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№ 2012.034 — Wellesley High School — Commencement address
David McCullough Jr.
In this commencement address, English teacher David McCullough Jr. repeatedly tells the graduating class that they are "not special," citing statistics about millions of graduates and the vastness of the universe to puncture inflated self-regard. He critiques American culture's preference for accolades over genuine achievement and warns against complacency and materialism. He urges graduates to pursue work they love, read widely, develop moral character, and live selflessly, concluding that recognizing you are not special is what makes everyone special.
Key moments
- 01 Distinguishing commencement from weddings as life's true forward-looking ceremony
- 02 Declaring repeatedly that the graduates are not special, supported by statistics
- 03 Critiquing the cultural obsession with accolades over real achievement
- 04 Urging students to read, work hard, live selflessly, and make extraordinary lives
Transcript
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Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Imported from NPR commencement archive; cross-referenced with Open Commencement DB
NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording