514. Honor Your Agreements
Don’t change the deal. Whatever you agreed to, honor it. This is one way you gain honor in the eyes of others.
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Don’t change the deal. Whatever you agreed to, honor it. This is one way you gain honor in the eyes of others.
If you start a game, finish it. Don’t forfeit. Don’t quit. Win or lose, see it through. Even though it’s only a game, keep your self-respect and see it through regardless of the outcome. How you play games is an indicator of your character; it’s a small thing, but it’s real. There are worse things than losing, like delaying the inevitable, having a bad attitude about it, or quitting when it’s clear you won’t win. Everyone loses now and then, and the same goes for winning. Your attitude makes the difference.
There’s a difference between a human interest story and a human vanity story. We have not enough of the former, but an overload of the latter.
In order to make delicious food, you must eat delicious food. The quality of ingredients is important, but you need to develop a palate capable of discerning good and bad. Without good taste, you can’t make good food. If your sense of taste is lower than that of the customers, how will you impress them?
—From the film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
“These days, the first thing people want is an easy job. Then, they want lots of free time. And then, they want lots of money. But they aren’t thinking of building their skills.”
“When you work for Jiro, he teaches you for free. But, you have to endure ten years of training. If you persevere for ten years, you will acquire the skills to be recognized as a first-rate chef. It’s sad that there are no very young apprentices at Jiro’s. Taking ten years to learn the necessary skills is a long time compared to other fields of work.”
—From the film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
“A great chef has five attributes.
1. They take their work very seriously, and consistently perform at the highest level.
2. They aspire to improve their skills.
3. Cleanliness: If the restaurant doesn’t feel clean, the food isn’t going to taste good.
4. Impatience: They are better leaders than collaborators.
5. A great chef is passionate.
Jiro has all five of these attributes. He’s a perfectionist.”
—From the film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
Don’t let short-term choices ruin your long-term reputation.
“My father loved to write, erase, erase some more, condense twenty words into a single word or preferably into a comma.”
—Elie Wiesel’s character Azriel, from “The Oath”
Only acknowledge them if they’re riding a Harley.
You will be at many parties and functions with alcohol. The easiest way to not be pressured into drinking is to always have the drink of your own choice already in your hand. And if you put it down and look away, don’t drink out of it again. An uncontrolled drink is an opportunist’s Trojan horse; their aim is to brutalize your dignity for their own savage desires.
Words from a Father 