For a fork in the road. People on what they stopped doing and how they knew, what they refuse to make more efficient, and where they think the consensus in their own field has it wrong.
112 people · 127 answers
Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town; chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Nobel Peace Prize, 1984
I stopped being a teacher when the South African Government introduced a deliberately inferior education for blacks called Bantu education, and I felt I wasn’t ready to collaborate with…
Recorded · American Academy of Achievement · 2004
Ballerina and ballet master; répétiteur for the Balanchine Trust
By the time I admitted that I needed a hip operation, I had denied it for so long that it was a breakthrough to suddenly say, “I need this.” I knew I would probably never dance again, but I…
Recorded · Academy of Achievement (achievement.org)
United States professional tennis player, 1995–2022
I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn't feel like a modern word to me.
Recorded · Vogue · 2022
British Paralympic swimmer, 2008–2021
I don't think I could go for another three years. I'm leaving it at the right time, I love it, I've absolutely had a wonderful competition and I've loved every minute of it.
Recorded · BBC Sport · 2021
United States basketball player, Los Angeles Lakers, 1996–2016
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream And I'll always love you for it. But I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give.
Recorded · The Players' Tribune · 2015
Swiss professional tennis player, 1998–2022
As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form.
Recorded · Reuters · 2022
Abolitionist, orator, newspaper editor and U.S. diplomat; U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia 1877–1881; U.S. Minister Resident to Haiti 1889–1891
I do not think much of the accident or good luck theory of self-made men. It is worth but little attention and has no practical value.
Recorded · Teaching American History, reproducing Frederick Douglass Papers, Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Founder of the Green Belt Movement; Member of Parliament for Tetu, Kenya, 2002–2007; Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources 2003–2005
Initially, the work was difficult because historically our people have been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to…
Recorded · The Nobel Foundation · 2004
Psychologist; laureate of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, 2002
Under the stress of the event, we felt, the soldiers' true nature would reveal itself, and we would be able to tell who would be a good leader and who would not.
Recorded · Nobel Prize Outreach · 2002
Development economist; laureate of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, 2019
I think it's … the profession is starting to realise that in part it's the general climate, and the way we treat each other is not conducive for having more women in the profession.
Recorded · Nobel Prize Outreach · 2019
United States sprinter, 2003–2022
If we have children, we risk pay cuts from our sponsors during pregnancy and afterward. It's one example of a sports industry where the rules are still mostly made for and by men.
Recorded · The New York Times · 2019
Essayist and novelist
Don’t write in public places. In the early 1990s I went to live in Paris.
Recorded · The Guardian · 2010
Physician and immunologist; director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 1984–2022
you have got to be totally honest and give advice and analysis that you’re asked to give that’s based on evidence.
Recorded · American Academy of Achievement · 2017
Chef, restaurateur and food activist
There’s no such thing as cheap food. It can be affordable, but it can never be cheap.
Recorded · Earth Island Journal · 2015
Writer and human rights advocate; Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 1986
It went from publisher to publisher to publisher. All of them refused it. They gave the same reasons, until a small publisher picked it up.
Recorded · American Academy of Achievement · 1996
Neurologist and writer
I’ve had this concern all the time, but I can only hope that if one writes with appreciation and delicacy and respect, then it’s okay.
Recorded · American Academy of Achievement · 2000
Founder of Patagonia
One option was to sell Patagonia and donate all the money. But we couldn't be sure a new owner would maintain our values or keep our team of people around the world employed.
Recorded · Patagonia · 2022
Film director, screenwriter and opera director
It’s how we are made as homo sapiens. We are biologically organized to cover distances on foot.
Recorded · National Geographic · 2020
Novelist and essayist
Take no notice of anyone you don’t respect. […] Take no notice of anyone with a gender agenda. A lot of men still think that women lack imagination of the fiery kind.
Recorded · The Guardian · 2010
United States sprinter, 2003–2022
What I'm not willing to accept is the enduring status quo around maternity.
Recorded · The New York Times · 2019
Novelist and essayist
To get this prize, I was required to talk about how important a particular European feminist woman writer had been to me.
Recorded · Wellesley College · 2015
Veterinary surgeon and immunologist; Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1996
On returning to Brisbane, I realised fairly quickly that I am an experimentalist at heart. A career as a diagnostic virologist was not for me!
Recorded · Nobel Prize Outreach · 1996
Novelist and short-story writer
Don’t read your reviews. […] Don’t write reviews. (Your judgment’s always tainted.) […] Don’t write letters to the editor. (No one cares.)
Recorded · The Guardian · 2010
United States artistic gymnast
I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness.
Recorded · Rev · 2021
Songwriter, musician and novelist
I’m envious of people who don’t need that.
Recorded · BBC Radio 4
Prime Minister of New Zealand, 2017–2023; Leader of the Labour Party 2017–2023
Recently I had the privilege of joining ex German Chancellor, Angela Merkel on a panel. I have long been in awe of her leadership, not least for her endurance. She was in power for 16 years.
Recorded · Harvard Magazine · 2022
Actor and film-maker; host of the Armchair Expert podcast
I would always be tempted to take a movie I liked less if the payday was twice as much, and I’ve interviewed a couple people that grew up with wealth and I’ve watched them navigate their…
Recorded · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2020
Author and probability researcher; Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering at NYU
I say envious of people who are erudite. Like if someone knows Latin very well, I’m envious. If someone knows Sanskrit, I’m envious. And I discovered that early on.
Recorded · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2023
Neuroscientist; professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley
there were a group of scientists from the University of Geneva who conducted a brilliant study.
Recorded · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2023
Developmental biologist; Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1995
I felt at the time that Eric was much more successful than I, he was extremely productive during his time in Zurich, and worked on many very original projects, germ line, cell lineage, sex…
Recorded · Nobel Prize Outreach · 1995
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