What words would you want spoken to your high school graduate? Would you prefer they receive accolades and praises for all they have accomplished? Or would you like to hear these words, “You aren’t special.”
A commencement speech out of Massachusetts has caught the attention of the nation. High school English teacher David McCullough, Jr. had this to say: “None of you is special. You’re not special. You’re not exceptional.”
He goes on to say that despite their trophies, report cards, despite the encouragement they have received from others (including the big purple dinosaur “Barney) and no matter how many times they have been rescued by a parent…they are nothing special. All of this has some parents up in arms. How dare he say their children aren’t special?
He goes on to talk about selflessness and how life can be enjoyed so much more when you don’t think you are special. I’m sorry but I think there is a lot to be said for this.
The problem in today’s society is that too many people do think they are special. They believe they deserve the best, that they should get what they want when they want it, and little effort should be put into their achievements.
The teacher also said, “You see if everyone is special then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless.” I happen to agree with this.
When I was a kid, you earned a trophy. Now you get a trophy simply for participating. While that is nice, the only thing it really teaches is that no matter how little you do, you can still earn the same thing as the next guy who actually worked hard.
Why do we feel like everyone needs to be treated equally? Is it really fair to the one who has truly put their heart and soul into something, to receive the same reward as someone who did nothing?
You get what you sow. That is how life works.
Those who have just graduated from high school need to know that not everything will be handed to them on a silver platter. So I applaud this teacher who was willing to keep it real.
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