{"id":60,"date":"2008-11-10T17:51:27","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T22:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/magazines\/vanderbilt-business\/?p=60"},"modified":"2015-07-07T20:19:12","modified_gmt":"2015-07-07T20:19:12","slug":"25-years-of-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/25-years-of-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Years of Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Neil<\/a>This piece is adapted from a speech that Neil Ramsey delivered during Owen\u2019s Alumni Weekend in April.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Looking back at my graduation 25 years ago from Owen, I\u2019m amazed at how much my perspective has changed. Perhaps I could have learned most of what I\u2019m going to describe here by reading, but there\u2019s no way that knowledge would mean anything to me today without the experiences to back it up.<\/p>\n

So what have I learned since graduating from Owen?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that most of the lessons my parents taught me were the keys to a happy life. When my dad used to tell me that I would grow up to be exactly the kind of person that I was as a boy, he was right. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, \u201cThe only person you are destined to be is the person you decide to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that how I handle my problems is a lot more important than avoiding the inevitable problems that pop up. Unfortunately I haven\u2019t fully learned what Teddy Roosevelt said best: \u201cNine-tenths of wisdom is being wise\u00a0in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that it is okay to say what you think, but it is better to do it tactfully. I did not understand this when I was younger. I felt that if what I was saying was true and I meant no harm, it was okay to say it. It took many hurt feelings to learn this one, and I\u2019m still working to be more considerate in my delivery.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also learned, as a friend of mine said 20 years ago, that \u201cthere are no throw-away comments.\u201d The irony of this quote is that when I recently reminded him of the comment a couple of weeks ago, he was surprised I had remembered it. Everything you say and do can touch people in a positive or negative way, and you may never even know it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned to go as far as I can to show people I love what they mean to me. If you find yourself wanting to record your feelings in words, do it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that substance may be all that matters, but you may not be listen-ed to if you do not pay attention to form. Substance without form serves little purpose.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that having ambitions is much more important than being ambitious. I\u2019m one-tenth as ambitious today as I was 10 years ago, but my ambitions are 10 times greater.<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019ve learned that perseverance is the key to success. Accumulated knowledge and experiences are our most valuable assets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

I\u2019ve learned that you can change the way the world treats you simply by opening your heart, looking for good, and showing more kindness and patience. I haven\u2019t mastered this, but I am better than I used to be, and the world treats me better because of it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that I would rather be respected than liked. I would prefer both, but given the choice, I\u2019d pick respect.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that the need for my parents\u2019 approval never goes away.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that I could\u00a0not be successful in my own business until I decided I was\u00a0just another employee with specific responsibilities.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that my favorite people are very smart, have a good sense of humor, and don\u2019t take themselves too seriously.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned to demand much less of most people but demand much more from the people who can handle it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that my greatest comfort comes from watching my kids find their own way. Nothing makes me prouder than when someone I really respect says something nice about one of my kids.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that nothing makes me happier than having a special moment with one of my children when it is\u00a0completely obvious they love and appreciate me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that I should have no faith in objects, little faith in institutions, faith in people I care about, a lot of faith in myself, and complete faith in God.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that one of my biggest sources of frustration and angst is the guilt associated with unreturned phone calls.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that having money\u00a0is much more important for mental\u00a0freedom than I ever imagined. I live scared. That is my motivation.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that intelligence can\u2019t be measured accurately. I think maybe intelligence is like what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about pornography: \u201cI don\u2019t know how to define it, but I sure know it when I see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that intellect and talent sometimes don\u2019t translate from one field or endeavor to another. As an undergraduate, I had very good grades, but the two courses I did poorly in were economics and an engineering science \u201ccalculator\u201d module. At Owen I had a difficult time in Professor Blanton\u2019s computer course and Professor Blackburn\u2019s stats course. Now here I am running a statistics-based, research-oriented quantitative hedge fund utilizing econometric models. In my business we always have to say \u201cpast performance may not be indicative of future performance.\u201d I guess there\u2019s a reason for that.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned not to compete head-to-head with people smarter than me. I try to compete where my strengths are unique.<\/p>\n

My wife has been trying to teach me for 25 years that when people seem odd or mean, they are probably just going through something tough. I am beginning to get this one.<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019ve learned that the world would be a much safer place if we all lived below our means.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Along these lines, I\u2019ve learned not to laugh at old men with no hair on their ankles. I am now one of those old men. This is a pretty minor issue but shows that we should be more understanding and compassionate.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that the world would be a much safer place if we all lived below our means.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that inexperienced geniuses are dangerous.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that \u201cvalue\u201d is very difficult to surmise.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that the stock market is a tricky place to make money.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that most people and almost all politicians take the benefits of economic activity for granted. They forget that this is the core of morality and self-worth and opportunity for society.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that most arguments between people could have been avoided with some initial definitions and that all of the Ten Commandments make sense.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that making things as simple as they should be is very difficult. As Einstein said, \u201cMake everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that perseverance is the key to success. Accumulated knowledge and experiences are our most valuable assets. One of my favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill. He said, \u201cWhen you are going through hell, keep going.\u201d Conversely I\u2019ve learned that if what I\u2019m doing is not working, I better do something else. Separating hindsight from new insight gained from a setback is the key to perseverance.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that answers and new opportunities wondrously appear when I seem to need them.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that I should be striving more for goodness than greatness.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that when something hurts me or angers me, it\u2019s not a good idea to get philosophical and accept it too quickly. And more importantly, it\u2019s even worse to lose control of my emotions and do damage.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that we have no \u00a0idea what tomorrow will bring.<\/p>\n

While I have no idea what I will learn in the next 25 years, I\u2019m guessing that I will not learn some of the simplest and most basic lessons well enough:<\/p>\n

Take care of my family.<\/p>\n

Connect to other people.<\/p>\n

Treat people kindly.<\/p>\n

Be thankful for what I have.<\/p>\n

Recognize that my current situation is just a snapshot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What Neil Ramsey has learned since graduating from Owen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341,"featured_media":9047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,13],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-departments","category-lessons-learned","tag-fall2008"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9085,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions\/9085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.owen.vanderbilt.edu\/vanderbiltbusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}