At Wellesley High School last weekend, English teacher David McCullough gave an unusual graduation speech, telling the graduates, “You’re not special.”
“Contrary to what your U-9 soccer trophy says….you are nothing special.” His tone was light-hearted, but his message was anything but.
“Astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center,” he told the Wellesley High School Class of 2012. “Therefore you cannot be it.” He added, “If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless.”
His speech is creating buzz across the web and on TV, mostly by people who say it’s about time someone told today’s kids the reality of the “everyone is special” culture. I think he hit it home.
What say you?
Speaking of graduations, I’ll be chatting with my friend Marybeth Hicks on WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky, today at about 5:20 p.m. ET about the mom who was busted at her daughter’s high school graduation for cheering too loudly.
Tremendous inspirational talk about reality.
what a tool
37,000 valedictorians. 37,000 class presidents. 340,000 swaggering jocks.
I think this is brilliant. “We’ve come to love accolades more than achievement” may be the best line of all.
I was given a similar speech in college by a visiting advertising professional (along the lines of fyi, most of you won’t get jobs because you suck) and it really divided us into those who gave up, and those would work harder to get ahead and prove him wrong.
Not everyone got it. Most of these kids will not get it either.
But I will disagree with one notion: those kids are extremely special. At least to have a teacher like that in their lives.
But I will disagree with one notion: those kids are extremely special. At least to have a teacher like that in their lives.
How very true. Great advice. Sobering for many, I imagine. But an important message at a crucial point in the lives of these emerging adults.
LUCKY, not special
I’ll give him the standing ovation that those students didn’t, with a big whoop and holler too!
Put me firmly in the “it’s about damn time” camp. The culture of entitlement and helicopter parenting does not do our children any favors, and does have the potential for tremendous damage. How can we possibly raise a generation of competent adults if we never give them the opportunity to learn how?
I love it! Finally someone willing to stand up and tell this up coming group of soon to be adults that they aren’t special! It’s about time!
I think the line from Bill Hicks is: “Your children aren’t special. Oh! I know *you* think they are; I’m just here to tell you they’re not.”
That education should be about the exhilaration of learning rather than just for material advantage (or trophies) is delightfully juxtaposed against the “diploma” for finishing High School. I think Mr McCullough’s concentration at the beginning on Commencement as an event deals with this objection.
Sensational. I’m off to show it to the students I teach!
Telling it like it is!! No more can be said.
This reminds me a lot of a TEDx talk from last year entitled, “You’re Not That Great: A Motivational Speech.” After years of being kid-gloved people really seem hungry for this kind of message.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUh3wNnFrw
[...] internet has been abuzz following the Wellesley High School graduation speech given by English teacher David McCullough, Jr., the main premise of which is to tell graduates, [...]
http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=56&load=3713
This one is harsher, and even better.