The Wisdom Project
Thomas, age 83
What are the top 1-3 things you would like to pass on to others? How did you learn this?
If you have made it 85% of the way on a project, don’t quit—stay with it until the end.
Don’t be discouraged by another person’s lack of enthusiasm for your ideas– Not long ago I found journals of undeveloped ideas that were really good, but back then I had let someone else’s response bury them.
You’ve seen a lot of significant events and changes over the course of your life. What wisdom can you share from your observations and experiences of the world in your lifetime so far?
Grab onto new ways of looking at old things– Revisit ideas and apply your new perspectives to them. It can get really interesting.
What obstacles and disappointments have you faced that you were able to put into perspective, turn into a positive, and/or contribute to in a way that made things better? What did you learn from these experiences that you can share with those who did not have those same experiences?
My marriage ending was a very difficult experience, but I had several older male friends and mentors who were incredibly supportive of me. They even reminded me not to jump into anything too fast during that time. 8 years later I met Kathleen and we just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary, and she and my former wife are friends and we often all celebrate holidays together with the kids and grandchildren. It’s really incredible. Surround yourself with people that are a generation older and know more than you.
A challenging time was as a student I had a professor once say to me: “You will NEVER… NEVER be a mathematician.” But I kept on in my studies. In later years, I had applied for several grants to continue my work that I didn’t get, and it was discouraging.
But I knew I wanted to do what I was good at, and I was good at math. Through perseverance and a commitment to do what I loved, my work in math and the 4th dimension eventually connected me with very interesting people like Madeline L’Engle (Wrinkle in Time) and surrealist painter Salvador Dali, with whom I was friends for over 20 years. I was honored to teach at Brown for 47 years as well. It was all I ever wanted to do. So, find what you’re good at, and do it.