DEERFIELD, Mass. – Hedge fund manager and school choice advocate Whitney Tilson delivered a commencement speech to a group of 9^th grade boys graduating from his alma mater Friday that’s getting a lot of attention.

Tilson told those in attendance at the Eaglebrook School commencement last Friday that his 14-year-old daughter urged him to share his “#1 Immutable Law of the Universe” that he’s harped about for years: “If you are a dumbass, there will be consequences!”

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“I like it because it’s memorable: I’m pretty sure the word ‘dumbass’ has never been used in any commencement address ever,” Tilson told the graduating class in a speech that was later posted to YouTube. “The question is, is it meaningful? I think it is.”

Tilson used a sports analogy to point out that while scorers in most sports get the acclaim, it’s defense that wins championships, and defense in life is making good choices, even if they’re unpopular.

“I’m talking about the blindingly obvious things, ranging from touching a stove to see if it’s hot (I did that once) or touching an electric fence to see if it’s live (I did that too), all the way up to things that can derail – or end – a life,” he said before recounting a young student from Atlanta who was jailed after a night of binge drinking, and his own experience in a Zimbabwe jail.

“Look around at all of your classmates and ponder this question: who do you think is going to be really successful in life, not just financially, but in every way?” asked Tilson, who serves on the board of KIPP charter schools, and helped to establish Democrats for Education Reform, an education reform and school choice group that’s bucked teachers unions typically aligned with Democrats.

“As you think about this, what are the characteristics you’re focusing on? Is he smart? Does he work really hard and not give up easily? Does he have integrity? Is his word his bond? Is he 100 percent reliable? Is he well organized? Does he take care of himself and not take foolish risks? Is he a nice person and a pleasure to spend time with? Does he make the world a better place?” Tilson continued.

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“Now ask yourself: what is he doing that I can’t do too? I think you’ll find that at least 90 percent of these traits are things over which you have total control.”

Tilson explained that, from his experience, the key to accomplishing success in life is often determined by the habits formed during school and early life, and he outlined two habits that will lead to positive outcomes: work hard, be nice.

He offered a quote from famed investor Warren Buffett to illustrate why positive habits are critical.

“You can transform yourself into the person you want to be, but you have to decide early because the chain of habits is too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken,” Tilson quoted.

Working hard isn’t simply about how much time someone spends working or studying, but also about a drive to overcome inevitable adversity, and persevering with pure grit.

“All of us face setbacks in life – it’s how we handle them that’s critical,” Tilson said, according to Yahoo News. “One study measured students’ IQ and also grit – and it turns out that grit was twice as important in determining life outcomes.”

Being nice, on the other hand, is as simple as “don’t be a jerk!”

Generosity, compassion, humility, and a focus on helping others goes a long way in life, he said.

“I’ve thrown a lot at you here, so let me quickly summarize: defense wins championships, work hard, be nice,” Tilson said. “If you do these things, I promise you that you’ll lead a long and rewarding life, filled with love, laughter and happiness.”