Wise Words

Archived blog #2: Commencement Speeches:

(Look! That's me in the middle-I'm wearing black)

About a year prior to graduating college, I became very intrigued by commencement speeches. It may seem like a strange choice of reading, but some of the greatest minds of our time have spoken and some of the most prestigious colleges and universities, and for the most part, their words are heartfelt and inspiring.

The exception, of course, would be the dufus Christopher Cox, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange commission (SEC) who spoke at my college graduation. Mr. Cox advised us to, "Invest wisley," great advice coming from a man who would eventually be held responsible for failing to stop Bernard Madoff's massive Ponzi Scheme.

On a more positive note, here are some speeches worth reading:

Steve Jobs
“Find What You Love.”
Commencement address at Stanford University
Palo Alto, California USA
June 12, 2005
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories. Continue reading

J.K. Rowling
"The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination"
Commencement address at Harvard University
June 5, 2008
Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared. Continue Reading...

Jerry Zucker
May 20, 2003
Commencement address at The University of Wisconsin

My parents cried when I left for California. Not because I was leaving, (but) rather, I think, because they were afraid I'd be coming back. Not one teacher I ever had in grade school, high school or college would've believed that there was even the slightest chance that one day I would be asked to give the commencement address at a major university.

Many, given the opportunity, would've bet large sums of money against it, putting up their homes and children as collateral. Actually, I really like the idea of that, not because I'm vindictive — although in a few minutes I'm going to read the names of all the people in my life who never thought I would amount to anything — but because life should be unpredictable. And I'm very grateful that I never wasted any time trying to become somebody else's image of what I should be. Continue reading...