這是甲骨文(Oracle)公司總裁賴瑞艾利森(Larry Ellison)在耶魯大學(Yale University)對畢業生所作的演講全文，由於他句句驚人，最後被耶魯大學保安請下講臺。
耶魯的畢業生們，我很抱歉—如果你們不喜歡這樣的開場白。我想請你們爲我做一件事。請你—好好看一看周圍，看一看站在你左邊的同學，看一看站在你右邊的同學。
請你設想這樣的情況：從現在起5年之後，10年之後，或30年之後，今天站在你左邊的這個人會是一個失敗者；右邊的這個人，同樣，也是個失敗者。而你，站在中間的傢夥，你以爲會怎樣？一樣是失敗者。失敗的經歷。失敗的優等生。
說實話，今天我站在這裏，並沒有看到一千個畢業生的燦爛未來。我沒有看到一千個行業的一千名卓越領導者，我只看到了一千個失敗者。你們感到沮喪，這是可以理解的。爲什麽，我，艾利森，一個退學生，竟然在美國最具聲望的學府裏這樣厚顔地散佈異端？
我來告訴你原因。因爲，我，艾利森，這個行星上第二富有的人，是個退學生，而你不是。因爲比爾蓋茨，這個行星上最富有的人—就目前而言—是個退學生，而你不是。因爲艾倫，這個行星上第三富有的人，也退了學，而你沒有。再來一點證據吧，因爲戴爾，這個行星上第九富有的人—他的排位還在不斷上升，也是個退學生。而你，不是。
你們非常沮喪，這是可以理解的。
你們將來需要這些有用的工作習慣。你將來需要這種“治療”`。你需要它們，因爲你沒輟學，所以你永遠不會成爲世界上最富有的人。哦，當然，你可以，也許，以你的方式進步到第10位元，第11位，就像Steve。不過，我沒有告訴你他在爲誰工作，是吧？根據記載，他是研究生時輟的學，開化得稍晚了些。
現在，我猜想你們中間很多人，也許是絕大多數人，正在琢磨，”能做什麽？我究竟有沒有前途？”當然沒有。太晚了，你們已經吸收了太多東西，以爲自己懂得太多。你們再也不是19歲了。你們有了“內置“的帽子，哦，我指的可不是你們腦袋上的學位帽。
嗯……你們已經非常沮喪啦。這是可以理解的。所以，現在可能是討論實質的時候啦—絕不是爲了你們，2000年畢業生。你們已經被報銷，不予考慮了。我想，你們就偷偷摸摸去幹那年薪20萬的可憐工作吧，在那裏，工資單是由你兩年前輟學的同班同學簽字開出來的。事實上，我是寄希望於眼下還沒有畢業的同學。我要對他們說，離開這裏。收拾好你的東西，帶著你的點子，別再回來。退學吧，開始行動。
我要告訴你，一頂帽子一套學位服必然要讓你淪落……就像這些保安馬上要把我從這個講臺上攆走一樣必然……（此時，賴瑞艾利森被帶離了講臺）
注：賴瑞艾利森爲甲骨文軟體公司創始人，目前身價260億美元，世界第二富豪。
“Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you to do something for me. Please, take a good look around you. Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the classmate on your right.
Now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even thirty years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. And you, in the middle? What can you expect? Loser. Loser hood. Loser Cum Laude. In fact, as I look out before me today, I don’t see a thousand hopes for a bright tomorrow. I don’t see a thousand future leaders in a thousand industries. I see a thousand losers. You’re upset. That’s understandable. After all, how can I Lawrence “Larry” Ellison, college dropout, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions?
I’ll tell you why. Because I, Lawrence “Larry” Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am college dropout, and you are not. Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet-for now anyway-is a college dropout, and you are not. Because Paul Allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not. And for good measure, because Michael Dell, No.9 on the list and moving up fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not.
Hmm … you’re very upset. That’s understandable. So let me stroke your Egos for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, that your diplomas were not attained in vain. Most of you, I imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways what you’ve learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. You’ve established good work habits. You’ve established a network of people that will help you down the road. And you’ve established what will be lifelong relationships with the word “therapy.” All that of is good.
For in truth, you will need that network. You will need those strong work habits. You will need that therapy. You will need them because you didn’t drop out, and so you will never be among the richest people in the world. Oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to #10 or #11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don’t have to tell you who he really works for, do I? And for the record, he dropped out of grad school. Bit of a late bloomer.
Finally, I realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, Are wondering, “Is there anything I can do? Is there any hope for me at all? Actually, no. It’s too late. You’ve absorbed too much, think you know too much. You’re not 9 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I’m not referring to the mortarboards on your heads.
Hmm … you’re really very upset. That’s understandable. So perhaps this Could be a good time to bring up the silver lining. Not for you, Class of ‘00. You are a write-off, so I’ll let you slink off to your pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your cheques will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago. Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmen here today. I say to you, and I can’t stress this enough: leave. Pack your things and your ideas and don’t come back. Drop out. Start up. For I can tell you that a cap and gown will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me down…”
(At this point The Oracle CEO was ushered off stage.)
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