Alfred Wirth
Alfred WirthConvocation Address
University of Alberta, June, 2005
Mr Chancellor, Mr President, Mr Chairman, Honoured Faculty, Fellow Graduates, and Guests.
Good afternoon!
I was told that my introduction would include every possible good thing about me. That explains why it was short, which, I'm sure, was appreciated by you. Over the years I've learned that the average attention span is 40 minutes, minus the age of the listener. So I promise you that I won't be too long either.
I really appreciate the opportunity to thank the University for this great honour, to recognize the Wirth Institute's wonderful staff, and to be able to address you. My grandmother used to tell me that I had not completed university, since I had not earned a doctorate. So I'm doubly grateful to have graduated properly now in her eyes.
One of my heroes has been the great Canadian humorist and economist, Stephen Leacock. He said that an important part of the graduation ceremony is being capped. He said that this shows that that head is now full with no room for further knowledge!
Yes, he was joking.
Today is not the end of your learning. Graduation is only another stage in your education, although an extremely important one. More learning must — and will — go on throughout your lives. Develop an interest in just about anything — no, better yet — be interested in everything!
Why should that be? Not only do things change, but also our collective human understanding of these realities changes. So we must adapt our knowledge base as we go along. When another great economist, Lord Keynes, was accused of changing his opinion, he replied: "When I learn new facts, I analyze them and, when appropriate, change my mind. How do you handle new information?"
One of my professors used to give pretty much the same exam every year. When asked if that didn't make it too easy, he said: "Don't worry. The questions are the same, but the answers have changed."
But all of you already know a lot about learning.
What else do I believe?
In addition to taking every opportunity to expand your knowledge and insights, I'd recommend diligence, persistence, and passion. I am convinced that which particular occupation you choose is not as important as getting started at something. Too many of us waste a lot of time looking for the perfect job. But until we actually give it a try, it's impossible to tell how it would suit us.
An intelligent person can do just about anything. Yes, there are only some activities at which any one of us can be outstanding. But I assure you that there are hundreds at which each one of us can be very, very good. And there are only a very few jobs at which our results will be poor. As long as we make a genuine effort.
When you do something, set a stretch objective and put yourself into it! Do more than the minimum. Try to anticipate future requirements. Keep an open mind for opportunities as they arise. And they will come along; the trick is to recognize them!
That's not the same as saying everything is going to be easy. It won't be! But every challenge we meet can also teach us new ways of finding solutions. And everybody gets more pleasure from even a small victory than from just coasting through easy stuff. As Babe Ruth said, "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."
When you feel discouraged, remember that virtually everything has been done well by others. And each of us is at least as competent and well trained as those who have gone before. Life is a series of puzzles waiting to be solved. So practise finding solutions and don't give up easily!
Luck does also play a role. Most of us have already been very lucky. After all, we're alive and we're here today, graduating from one of Canada's finest universities! And as Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, wrote 200 years ago, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it!"
Recent research shows that luck is a combination of being involved and recognizing opportunities as they arise. As my lawyer friends say, "Carpe diem" or "Seize the day!"
We should check our progress occasionally but not too often. Remember that in this instance, patience really is a virtue. And don't be discouraged by your friends' success stories. Over the years, I've found that quite a few of these are exaggerations.
When you do come to admire someone else's real achievements, ask yourself honestly: Why is she doing so well? What is stopping me from being as successful as she is? What should I change in my approach and how do I make those changes?
Another basic question which applies to virtually everything we do in life is: When do I go along with the crowd and when should I go alone? Clear objectives and strong ethical principles must be your guide. As Jefferson advised, "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
All of us feel good when we get things done. What we enjoy doing, we do better. In turn, the better we are at doing a job, the more we'll like it. I'm convinced that one of life's secrets is to stay in that positive upward spiral, that virtuous circle, instead of the vicious circle of dissatisfaction that often ends in despondency!
So get to like what you're doing, whether at work or with your hobbies. What it happens to be isn't as important as doing it with passion. For the next 40 years, you'll be spending 50 percent of your waking life working and another 15 percent eating. You'd better learn to enjoy those 2/3 of your conscious life.
Finally, I want to repeat my sincere "Thank you" to all the members of the University and wish all you graduates good luck with the next stage of life!