This reads like a book whose first priority is having a positive influence on as many readers as possible. Most of it is obvious material and idealised anecdotes, but a few passages did make me revisit my own values. The section on humility in particular offered a different angle from what I had understood humility to mean.
Steady, diligent learning makes a genius, and beyond that, a self that stands alone.
The most careful and rational person in the world is the one with a meticulous character, and such a person usually boards the express train to success and does not get off easily.
Humility is the highest virtue
What is humility? It is the attitude of treating people courteously and politely, the warmth that mixes easily with others, and the modesty to seek learning from others rather than be conceited.
In conclusion, a humble person can see to the heart of a matter and so is not impatient; thinks about the future and so does not act rashly; and stands high and so is not conceited.
I had thought of humility as lowering myself, but it strikes me as closer to considering the other person. Humility is knowing how to genuinely respect and elevate the other.
A mistake can be a blemish, or it can be part of completing you
“Is there a reason you want a large wastebasket?” Einstein answered: “Because I need to be able to throw away everything I got wrong.”
The book repeatedly lists extremely idealised anecdotes and then frames them as “the Harvard spirit”. I could not catch a glimpse of any original thinking from the author.
The persistence that produces miracles
Persistence is not a countable number of attempts but the need for unceasing, steady effort.