I don't want to be like the angry old guy in the corner who is always ranting and raving about the same things - but I don't mind doing that just a little bit!

The people at the top don't work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.

Instead of thinking about talent as something that you acquire, talent should be thought of as something that you develop.

And my advice for college graduates is don't reflexively give money to your alma mater, something particular to Americans that I find extraordinary. Take Princeton, for example - it has more money on a per capita basis than any educational institution in the history of educational institutions. There is no scenario where it can spend all the money its endowment generates every year. If there is anyone who gives a single dollar to Princeton, they have completely lost their mind. I will say that without reservation.

I'm a purist: I start to wrinkle my nose when the Cold War ends.

Incompetence is certainty in the absence of expertise. Overconfidence is certainty in the presence of expertise.

Whenever we have something that we are good at--something we care about--that experience and passion fundamentally change the nature of our first impressions.