Bill Bryson - 7 rules for leading a good life - University of Winchester Graduation 2016

thank you thank you very very much um Thank You Collette for those incredibly kind and generous words and thank you mr. Chancellor and Madame Vice Chancellor and Winchester University this is a great great honor for me and made all the more gratifying by knowing that I had to do nothing at all to earn it so thank you very very much I've been asked to respond with just a very few words and rather than blather on about myself I thought if I may I would offer those of you graduating today some very simple they brief advice I was Chancellor Durham University for some years and as part of my duties there I was required again and again to come up with advice for each graduating class and eventually I kind of distilled all that advice advice down to just seven simple tips so here without adieu I'd like to offer them to you now my seven simple rules for leading a good life one be happy really happy more or less all the time you really ought to be you have a million things to be happy about you're bright and young and you have your whole life in front of you you have been impeccably educated you live in a rich and civilized country Donald Trump can never be your president so count your blessings and be glad of them too and if you can't be happy at least don't win it's awful and it doesn't become you indeed it doesn't get you anywhere no one will ever thank you or admire you more deeply or say oh let's invite Simon and Emma to the party they're fantastic whingers so stop learning it's a waste of oxygen 3 when you're walking down the street and you see someone drop litter kill them 4 but otherwise be good in fact be more than good be compassionate be kind and particularly be kinds of people who are worse off than you which you will find is most people and say thank you a lot to everyone who deserves it especially today 5 never never sneak up on people from behind and startle them in the belief that it's amusing it's not six always buy my books in hardback as soon as they come out and seven and and if you remember nothing else from today remember this when called upon to speak in public always keep your remarks brief thank you very much have a wonderful day wonderful life thank you you

Channel: University of Winchester

Views: 22,477

Rating: 4.8235292 out of 5

Keywords: University of Winchester, UOW, @_UOW, UniofWinch, Winchester, Hampshire, University, Student

Id: 5TCarIzc7CI

Length: 2min 59sec (179 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 06 2017