Many years ago, a good friend told me, “Learn to live with the people as they are. Do no expect them to be what they ought to be” I think it was a good advice. And so, I have been ACCEPTING people just as I accept inclement weather, with good grace.

And now, some one has sent me 11 dictums enunciated by Bill Gates. These were actually meant for high school students, but I think they are universally true. Permit me to share them with you.

10 rules of life enunciated by Bill Gates

Rule 1: Life is not fair — get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect youto accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t bea vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had adifferent word for burger flipping — they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about yourmistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now.They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listeningto you talk about how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closetin your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HASNOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you asMANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightestresemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and veryfew employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your owntime.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have toleave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.