My Advice to the Class of 2014

Mike Bloomberg Influencer

This spring I was lucky to attend three university commencements and have the chance to offer
the graduates some parting words.

Below are a few pieces of advice that I passed on to the Class of 2014 at Harvard University,
Williams College, and Koç University.

1. Stand up for the rights of others

Throughout your life, do not be afraid of saying what you believe is right, no matter how
unpopular it may be, especially when it comes to defending the rights of others.

Standing up for the rights of others is in some ways even more important than standing up for
your own rights. Because when people seek to repress freedom for some, and you remain silent,
you are complicit in that repression and you may well become its victim.

Do not be complicit, and do not follow the crowd. Speak up, and fight back.

2. Life is not linear

People sometimes ask me: What’s the key to success? Well, it’s not planning out your whole
career on the day you graduate from college. Life is not linear, and if you expect it to be you’re
going to be disappointed.

Instead of putting your energy into making a long-term plan that will inevitably fall apart, roll up
your sleeves and get to work at whatever job you find – no matter how low-level it may be.

3. What we learn from failure is what matters

Show me a person who has never failed, and I will show you a failure of a person. Setbacks are
only setbacks if you allow them to be. And if you never fail, you’re not aiming high enough.
What we learn from failure, and what we do with that knowledge, is what matters. If you never
let the fear of failure stop you from pursuing a goal, you are destined for great things.

4. Listen to people
On every issue, we must follow the evidence where it leads and listen to people where they are.
If we do that, there is no problem we cannot solve. No gridlock we cannot break. No
compromise we cannot broker.

5. Try something
Always carry President Franklin Roosevelt’s words with you: Try something.

If it fails, learn from it, and try something else. That is the key to success in public policy, in
scientific discovery and also in developing your careers.

6. Life is short
Few people regret chasing a dream. Many people are haunted by how the chase might have
turned out. So when you are faced with a decision about whether to take a risk with your career I
want you to remember this: Life is short. Do not be afraid of failure. Feed your passions. Follow
your dreams. And work like crazy to fulfill them.