Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not  learn in school.  He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure 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 $60,000 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.

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.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.  They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.  So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's  generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8:  Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.  In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.  This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9:  Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.   Do that on your own time.

Rule 10:  Television is NOT real life.  In real life, people actually 
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds.  Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.
  If you can read this - Thank a teacher!
     If you are reading it in English -Thank a soldier!!

Marguerite Villalva

Office Assistant

Marcus Whitman Jr. High 

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Comments

Posted by WalkInFaith

Gosh I don't want to sound negative but... that list was not a list created and given in a speech by Bill Gates. It was Charles Sykes (who authored the book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add.)

The list that goes around in email also leaves some of the items in Mr. Sykes' list off:

Rule No. 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic. Next time you're out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20. Ditto for "expressing yourself" with purple hair and/or pierced body parts.

Rule No. 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven't seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

Rule No. 14: Enjoy this while you can. Sure parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now. You're welcome.

None of this changes the fact that there's good advice in those words :-)

Blessings!

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Posted by quietcajun

Thank-you WalkinFaith for correcting this error. I just cut and pasted it EXACTLY as it was sent to me, by a co-worker of my husband. Thanks for giving credit to the correct author and giving the additional information!

To be honest, I was surprised that it would have been by Bill Gates. Perhaps he did say these things in a speech, but was quoting it from that book???? I don't know, but either way... I REALLY agree with "rules" stated!

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Posted by Anonymous

Wow its amazing how long things will travel on the net it says on the urban legend site snopes.com since the year 2000. Its too bad too cause I think its really kewl rules. Its a fun read anyways thanks for posting it :)

Sam

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Posted by JenIG

i love that!!
:) have a super weekend my friend!

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Posted by hskubes

Those are some interesting rules. I like how they aren't 'sugar-coated'.
Thank you for sharing.
Have a blessed Lord's Day. *Ü*

~ Christina
HsKubes' HomeSchool Haven

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Posted by nsremom

Great list...whoever wrote it. :)

BTW: Is ballet and school over yet? and how's the reversal money situation? Just checking on ya. :)

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Posted by giggles3

Oh my goodness... I just read all of your entry before this one!!!
WOW, hang in there sounds crazy!
I hope everything goes smoothly and that the Lord will give your mind some peace thru all of this and a calming in your heart and body.
Keep on smiling,
Christina

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Posted by kindredspiritMom

I especially love the one about de-lousing the closet! What a week you must be having. I can relate ~ we just had our recital Monday night. I will pray for you!

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Posted by Suzie

I agree 100% and that is what I have been teaching my children since they wore small... :) Nice to hear others feel the same way... :) * Suzie =)

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Posted by dawilli

Love that!!!
Thanks for sharing- I think I'm gonna print this one out and hang it up!
Have a good one,
ali

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Posted by LadyPoet33

I was reading it thinking..."No WAY, Bill Gates said that!", and then I read the other responses. Great rules.

I need to get that book now! Sounds like a good one!

Thanks for sharing the rules. My favorite was how the parents get boring by listening to you talk about how cool you are. LOL

LadyPoet33

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