Life Lessons from My Autobiography

In writing my autobiography, I have uncovered lessons that have guided me throughout my life, and have given me strength. In his blog post, I share them with you. For more detail, please read my autobiography posted on Substack.

https://ordinaryworkinggrammarian.substack.com/s/autobiography

1. Exercise is a key ingredient of mental health.

(from “The Fall”)

“In the summer before 9th grade, I discovered long distance running. This was a clear turning point in those dark years, and the very start of my crawl back to mental peace and clarity after two very dark years….Running turned out to be very important to me and was a big piece in working out the puzzle of my life.”

2. Learning is deeply personal.

(from “Redemption”)

“I did not need a classroom or instructor or school to learn something, even as complex as calculus. I could just find a textbook, and by reading it carefully and doing the exercises, I could master the material better than learning it in class. As it turns out, I did not need teachers or classes at all. This accidental lesson served me well many times throughout my entire life. It laid the foundation for much of my future learning. Later I learned syntax in exactly the same way, reading through a textbook and doing the exercises.”

3. Obstacles are not excuses.

(from “The Fall”)

“There are no excuses. Whatever you have accomplished, you have done that through the adversity that was before you. Overcoming the adversity is part of the challenge. For any important goal, many strange detours and unexpected obstacles will present themselves, and resolving them is part of the task. Taking a shit in the middle of a 15K was an integral part of the race. It was not an excuse for having run a slow time.”

4. Excessive TV is a sign of mental stress.

(from “The Fall”)

“In my lifetime, I have observed that watching too much television is always a sign of mental stress for me. My natural state is to be intellectually curious, pursuing my interests, and physically active, getting outside and exploring the environment. Any time I find myself sitting in front of a TV several hours a day, I know that there is a source of mental and emotional trouble.”

5. The only way to learn a language is to use it.

(from “Peace Corps (Year One)”)

“If you want to learn a language, you need to use it. You need to speak it, and you need to listen to it being spoken, and you need to be involved in interactions and conversations. There is no other way.”

6. The value of an undergraduate education is intellectual exploration.

(from “MIT Undergraduate”)

“So that is an argument for taking a wide range of classes as an undergraduate. You never know what will resonate. When you take a wide range of classes, you may stumble across something that you really love. In my opinion, that is the true value of an undergraduate education.”

7. Your life can be taken from you at any moment.

(from “Life is Short”)

“The car spun 180 degrees to the right, and then flipped over 270 degrees onto the driver’s side. The top of the car is crumpled in, and the front windshield is completely shattered….By some miracle difficult for me to comprehend, my wife and I both walked away from the accident with only small scratches, minor bruises and headaches.”