High School Teacher Gives Tough Love Graduation Speech: Are You Exceptional or Just Like Everyone Else?
SodaHead News
2012/06/11 13:00:00
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Usually, graduation speeches encourage grads to charge into the world with their chins held high, that diploma proudly tucked under their arm. You've graduated college; you're exceptional; it's time to make something of yourself. But that's not exactly how David McCullough Jr.'s speech went when the English teacher spoke at Wellesley High's commencement this year. On the contrary. He told graduates they're just like everyone else, and the controversial message immediately went viral.
McCullough said, "You are not special. You are not exceptional ... Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you ... You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... We have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement ... The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special. Because everyone is." What do you think of the tough love speech?
McCullough said, "You are not special. You are not exceptional ... Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you ... You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... We have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement ... The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special. Because everyone is." What do you think of the tough love speech?
Top Opinion
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El Prez 2012/06/11 17:21:45I'm exceptional!
+10Because I have spent the better part of my life making sure that I am exceptional. However, by the standards set by Mr. McCullough, I am not unique. Unique is rare, exceptional is more easily attained. The later day inclination to give trophys for participation, praise all miltary personel as heros and in general dilute real achievment and heroism, has created something of a feeling of special priviledge among some of our youth. The "tough love" speech might be useful so long as the message of carrying on to find your exceptional character is contained within. He was trying to wake them to the truth and that is always good.
Just sayin...
I give this speaker high marks on many things he says, yet he also misses the point on some key issues.
As for me, I'm in the upper quartile of IQ, speak 3 languages with varying levels of proficiency and have a Bachelor's degree in a hard subject from a good college, albeit I graduated by the skin of my teeth. Just how far above average do you have to be for you to be exceptional? Sure, there are a lot of people smarter than me, but there are a whole lot more than that who aren't. Does that make me exceptional?
when the mass believes one is "exceptional", then comes the " entitlement" sentiment.
I am " special", therefore I should have this and that...
Now if I managed to cure some type of disease or found all the answers to life or something, I'll probably hold my head a little higher, but until that happens I'm just like everybody else... Maybe a little funnier than some, or just delusional. XD
One school telling their kids they aren't exceptional. Thousands of schools telling their charges they ARE exceptional. Bit of an oxymoron going on.
If you think you're exceptional & you haven't done anything extraordinary, you're probably just spoiled.