Thoughts on David McCullough Graduation speech, "You're not special"

(You can view the speech at the bottom of this post.)

The wealthy often think everyone can have what the wealthy have if they only work hard enough.

That usually is not true.

The privileged often think opportunities are available to everyone if they only look hard enough.

That usually is not true.

The poor and indigent often think there is little hope of them ever achieving what the wealthy and privileged have regardless of how hard they work or where they look.

That usually is true.

Most of that graduating class at Wellesley High School is quite ordinary and will turn out the average number of alcoholics, spousal abusers, criminals, and otherwise successful or unsuccessful people that their socio-economic class produces.

So what if you tell them they're special. Maybe one last word of positive reinforcement will prevent one person who already thinks otherwise to continue thinking otherwise, and will encourage them to tell someone else what they so desperately need to hear.

That they are special.[1]

[1]
I'm a former educator. I believe in hard work and reward. And I have seen firsthand what blunt candor can do to a teetering young mind.

The saddest part about this: Most of those who have achieved wealth and/or privilege will never understand this or change their view. They are incapable of it because they see this issue through the same filters that gave them what they have.

Please don’t misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with wealth and privilege. But those things not only constrain the perspective of the wealthy and privileged, they confine and restrict membership to those classes.

The world is not fair. Hard work and opportunity are not rewarded equally.

But "life is hard" and "you are not special" are not the same message. Combining them conflates two conceits that only the privileged class (and confused lower classes) can think belong together.

You Are Not Special Commencement Speech by David McCullough at Wellesley High School

Started: 2012-06-11