Inspirant
Histoire inspirante de Jeff Bezos enfant
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Jeff Bezos often narrates this incident from his childhood which had a massive impact on his life.
As a 10 years old, he was once traveling with his grandparents in their car. His grandfather was driving and his grandmother was in the passenger seat and he was rolling around in the back of the car. She smoked throughout the trip. Being good at maths and on hearing an ad campaign about smoking which basically mentioned how each puff would take off some years of ones’s life he decided to do some calculations of his own.
Once satisfied that he’d come up with a reasonable number, he tapped his grandmother on the shoulder and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life!” What happened next was unexpected for him. While he expected to be applauded for his cleverness and arithmetic skills, Instead his grandmother burst into tears. Jeff did not know how to react.
That is when his grandfather parked the car, got down and took him aside and calmly said, “Jeff, one day you’ll understand that it’s harder to be kind than clever.”
“Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice”
Cleverness or intelligence is a gift but being kind is a choice we make.
We love to have the last word, win an argument and be considered smart and it’s not difficult at all. But do we ever pause and consider if being kind could have been better and saved the relationship. Being kind does not mean being weak in-fact it requires strength and courage.
So the next time you have to make that choice, pause and think what matters more, being clever or being kind?
Le débunk
✅ It’s true!
In a narrative shared during his speech to Princeton University's Class of 2010, Jeff Bezos recounted this intimate moment from his childhood that left his grandmother in tears.
He was amazed by his grandfather's reaction, he didn’t tell him off but said to his 10-year-old grandson:
"Jeff, one day you'll realize that being kind is much more challenging than being clever."
Bezos elaborated on this theme, drawing a distinction between innate talents and deliberate choices:
"Today, I want to discuss the contrast between gifts and choices. Cleverness is a gift; it's something you're born with. Kindness, on the other hand, is a choice. It's a path you decide to take. While gifts are received effortlessly, making choices requires courage and conviction."
For those interested in Bezos's full speech, it is accessible on Princeton University's official website: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2010/05/30/2010-baccalaureate-remarks
En français :
✅ C’est vrai !
Au cours de son discours adressé aux diplômés de Princeton en 2010, Jeff Bezos a en effet partagé cette anecdote où il avait fait pleurer sa grand-mère en lui disant qu'elle allait mourir plus tôt si elle continuait à fumer.
Au lieu de le réprimander pour ses paroles, son grand-père dit à son petit-fils de 10 ans :
"Jeff, tu comprendras un jour que faire preuve de gentillesse est bien plus ardu que de briller par son intelligence."
Poursuivant sur cette réflexion, M. Bezos a souligné la distinction fondamentale entre les capacités innées et les décisions conscientes :
"Ce que je souhaite vous transmettre aujourd'hui, c'est l'importance de reconnaître la différence entre les dons et les choix. L'intelligence est certes un don, une aptitude avec laquelle on naît. Cependant, la gentillesse relève du choix, de la décision personnelle de suivre une voie empreinte de compassion et d'altruisme. Tandis que les dons nous sont attribués sans effort de notre part, opter pour la gentillesse nécessite une véritable force de caractère et une profonde conviction."
Le speech de M. Bezos est disponible ici : https://www.princeton.edu/news/2010/05/30/2010-baccalaureate-remarks
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