Peking University, Nov.5, 2011: In the annual International Cultural Festival held at Peking University (PKU) this fall, Peter Buffett was giving a special musical performance together with his partner Michael in PKU Hall on campus. The connection with his father, his life story and the discrepancy between Chinese and western families are the central topics during the interview after the show.
The first question was posed as to the contradiction between one’s ideal pursuit and practical barriers in relation to his own life, i.e. the conflict between pursuing art as career and practical life concerns such as money and life struggle. Buffett expressed his own view towards the topic of life by saying that life is a journey where you have to make sacrifices in order to pursue what you really like. He took Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computer, as an example by quoting the phrase, “connecting dots”, from his famous commencement address at Stanford University to illustrate the point that the path taken previous in life are preparations for the future as long as one has the courage and determination to stick to his or her own choice.
When answering the question that looking back into the past, if he had been given another chance, whether he would have still made the same decision to quit Stanford, Buffett offered a definite and positive answer without hesitation. The only difference, he said, is that he would have worked harder to achieve success than he does today.
Due to the prominent position his father, Warren Buffett, holds in the world, it was hard to disregard their relation in the interview. When asked about the extent family members should take with regard to helping the growth of children, Buffett expressed his viewpoint that the more parents help their children, the greater parents chip away the children’s confidence, which implied his support for self-support in one’s growth.
Although Peter Buffett chooses a different path that he father does, they share similarity in their decision-making process and belief - you’ve got to find what you like and have the gut to sacrifice in order to pursue your path.
Reported by: Li Yang
Edited by: Arthars
