Randy Pausch Quotes

112 Sourced Quotes

Find the best in everybody. … you might have to wait a long time, sometimes years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.

Randy Pausch
How do you get people to help you? You can't get there alone. People have to help you and I do believe in karma. I believe in paybacks. You get people to help you by telling the truth; by being earnest. I'll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short-term, earnest is long term.

Randy Pausch
What is the most appropriate thing to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered: tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Whenever he goes, you also g. He will not be alone".

Randy Pausch
If she doesn't really love you, then it's over. And if she does love you, then love will win out.

Randy Pausch
Don't bail. The best of the gold's at the bottom of barrels of crap.

Randy Pausch
Junior faculty members used to come up to me and say. "Wow, you got tenure early; what's your secret?" I said, "It's pretty simple, call me any Friday night in my office at 10 o'clock and I'll tell you."

Randy Pausch
Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.

Randy Pausch
He said, when you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up. And that's a lesson that stuck with me my whole life. Is that when you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

Randy Pausch
Did you figure out the head fake? It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

Randy Pausch
Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.

Randy Pausch
Kids need to know their parents love them. Their parents don't need to be alive for that to happen.

Randy Pausch
If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.

Randy Pausch
Everything you do is an opportunity cost. Learn to say No

Randy Pausch
Everyone has Good and Bad Times. Find your creative/thinking time. Defend it ruthlessly, spend it alone, maybe at home. Find your dead time. Schedule meetings, phone calls, and mundane stuff during it.

Randy Pausch
When you've had something for ten years that you hold so precious, it's the toughest thing in the world to hand it over. And the only advice I can give you is, find somebody better than you to hand it to.

Randy Pausch
I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there's no other way to play.

Randy Pausch
If you want something bad enough, never give up (and take a boost when offered).

Randy Pausch
Remember brick walls let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't really want to achieve their childhood dreams.

Randy Pausch
Did you figure out the second head fake? This talk's not for you. It's for my kids.

Randy Pausch
Get a feedback loop and listen to it. … When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it.

Randy Pausch
And be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.

Randy Pausch
Most people who have told a lie think they got away with it … when in fact, they didn't

Randy Pausch
If you can find your footing between two cultures, sometimes you can have the best of both worlds.

Randy Pausch
Want to have a short phone call with someone? Call them at 11:55 a.m., right before lunch. They'll talk fast. You may think you are interesting, but you are not more interesting than lunch.

Randy Pausch
And I think that that's one of the best things you can give somebody – the chance to show them what it feels like to make other people get excited and happy.

Randy Pausch
You don't find time for important things, you make it.

Randy Pausch
A lot of people want a shortcut. I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard.

Randy Pausch
Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you. He said, when you are pissed off at somebody, and you're angry at them, you just haven't given them enough time. Just give them a little more time — and they'll almost always impress you. And that really stuck with me. I think he's absolutely right on that one.

Randy Pausch
Coach Graham use to ride me hard... "you're doing it all wrong! Go back! Do it again!" An assistant coach muttered that it was a good thing Coach Graham rode me hard, because "when you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you."

Randy Pausch
My dad was so full of life, anything with him was an adventure. [Shows picture of his Dad holding a brown paper bag] I don't know what's in that bag, but I know it's cool. My dad dressed up as Santa Claus, but he also did very, very significant things to help lots of people. This is a dormitory in Thailand that my mom and dad underwrote. And every year about 30 students get to go to school who wouldn't have otherwise. This is something my wife and I have also been involved in heavily. And these are the kind of things that I think everybody ought to be doing. Helping others.

Randy Pausch