In a recent speech to high-school students, Bill Gates talked about how feel-good, politically correct teachings has created a generation of kids with no concept of reality -- and how this concept has set them up for failure. Here's what he had to say to prepare them for life in the real world:
Rule 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it.
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault -- so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.