loved. This is a habit you need if you want to make as few mistakes as possible when thinking.

People also need to develop the habit of checking checklists. Checking checklists can avoid many mistakes, not just for pilots. You shouldn't just master a broad range of basic knowledge, but you should make a list of them in your mind and then use them. There is no other way to achieve the same results.

10. Let the most capable people play the greatest role

Another reason I think is very important is that maximizing inequality usually works wonders.

What is the meaning of this sentence? John Wooden of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) provides an exemplary example. Wooden was once the best basketball coach in the world. He said to the five lower level players, “You won't get time to play — you're sparring.” The games are almost all played by the seven higher-level players. Well, these seven high-level players learned more — don't forget the importance of learning machines — because they had all their game time alone. When he adopted an unegalitarian approach, Wooden won more games than before.

I think life is like a game, full of competition, and we need to make the most of those who are most capable and willing to be learning machines to make the most of it. If you want to achieve very high results, you have to be that kind of person.

You don't want to pick one out of 50 rotating surgeons to perform brain surgery on your child. You don't want your aircraft to be designed in a way that's too egalitarian. Nor do you want your Berkshire Hathaway to be managed this way. You want the best players to play for a long time.

I often tell a joke about Max Planck.

After receiving the Nobel Prize, Planck went to various parts of Germany to give speeches. Every time, the content was similar, and it was all about a new theory of quantum physics. Over a long period of time, his driver memorized the contents of the lecture. The driver said, “Professor Planck, it's pretty boring for us to keep doing this. Let me talk about it when I go to Munich, you sit in the front row wearing my driver hat, what do you think?” Planck said, “OK.” So the driver walked to the podium and published a long story about quantum physics.

Then a physics professor stood up and asked a very difficult question. The speaker said, “Wow, I never thought I'd run into such a simple problem in a city as advanced as Munich. I'd like to ask my driver to answer.” Hi John Wooden. I'm not telling this story to praise the protagonist for being very astute.

I think the world's knowledge can be divided into two types: one is Planck knowledge, and it belongs to the kind of people who really understand. They put in the effort, and they have that ability. The other type is driver knowledge. They have mastered the skills of parrots learning languages; they may have beautiful hair; their voices are usually very beautiful; they are very impressive. But what they actually have is drivers' knowledge disguised as real knowledge.

I think I actually portrayed all of the US politicians just now. If in your life you want to try to be someone who knows Planck and avoid being someone who knows a driver, you'll run into this problem. At that time, many powerful forces will oppose you.

To a certain extent, my generation has failed you, and we have left you a mess. Now most members of the California legislature are left-wing idiots and right-wing idiots. There are more and more people like this, and none of them can be invited out. This is what my generation is doing for you. But you don't like tasks that are too simple, right?

11. Find ways to do things you have a strong interest in

Another thing I've discovered is that if you really want to be great in a field, then you have to have a strong interest in it. I can force myself to do a lot of things pretty well, but I can't be great at things I don't have a strong interest in.

To some extent, you guys are about the same as me. So if you get a chance, you should find ways to do things that you have a strong interest in.

12. You must be very diligent

Also, you have to be very diligent to do it.

I really like hardworking people. The partners I've met throughout my life have all been extremely hardworking. I think the reason I was able to partner with them was partly because I tried to be worthy of them, partly because I chose them wisely, and partly because I had good luck.

I had two partners in my early business. The two of them jointly set up an architectural design and construction company during the Great Depression and reached a very simple agreement. “It's a partnership of two people,” they said. “Everything is split equally. If we don't deliver on our promises to our customers, we both have to work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week until it's done.”

Needless to say, you all know that this company has done a very successful job. My two partners are highly respected. Their simple, old-school ideas will almost certainly provide good results.

13. Every misfortune is an opportunity to exercise

Another problem you have to deal with is that you may be hit hard and unfairly in your life. Some can make it through, and some can't.

I think the attitude of Ebiquted can guide people to respond in the right way. He believes that every misfortune in life, no matter how unlucky, is an opportunity to exercise. He sees every misfortune as a good opportunity to learn lessons. Instead of falling into self-pity, people should use every blow to improve themselves.

His views were very correct and influenced Marcus Aurelius, the greatest emperor of the Roman Empire, and many others throughout the following centuries.

You may remember the epitaph that Ebiquted drew up: “Here is Ebiquted, a slave, disabled, extremely poor, blessed by the gods.” Well, this is how Ebiquted is now remembered: “By the grace of the gods.” It is said that he was favored because he became a wise man, a man who stood out in heaven, and educated others, including those of his time and many centuries after.

I also have an ideal to talk about in a nutshell.

My grandfather Munger was the only federal judge in his city, a position he held for 40 years. I adore him. My name is the same as his. I am very respectful to him, and I was just thinking, “Judge Munger would be happy to see me here.”

It's been many years since my grandpa passed away. I think it's my responsibility to take over the torch and convey his values. One of his values is that frugality is a responsible servant. When Grandpa Munger was a federal judge, the widow of a federal judge did not receive a pension. So if he earns money and doesn't save it, my grandmother will become a desolate widow. In addition to this, having extra money at home also allows him to serve others better. Because he is this kind of person, he has lived in a comfortable environment for his widow by measuring his income and income throughout his life.

Ebiquted's view of morality

Control your lust so they don't retaliate against you.

Don't demand reality based on your wishes; you should determine your wishes based on reality.

Understand what you're saying before you speak.

A wise man does not mourn for what he lacks, but rejoices in what he has.

If you want to improve, don't worry if people think you're stupid.

It is impossible for a person who knows everything for a reason to start studying.

It doesn't matter what happened to you; what matters is how you react.

Do your best in everything and don't worry about results.

If people can't control themselves, then there's no way to talk about freedom.

Only educated people are free.

It's not the things that bother people, it's the way they think about things.

Partner with people who are better than you; they can inspire you to be your best.

Being rich does not have many possessions; it is about having few needs.

But that's not the full effect of his frugality. When my grandpa was still alive — it was in the 1930s — my uncle's small bank went bankrupt, and it wouldn't be possible to reopen it without outside help. My grandpa saved it by exchanging one-third of his quality assets for that bank's poor assets. I've always remembered this. This incident reminds me of a short poem by Hausman (scholar and poet of classical English literature). The poem looks like this:

What others think

It's erratic,

They are thinking about having a tryst with their lover

I want to be lucky or famous.

I'm always thinking about trouble,

My thoughts are steady,

So when trouble comes

I'm ready for it.

You're likely to say, “Who would expect trouble all day long in their lives?”

Actually, that's what I am. Throughout this long life, I've always looked forward to trouble. I'm 84 years old now. Like Lovestruck, I also have a life of being blessed. I always look forward to trouble and be prepared for how to deal with trouble when it comes, which doesn't make me unhappy. It didn't hurt me at all; in fact, it helped me a lot. So I'm going to pass on the reasoning of Judge Hausman and Munger to you.

14. A better system is a seamless web of trust

Since there are a lot of procedures and red tape in the industry you are about to work in, the last reason I want to tell you is that complicated bureaucratic procedures are not the best system in a civilized society. A better system is a seamless, non-bureaucratic web of trust. There aren't many weird programs, just a bunch of reliable people who have the right trust in each other.

That's how Mayo Medical Center's operating room works. If doctors there set as many rules as complicated as legal procedures like lawyers, more patients would die of death. So when you become lawyers, never forget that although you have to follow procedures at work, you don't always have to be led by procedures.

What you should aim for in life is to cultivate as seamless a web of trust as possible. If your proposed marriage agreement is 47 pages long, then I would suggest that it would be better if you didn't get married.

15. Pass on my sword to people who can wield it

Alright, that's enough to say so much at the graduation ceremony. I hope this old man's nonsense is useful to you.

Finally, I'd like to end this speech with the only thing the swordsman of truth in “The Journey of Heaven” might say in his old age: “My sword is passed on to those who can wield it.”