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If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists I spoke of earlier. We are struggling for a uniting world, but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen to speak up, to be the “he” for “she”.
So what I say to all of you is that “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. I’ve seen porta-potties on fire from a helicopter above Woodstock 99. I’ve seen Charlize Theron glitter in the dark from the backstage wings of the Oscars. All of these moments and far better ones are waiting to be experienced and marveled at by every one of you. It’s time to live.
I guess what I’m trying to say is life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing your boobs, show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you’ll have more beads than you know what to do with and you’ll be drunk, most of the time.
Graduates, this is the time to take your shots. Your life will go by fast. Give it your all. Stand up for yourself. Stay curious. Be a good citizen of the world. Don’t get crushed under the weight of your expectations. Know that the real victory in life is the long game – measure your success by how much you evolve, not necessarily how much you win. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
But as I get farther away from my years here, I know that the power of this school is much deeper than weather control. It changed the very questions I was asking. To quote one of my favorite thinkers Abraham Joshua Heschel: “To be or not to be is not the question; the vital question is how to be and how not to be.”
The lesson here is clear, and that is, if you’re hurting, you need to help somebody ease their hurt. If you’re in pain, help somebody else’s pain. And when you’re in a mess, you get yourself out of the mess helping somebody out of theirs. And in the process, you get to become a member of what I call the greatest fellowship of all, the sorority of compassion and the fraternity of service.
Accept the world for what it is, and at the same time, make it your own. I especially want you to make it your own. You are a particular variety of person, Ms. Smithie. You have spent the last four years in an environment that has encouraged you to be not just yourself, but your best self, your strongest self.
You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that writes the story that you were meant to tell. And the world needs your story because the world needs your voice. Every single one of you. And because as your story unfolds, you will inspire others to find their stories and so on and so on and so on.
Now I tell the story, because the world might say you are not allowed to yet. I waited a long time out in the world before I gave myself permission to fail. Please, don’t even bother asking, don’t bother telling the world you are ready. Show it. Do it. Just As Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
The world is now facing the choice between doubling down on the mistakes of the past or seizing the opportunity to do things differently. We have a generational opportunity and an imperative to use the recovery to shape a better, more gender equal and sustainable world. One that may finally be immune to the reversal of progress. Our actions and decisions now are what determine that future.
This is a moment when we must urgently act not only to restore what has been lost for women and girls, but to end the harmful status quo which keeps inequality thriving. The stakes simply couldn’t be higher. The world – not just women – needs innovative solutions more than ever. Optimizing inclusivity is our best chance at success. Find themselves tasked with making decisions that shape lives.
Love is love, and equality just is. You gotta roll up your sleeves and get to work every day until everyone gets it. You taught me that, you teach us all. So, let me say for everyone whose lives that you have made better, which is to say, for everyone, thank you.
The whole world grows when people like you and me take a stand because we know that beyond the idea of how men and women are different, there is a deeper truth that love is love, and parents are parents.
When you tap into what it’s trying to tell you, when you can get yourself quiet enough to listen, I mean, really listen, you can begin to distill the still, small voice, which is always representing the truth of you from the noise of the world. And you can start to recognize when it comes your way. You can learn to make distinctions, to connect, to dig a little deeper. You’ll be able to find your own voice within the still, small voice.
‘Stay loose, be smart, and go with love… and then leap. And then leap again. And then leap again’ Michelle Yeoh, Academy-award winning actress, advocate, and United Nations Development Programme Goodwill ambassador, offered the Harvard Law School Class of 2023 some advices during the Class Day celebration on Wednesday as they were poised to dive into “a presumably bright but unpredictable future.”
How Yale’s newest graduates make their imprint on the world and on history will be determined by how well they handle fear and inspire faith, Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks told the seniors in his Class Day address on May 22.
As the US grapples with a disinformation crisis, Tom Hanks told graduates of Harvard on Thursday to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain. “For the truth to some is no longer empirical. It’s no longer based on data, nor common sense, nor even common decency,”
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter was the official guest of honor at the university’s spring graduation, taking place this year at New York City’s Yankee Stadium where tens of thousands of newly diplomaed people welcomed Swift with high-decibel cheers.
The city of Port Talbot in South Wales is known for a few things: a steel mill, a proudly working class population and a passionate commitment to the arts that produced Hollywood superstars Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins. In this sweet, personal talk, actor Michael Sheen shares how he was also able to take advantage of all the city had to offer, why he’s worried that a change in approach to arts education means that kids now don’t get the same kind of chances — and the steps he’s taking to ensure that creative up-and-comers get the support and access they deserve.
Actor and filmmaker tells graduates: “There’s more at stake today than in any story ever told.” This is the prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by actor and filmmaker Matt Damon for the Institute’s 2016 Commencement, held June 3, 2016.
