I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, "That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job." That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all. After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice.
我当时在纽约一家金融公司工作,同事是一群非常聪明的人,我的老板也很有智慧,我很羡慕他。我告诉我的老板我想开办一家在网上卖书的公司。他带我在中央公园漫步良久,认真地听我讲完,最后说:"听起来真是一个很好的主意,但是对那些目前没有谋到一份好工作的人来说,这个主意会更好。"这一逻辑对我而言颇有道理,他说服我在最终作出决定之前再考虑48小时。那样想来,这个决定确实很艰难,但是最终,我决定拼一次。我认为自己不会为尝试过后的失败而遗憾,倒是有所决定但完全不付诸行动会一直煎熬着我。在深思熟虑之后,我选择了那条不安全的道路,去追随我内心的热情。我为那个决定感到骄傲。
数学不仅仅是关于数字、方程、计算或算法:它是关于理解的。
最大的风险是不冒任何风险。在一个快速变化的世界里,唯一注定失败的策略就是不冒险。
爱情,你的话是我的食粮,你的气息是我的醇酒。
The West is not a place, it's a state of mind.