Can anyone else read the article. The above link just asks me to "log in".
Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
11–20 of 73 posts
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#12Interesting read. If I was asked to give a commencement speech (which never will be, by the way), I'd cover only three points.
-Make connections to others
My boy scout leader used to say, "Humans are herd animals." Even if you're an introvert and socializing sounds like the worst torture imaginable, at least invite a friend over to watch a movie once a week or sign up for the company bowling league. The research says it will make you healthier, happier, and longer lived. Also: eat with other people sometimes. I have no idea why it works, but eating together builds stronger relationships faster.
-Volunteer
The schools and charities in this country could use a ton more volunteer time that they're getting. Go read to kids or help with math homework once a week or even once a month. Help clean up at the local emergency food shelf. Tell the local boy scout troop you'll make them a web site. If you show up on time and work reasonably hard you will likely be treated like a hero. (And if the organization doesn't treat you like a hero, find a different place to volunteer.) As a bonus, you'll look awesome if you can start a sentence with, "I just came back from reading to first graders..."
-Give some money to charity
If you have a steady job, try to give at least 2 percent of your income to charity. Keep it to one or two institutions if you can. If you give a thousand dollars or more to most charities or educational institutions you get invited to go to all the fancy benefits and events they hold. That can be a great way to make connections for somebody with ambition. Again, if you're not married, there's no better way to impress a date than to take him/her to a fancy benefit dinner where they talk about how awesome donors (i.e. you) are.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#13Excellent points! I had my undergrad graduation more than two decades ago, so get to appreciate some of these a bit differently from the twentysomething "younguns" here. If I had to pick two most important, I'd say point 1 (with the caveat that his point is generalized to all socializing) and 7 (maybe not so for US but for countries where parents play a huge role in shaping kids' future career choices). I would also…
I really like your breadth-first/depth-first analogy. I've never thought of it that way.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#14The best and most honest commencement speech I've ever listened to was David Foster Wallace's to the Kenyon College graduating class of 2005 that has since been published as a short book. It's called "This is Water." There's a heavy liberal arts slant, but it's a great speech.
http://vimeo.com/57350121 (audio)
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#15Excellent points! I had my undergrad graduation more than two decades ago, so get to appreciate some of these a bit differently from the twentysomething "younguns" here. If I had to pick two most important, I'd say point 1 (with the caveat that his point is generalized to all socializing) and 7 (maybe not so for US but for countries where parents play a huge role in shaping kids' future career choices). I would also…
I really like your breadth-first/depth-first analogy. I've never thought of it that way.
Sadly, not only that but the search depth gets smaller, too!
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#16>Don't try to be great.
What the hell?
>Being great involves luck and other circumstances beyond your control.
Certainly that plays a roll...but to neglect your own agency in becoming "great" is idiotic.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#17>Don't try to be great. What the hell? >Being great involves luck and other circumstances beyond your control. Certainly that plays a roll...but to neglect your own agency in becoming "great" is idiotic.
This must some attempt at comforting one's inevitable mediocrity.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#18Awesome article. But I disagree with "Don't try to be great." Yeah, it takes luck, and yeah, there's nothing wrong with being "solid." But with that mindset, you won't be great, even if you're lucky. Do you think Bill Gates spent his 10,000 hours programming by accident? Was there nothing better to do? No. He was probably obsessively passionate about it, and he took advantage of his opportunity to become great. And do you think Apple made such a name for itself by coasting along, doing what everyone else does? Few people and few companies become great by not trying.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#19Most commencement speakers are double outliers. 1. They're highly successful. Most people aren't. 2. The validation of an academic meritocracy where many top members (compared to anything else in society) hate the corporate world means that they're likely to be people of merit. Most highly successful people aren't. They're great at inspiring, but they've had just too much good luck to know how the world really works…
This is why I love Steve Jobs' commencement address at Stanford. He was brutally honest. I love how he attributes much of his success to not having a college degree.
Re: Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You
#20>Don't try to be great. What the hell? >Being great involves luck and other circumstances beyond your control. Certainly that plays a roll...but to neglect your own agency in becoming "great" is idiotic.
If you set out to be great simple numbers mean you will most likely fail. The famous "mid-life crisis" can easily result. Best to accept that you most likely won't change the world, and be satisfied with things you can reasonably achieve.