Tom Friedman

Foreign-affairs columnist, The New York Times; three-time Pulitzer Prize winner

Thomas Friedman tells Yale's Class of 2003 that in the post-9/11 "Age of Terrorism" they should choose to be "thrivers" rather than "survivors," living fully despite uncertainty rather than retreating in fear. Drawing on his career covering the Middle East, he offers five lessons: thrive, follow your heart and do what you love, listen well to others, remain a naive optimist, and call your parents regularly.

Key moments

01 Distinguishing "survivors" from "thrivers" using examples from war-torn Lebanon
02 Urging graduates to follow their hearts and do what they love rather than rigid planning
03 Calling on Americans to be better listeners given their global power
04 Advocating naive optimism as a survival strategy, including hope for change in the Arab world
05 Reminding students to call their parents, reflecting on his own father's death

Transcript

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Provenance

Verified from official Yale Bulletin & Calendar archive (2026-06-26)

Class Day, May 25 2003. Theme: 'thriver, not survivor' in the Age of Terrorism. Official Yale Bulletin coverage (excerpts), not full transcript. Category: Journalism