When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Ever since I listened to it and heard about it, I always loved that line. Stay hungry, stay foolish.
For one thing, I think it means that we cannot be satisfied or settle for anything less than we were made to be, and for anything less than using our talents to the best of our ability and potential. Don't be satisfied or accept less than the best, but always stay hungry for more, look always for ways to make your life more meaningful. Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
There is another quote that I think would apply... and I will paraphrase it, as it says that when you refuse to accept anything but the best, that is very often what we get.
The second part of the quote says to stay foolish, which seems like kind of silly advice on first blush. However, I think it means that we need to be foolish to try new things, new experiences, to take risks, to start projects even though you know they will probably fail. This is how you grow, how you have success, how to come to find out what kind of person you are. Many times we are scared to start a project or new endeavor because we think it will probably fail, and we want everything to be absolutely perfect so that it won't fail (as if there was a guarantee). But start it anyway, even if it might fail, be foolish and take the risk. You'll learn more from that than by staying put. Sometimes the biggest risk is to not take one.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
I hope I always stay foolish. I see way too many people that live lives that make sense, way too many people who do what's expected of them, and way too many people who don't know what it's like to enjoy life anymore. Being foolish helps prevent all of those. I think people don't want to be viewed as being immature, but by doing so they sacrifice so much more. I hope I can be a little foolish for the rest of my days.
ReplyDeletePreach brother.
ReplyDeleteWhen people think about being foolish, they think about taking risks that might not work out, and so they think that people will think less of them if they take the risk. But really, who cares?
Taking risks that might not work out (at least not exactly as planned) is the great part about life! What better way to learn and grow.
There is a difference between being stupid and being foolish, and most people don't understand that. Being foolish means doing what you think is right in your heart, no matter what others might think.