“Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced.”

— J.K. Rowling, Harvard University commencement speech, 2008

About J.K. Rowling

Born 1965

British author of the 'Harry Potter' series, who gave the Harvard commencement address 'The Fringe Benefits of Failure' in 2008.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”

“It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies; but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”

“Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun.”

“The wisest man may be wiser to-day than he was yesterday, and to-morrow than he is to-day.”

“Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around.”

“For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing.”

“The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.”

“It was subtle of God to learn Greek when he wished to become an author—and not to learn it better.”

“There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind.”