Jeff Bezos Princeton Speech - 2010

I read through this a few years ago but thought it would be relevant to revisit again in this tumultuous time in my life. Original source found here.

The essay started off with Bezos reflection of spending summers with his grandparents and figuring out through first hand experience that being kind is far more difficult than being clever.
Central message is that “cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice” and so being clever is easy because it’s given to you by definition of being a gift but being kind is much harder and more defining.
Finally, he talks through his choice of leaving a stable career to pursue building Amazon and encourages students to consider how they will use their gifts to make important choices. Notably, “will you take pride in your gifts or pride in your choices?”

Gifts vs. Choices: true character is shaped by the choices we consciously make. This includes career, personal choices, life partner, etc.
Kindness earns its reputation: Kindness requires deliberate effort, causing it to be more definitive of character than just being clever.
Legacy = Choices: The stories we’ll tell on our deathbeds won’t be about our talents but the decisions we took when we were younger and the principles behind those decisions.

Decisions should be deliberate: It’s important to not let life drift on by without being courageous enough to stick up for decisions you believe in. It might not be easy in the moment but difficult decisions that align with personal principles will always be more fruitful than taking the “easy” path. It’s not just what we can do, but what we choose to do that defines impact.

Evaluate my intrinsic motivations: Am I relying too much on my “predetermined” path or acting from a place of purpose and empathy?
Intentionality over Easy: My choices will define my legacy and so it’s important to be intentional in how I spend my time, the people I spend time with and the opportunities that I pursue.