1.6 - A Speech by N.R. Narayana Murthy

Summary

This was an inspirational speech delivered by Narayan Murthy at the New York University. It taught us a lot of valuable lessons which leads to success. He shared with us some of his real life experiences which helped him to become the man he is today. He narrates those experiences which drove him into the field of computer science; about how he changed from a confused leftist to a determined compassionate capitalist and finally about the success story of Infosys. He said that each experience was a lesson to him, which made him move forward with even more determination and courage.

Some of the valuable lessons that he learnt were:

• You can learn from each experience in life. It doesn’t matter where u start; what matters is how and what u learn. It is more difficult to learn from success than from failure as you can be less careful, if u succeeds in every attempt in life.
• Sometimes an unexpected event can turn out to be the most crucial point in life. So we should value each and every chance that comes our way.
• Your attitude towards work is also very important. You should look at your capabilities as a result of hard work and not as something inherent.
• Self knowledge weighs more than any other knowledge. You should know your capabilities, your limitations etc.A strong belief in oneself is the first step to any great achievement.

The major point of the speech is that we should have a few role models to go by and should cultivate a growth-oriented mindset and that we should take advantage of all opportunities to learn from experience. We should make the best use of the power of the chance events in our life and be ab!le to develop self-knowledge for self-advancement. He also gives expression to his philosophy of compassion by stating that we are only the temporary custodians of the wealth we earn and we should share it with the have-nots and the less fortunate.

Best way to learn and succeed in life is to learn from past experience. Our mind should always be ready to grow and open to negative feedback. How we respond to the crucial situation plays an important role in success of a person. And above all believe in yourself. Finally the best use of all your wealth is to share it with those less fortunate.

Book Back Questions

1. Critically comment on the speech.

N.R. Narayana Murthy’s speech is very inspirational and useful for students. He shared his real life experiences and explained how they helped him to become successful. The speech teaches that we can learn from every experience in life. Success and failure both give lessons, but failure teaches more carefully. He also says that unexpected events can become turning points in our life. Our attitude towards work is important, and hard work builds our abilities. Self-knowledge is also necessary to understand our strengths and limits. The speech finally highlights compassion, saying that wealth should be shared with the less fortunate. Overall, it motivates us to learn, grow, and believe in ourselves.

2. How did the speaker change his negative experiences in his life for his betterment?

The speaker changed his negative experiences into valuable lessons for his growth. He believed that every experience in life teaches something important. Even failures helped him to become more careful and determined. He said that unexpected events sometimes become crucial turning points. Instead of feeling discouraged, he used such chances to move forward with courage. He also changed from being a confused leftist to a determined compassionate capitalist. His experiences led him into computer science and later to the success of Infosys. Through self-knowledge, he understood his capabilities and limitations. Thus, he improved himself by learning from difficulties and developing a positive attitude towards life.

3. Sum up the thoughts in the speech.

The speech of Narayana Murthy gives many valuable lessons for success. He says that we should learn from every experience in life. It does not matter where we start, but what we learn is important. Failure teaches more than success because it makes us careful. Chance events can become major turning points, so we must value opportunities. Hard work builds our abilities, and self-knowledge is more important than other knowledge. We should believe strongly in ourselves and have role models. A growth-oriented mindset helps us improve. Finally, he says wealth should be shared with the less fortunate, as we are only temporary custodians of it.

4. What were the speaker’s political convictions?

In the speech, Narayana Murthy explains his political change through life experiences. He says that he was once a confused leftist. Later, he became a determined compassionate capitalist. This change happened because of the lessons he learned from his experiences. His journey and the success of Infosys shaped his beliefs. Even as a capitalist, he stresses compassion and sharing wealth with the less fortunate. He believes that wealth is not only for personal use, but should help others in society. Thus, his political conviction finally became one of growth, hard work, self-belief, and compassion towards the have-nots.

5. Analyse the theme of the speech.

The main theme of the speech is learning from life experiences and using them for success. Narayana Murthy says that every experience, whether success or failure, teaches important lessons. Failures help us become more careful and strong. Unexpected events can become crucial points, so we must value every chance. The speech also highlights the importance of hard work, self-knowledge, and belief in oneself. He advises having role models and a growth-oriented mindset. Another important theme is compassion. He says wealth should be shared with the less fortunate because we are temporary custodians of it. Overall, the speech motivates personal growth and social responsibility.