“If I only had three words of advice they would be tell the truth. If I got three more words, I would add, all the time.” –Randy Pausch
Moral character was one of the endearing qualities of Randy Pausch. It came through many of the quotes of his final lecture. The straightforwardness of his words and the hope that they gave are what make them so appealing. He was an honest man speaking from his heart about everyday life and how we can make the most of it, no matter what cards we are dealt. He was a man who stuck to his philosophies and values and who was not afraid to tell others they were going down the wrong path. He said, "You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you, and want to make you better.” He was not afraid to be honest and live with integrity even if the truth was unpopular or made people uncomfortable.
When his life began to change due to pancreatic cancer, he still conducted himself by the moral standards and philosophies he lived by before his illness. He is quoted as saying, "Follow your passions, believe in karma, and you won't have to chase your dreams, they will come to you." He was always a dreamer who had a love of adventure and discovery. He spent his career discovering the possibilities in life and exploring the new frontiers of electrons and interactive gaming. He would use this curiosity and love of learning to inspire his students in their creativity. He was also a realist who felt his number one job as an educator was to, “Help students learn to judge themselves.” He wanted them to have a real sense of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as to make them see themselves as others truly see them.
Understanding the perceptions of others is a characteristic of a true leader. Randy sought to bring this out in his students. He believed that listening to honest feedback was essential for growth. When he taught “Building Virtual Worlds” he would do peer feedback every two weeks and graph the results so students could get an honest feel for their strengths and weaknesses in their working relationship with the other group members and with the class as a whole. He knew if a group presentation was going to be exceptional by the body language of the group members before they began. He felt that building leadership qualities and interpersonal skills were the keys to his students' success as they entered the workforce. He referred to himself as a “recovering jerk” who improved his interpersonal skills by listening to the feedback of others. He wanted to inspire others to do the same and to hold a mirror to themselves in ways they never had before to get an honest assessment.
References:
Pausch, R., & Zaslow, J. (2008). The last lecture. New York, NY: Hyperion
