Richard Buckminster Fuller was an American architect, designer, systems theorist, inventor, and author. He was the inventor of inexpensive Dymaxion cars, Dymaxion houses, and Geodesic dome. His life was plenty of up and downs. He had many setbacks and failures. So here are the 10 best things we can learn from his life.
1) It is okay to dislike the traditional learning process:
Buckminster Fuller’s journey in academic institutions was poor. Understanding geometry at school was a nightmare to him. He was a bright student. But he could not figure out how a chalk dot on the blackboard characterizes a mathematical point. He bunked classes at Harvard College because he found the learning process boring. He got expelled from Harvard twice for his indiscipline behavior. It’s okay if you dislike the learning process of schools and universities. Even Albert Einstein was expelled from his high school.
2) Never stop learning:
Despite his lack of interest at academic institutions, Fuller never stopped self-learning. As a child, he made his own tools from the stuff he collected while wandering in the woods. At the age of 12, he invented a push-pull system for propelling a rowboat. Learning is not limited to what we learn at schools and universities. Real learning happens within us. A person should never stop learning. If someone asks you, ‘What is your job’? Answer them that you are learning. What is common among the great scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, writers, actors? They keep on learning.
3) Imperfection is a blessing in disguise:
Buckminster Fuller was born with serious nearsightedness that made him wear eyeglasses at an early age. For him, the World was nothing more than a smoke of blur. But he converted his imperfection into strength. He began perceiving the World with more than his eyes. He developed a tactile form of intelligence to understand and adapt his surroundings. This helped him throughout his life. His extraordinary architecture work is an example of this. We often blame our imperfections for our failures. It is true that it creates obstacles to achieving our dreams. But it all depends on our characteristics. We have the power to convert our imperfections into strength. Steve Jobs was dyslexic, but it did not stop him from achieving greatness. He used his dyslexia to simplify the technology. Sylvester Stallone was born with a facial defect. That left him with a slurred speech patterns and drooping lower lip. But it did not stop him from becoming a successful actor.
4) Bad luck is a part of life:
Buckminster Fuller was born with nearsightedness. He could not understand geometry in school and was thrown out of the college. He agreed to a high paying job of a Sales Manager for the sake of his family. But the bad luck strikes him again. The company went down and Fuller lost his job. He partnered with this Father in Law and founded the Stockade Building System, to produce low-cost materials for building houses. But the board members could not digest his exceptional ideas. After five years the company was sold and Fuller has fired him from his Presidential post. But the saddest incident in his life was the death of his four-year-old daughter. His daughter, Alexandra, died because of polio and spinal meningitis. He held himself responsible for not providing adequate housing to his family that led his daughter to her death. But all this bad luck did not stop Fuller from becoming a great person. Bad luck is part of life; bad things happen to everyone. Don’t get discouraged if you are having a bad time. It will pass off.
5) Depression is bad:
Getting depressed is natural. But being in a depressed state all the time is harmful. It may lead to some unwarranted decisions. Buckminster Fuller faced many difficulties. His eye sightedness was terrible, he lost many jobs, and he lost his daughter. At the age of 32, he got fired from the Stockade Building System that he founded with his father-in-law. His name and reputation went shattered. He doubted that he will find some another work. He had no savings to support his life. He decided to commit suicide so that his family can survive on his insurance money. But at the crucial moment, he heard an inner voice and aborted his suicide plan. What would have happened if he had committed suicide? We could not have been reading of his achievements here. Don’t allow yourself to depression. Remember that good things are waiting for you.
6) Success can arrive at any age:
How often do we read about people launching their business at an early age? Making millions and becoming famous in their early twenties. And then we compare our lives with them. We will feel sorry for ourselves for not achieving such fame when we were young. But success can arrive at any time in our life. Buckminster Fuller decided to commit suicide at the age of 32. To end his life he went towards the Lake Michigan to drown himself. Then something happened that changed his life. He heard a voice (he was not sure from where it came). It said, “from now on you need never await temporal attestation to your thought. You think the truth. You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong to Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others.” The voice gave him a hope. It gave him the strength to follow his dreams of making inexpensive and energy-efficient cars, houses, and building structures. He then worked hard to achieve his dreams. After a few years he invented the Dymaxion car, Dymaxion houses, and Geodesic dome which changed the concept of architecture. He published more than thirty books on architecture and design. He received twenty-eight United States patents and many doctorates. Don’t lose hope if you have not made name and fame in your life yet. Keep working harder and success will follow you. And don’t forget; age is only a number.
7) Be truthful to yourself:
Buckminster Fuller loved machines. We all knew that at age of 12 he invented a push-pull system for propelling a boat. He never stopped playing with machines to simplify them. He was honest with his inner talent for understanding machines and designs. He was not afraid to share his ideas with his colleagues. He took a stand whenever he saw his co-workers following a wrong practice. His truthfulness nature made him follow his dreams of simplifying the architecture. Be truthful and honest with yourself. Never do something against your wishes to impress other people.
8) Never give up on your dreams:
Buckminster Fuller followed his dreams. His dreams and passions meddle in his academic and professional life. But he did not back up. He knew that he had the potential to simplify the architecture. He knew he could come up with housing system that can be affordable by the common man. There were many obstacles in his path, but he never lost the sight of his passion.
9) Family is a blessing:
Buckminster Fuller luck was not at his side during his early years. But he had the tremendous support of his family. Because of nearsightedness, his parents took extra care of him. His wife was supportive when he was having a tough time in his career. His father in law supported him and founded the Stockade Building System with him. A supportive family is a blessing. Be thankful to them for standing with you in your tough time.
10) Hard Work pays off:
Buckminster Fuller was hard working from his childhood. The World did not understand his ideas at first. But later he became one of the brilliant architects the World has seen. There were many setbacks and failures in his life. But he kept on working hard and became one of the World’s finest architect, inventor, and author. Your hard work today will bear fruits tomorrow.
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