A list of "five don'ts" which anyone with an interest in realizing his or her creative potential should follow. Who knows, it may even help you win a Nobel Prize.
Rule number one:
Don't allow yourself to be trapped by your past experiences. If you allow yourself to get caught up in social conventions or circumstances, you will not notice the opportunity for a dramatic leap forward when it presents itself: Looking back at the history of the Nobel Prize, you will notice that most of the laureates have received the Nobel Prize for work they had done during their thirties. In my case I was 32 years old when I developed the "Esaki tunnel diode". The point that I am trying to make is that younger people are able to look at things with clearer vision, one that is not clouded by social conventions and past history.
Rule number two:
Don't allow yourself to become overly attached to any authority in your field -- the great professor, perhaps. By becoming closely involved with the great professor, you risk losing sight of yourself and forfeiting the free spirit of youth. Although the great professor may be awarded the Novel Prize, it is unlikely that his subordinates will ever receive it.
Rule number three:
Don't hold on to what you don't need. The information-oriented society facilitates easy access to an enormous amount of information. The brain can be compared to a personal computer with an energy consumption of about 25 watts. In terms of memory capacity of computing speed, the human brain has not really changed much since ancient times. Therefore, we must constantly be inputting and deleting information, and we should save only the truly vital and relevant information. As the president of a university, I have the opportunity to meet with many people and to exchange meishi (name card) with them. I try to discard the name cards as soon as possible, so that I always leave maximum memory space open. I'm kidding, of course.
Rule number four:
Don't avoid confrontation. I myself became embroiled in some trouble with the company I was working for many years. At times, it is necessary to put yourself first and to defend your own position. My point is that fighting is sometimes unavoidable for the sake of self-defense.
Rule number five:
Don't forget your spirit of childhood curiosity. It is the vital component for imagination.
Having listed the five rules, let me say that they do not constitute the sufficient conditions for success. They are merely suggested guidelines. Good Luck !