As you may have heard Erin & Mike highlighting this morning…This high school commencement address started out as a downer – or so it seemed, at first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds5wBOPKcps
“None of you is special. You are not special. You are not exceptional,” English teacher David McCullough Jr. told graduating students as he began his commencement address at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Mass.
Instead, McCullough continued, “You’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. … You’ve been nudged, cajoled, wheedled and implored.
“Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. Why, maybe you’ve even had your picture in the [local paper]! And now you’ve conquered high school….
“But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not.”
Those are bold statements to make, when one is speaking to 300 or so students and the parents that raised them.
A video of the address, delivered June 1, shows a small group of what appear to be students and faculty by turns laughing or looking quizzical in reaction to McCullough’s words. Chuckles and applause can be heard from the audience.
But the crowd went silent as McCullough continued:
“If everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless.
‘Embrace the challenge’
“We have of late … to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement.
“No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it…. Now it’s ‘So what does this get me?’
“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view…. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others….
“The sweetest joys of life … come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.”
After nearly 13 minutes, the speech ended to hearty applause. There was, however, no standing ovation.
Online, where the speech has gone viral, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
3 Comments User Comments
Add a commentRatna Baichwal
June 12, 2012
2:41 pm
Interesting commencennt speech. Different taken on how to live life to one’s potential.
Ratna
RainbowRay
June 13, 2012
11:34 am
An interesting commencement speech to be sure. “Embrace the Challenge”, I like those words and that’s what I’m doing, “embracing the challenge”; not easy, but nothing “worth pursuing” ever is, right stickybuns? (wink!), but you stick to it, no matter how long it takes, especially when it”s worth going after and “yes” EVERYONE is special, it’s just not everyone realizes what makes them that wayi.e. their potenial. Does anyone agree with that?
Also, I strongly agree with what he said about “Reading” and not only that, but “learning all you can” through out life. They talk about getting rid of homework, but is that really such a good idea?
Continued
RainbowRay
RainbowRay
June 13, 2012
11:56 am
I am an avid reader (taking my own and RainbowRay’sa dvice) and read “a little bit of everything”, but especially like reading self-help books and have learned quite a bit about myself through them (well wroth the effort to read depending on what your needs are). I wonder how many people actuallyl used the “self-help advice “that Ophra gave when she came to Toronto last month. I bet not to many! Enjoyed the shows, but didn’t take the advice (I hope I’m wrong though because she’s a smart lady). The experts all can’t be idiots, can they? They wrote the books for a reason. I like to read and I like to learn! Have been a trivia buff since my teens!
So I guess the adage, “the more you know, the more you grow” (hey I like that!) applies to everyone (if they want it!). Great speech and I wouldn’t take it to seriously about the “no one is special speech” because he did say “everyone is special” and you know what, he’s right; just to many people are so far down on themselves, they fail to see what’s so special about them and their potenial and that’s a damn shame.
LOVE
RainbowRay
Sharing is caring and caring is sharing; living is giving and giving is living’
The more you know, the more you grow!