Secretary Chu's Remarks at Harvard University
So my address will follow
the classical sonata form of commencement addresses.
The first movement, just presented, were light-hearted remarks.
This next movement consists of unsolicited advice,
which is rarely valued, seldom remembered, never followed.
As Oscar Wilde said,
"The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on.
It is never of any use to oneself."
So, here comes the advice.
First, every time you celebrate an achievement,
be thankful to those who made it possible.
Thank your parents and friends who supported you,
thank your professors who were inspirational,
and especially thank the other professors
whose less-than-brilliant lectures forced you to teach yourself.
Going forward, the ability to teach yourself is
the hallmark of a great liberal arts education
and will be the key to your success.
To your fellow students
who have added immeasurably to your education
during those late night discussions, hug them.
Also, of course, thank Harvard.
Should you forget,
there's an alumni association to remind you.
Second, in your future life, cultivate a generous spirit.
In all negotiations, don't bargain for the last, little advantage.
Leave the change on the table.
In your collaborations,
always remember that "credit" is not a conserved quantity.
In a successful collaboration,
everybody gets 90 percent of the credit.
My third piece of advice is as follows:
As you begin this new stage of your lives,
follow your passion.
If you don't have a passion,
don't be satisfied until you find one.
Life is too short to go through it
without caring deeply about something.
When I was your age,
I was incredibly single-minded in my goal to be a physicist.
After college, I spent eight years
as a graduate student and postdoc at Berkeley,
and then nine years at Bell Labs.
During that my time,
my central focus and professional joy was physics.
Here is my final piece of advice.
Pursuing a personal passion is important,
but it should not be your only goal.
When you are old and gray, and look back on your life,
you will want to be proud of what you have done.
The source of that pride won't be the things
you have acquired or the recognition you have received.
It will be the lives you have touched
and the difference you have made.