You are not special!

MFPAddict
MFPAddict Posts: 2,069 Member
edited December 2024 in Chit-Chat
So what are your thoughts on David McCullough Jr.'s controversial "You Are Not Special" commencement speech? Personally, I love it.
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Replies

  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
    I thought it was excellent! I agree with it wholeheartedly.
  • MFPAddict
    MFPAddict Posts: 2,069 Member
    I thought it was excellent! I agree with it wholeheartedly.

    I find it crazy that it is even a controversary!
  • tquig
    tquig Posts: 176 Member
    I thought it was excellent! I agree with it wholeheartedly.

    I find it crazy that it is even a controversary!

    Too many "big" words and "challenging" references made it difficult for many people to understand? lmao.

    The folks that hate it are the same ones that do not understand the sarcasm nor the deeper meaning.

    I guess he could have simply said- "Stop standing there like the losers waiting for hand-outs from life, put in some hard work and make something of yourselves"
  • SlimSammy2012
    SlimSammy2012 Posts: 893
    Great commencement speech. Problem is, they'll never understand it, let alone live it!
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    Love it, just hope those he was speaking to get it.
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
    Great commencement speech. Problem is, they'll never understand it, let alone live it!

    THIS sadly......
  • Expialidojess
    Expialidojess Posts: 441 Member
    I loved it. I have a teenage brother and he could use a big smack of "you're not special" upside the head.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Somebody had to say it.... We (as a society) keep pumping it into our kids heads about how smart and amazing they are just for doing things that is expected of them...
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,283 Member
    I see the "special snowflake" syndrome all the time in my students. I seriously hope that this speech would be a wake up call, but it probably won't be.
  • AwesomeMoJo
    AwesomeMoJo Posts: 1,145 Member
    I thought it was excellent! I agree with it wholeheartedly.

    I find it crazy that it is even a controversary!

    I agree with you. There was nothing that he said that was offensive, or even wrong....it was very matter of fact and people can't handle it.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Can someone share a link so I can watch it? I'd be interested in checking it out.
  • musicgirl99
    musicgirl99 Posts: 252 Member
    Thought it was awesome!
  • MFPAddict
    MFPAddict Posts: 2,069 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4
  • musicgirl99
    musicgirl99 Posts: 252 Member
    Great commencement speech. Problem is, they'll never understand it, let alone live it!

    Beautifully said!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4

    Thanks!
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
    I think it was hilarious. I would have loved to see people's reactions. I did find it perturbing that a teacher would use "Is" instead of "are". *hand face*
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    People need to read or listen to the ENTIRE speech and not take one paragraph out of context. :smile:

    The rest of what he had to say was much more interesting and inspiring.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    I see the "special snowflake" syndrome all the time in my students. I seriously hope that this speech would be a wake up call, but it probably won't be.

    if you read the entire speech, he goes on to say that people should follow their passions and everyone has the opportunity to become special in their own way...which I think is a different take than being a "special snowflake." It's unfortunate that the one paragraph was taken completely out of context and people are freaking out about it.
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
    Bump for later :)
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    I personally haven't heard it all.
    I'll just say kids these days are "soft" and need a dose of reality.
    Let's not hurt any feeling and such. Oh how special you are...let's give everyone a trophy.
  • MsNewBooty83
    MsNewBooty83 Posts: 985 Member
    I thought it was excellent! I agree with it wholeheartedly.

    I find it crazy that it is even a controversary!

    Too many "big" words and "challenging" references made it difficult for many people to understand? lmao.

    The folks that hate it are the same ones that do not understand the sarcasm nor the deeper meaning.

    I guess he could have simply said- "Stop standing there like the losers waiting for hand-outs from life, put in some hard work and make something of yourselves"

    Absolutly. I agree 100%.
  • GeekyGirlLyn
    GeekyGirlLyn Posts: 238 Member
    I totally agree with it. Wish someone would give a speech like that to some of the students I know.
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    Fantastic speech. Love it all.

    And love that ice cream is 2nd.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,347 Member
    Its called the "Mr. Rodgers Syndrome". Dont get me wrong...he had the right idea but other people took to an extreme level. It should have been everyone is different and unique....thats special enough. :D
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
    There is way too much "coddling" of society's children today. Now, everybody gets an award, nobody learns to lose gracefully anymore. Those same children are the teenagers who have no respect for others and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter.

    I liked the speech, and it's true, you need to work hard to get recognition.

    Very sad that 98% of those teens will never take that speech to heart and gain any inspiration from it.
  • FrauHausMaus
    FrauHausMaus Posts: 194
    loved it!!
  • librislady
    librislady Posts: 46 Member
    I've been doing quite a bit of research on the generation, and it seems sadly true across the board. (My job includes managing mostly 18-22 year old college students.) It's a result of the Everyone Gets A Trophy model of (non)achievement and helicopter parenting that was so prevalent for them when they were growing up.

    The Pew Research Center has done some great work about Millennials, I highly recommend their site for neat facts about the generational differences! - http://pewresearch.org/millennials/

    [O'course, I'm not that much older than they are, but I'm among the last of them to remember not having the internet or a computer. The born-digital generation is a whole 'nother animal!]
  • DBB07
    DBB07 Posts: 40
    So what are your thoughts on David McCullough Jr.'s controversial "You Are Not Special" commencement speech? Personally, I love it.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    My thought upon watching it is that there's nothing controversial about it, except for the deluded who think that they're special. Everything he said is true.
  • MMoriarty2012
    MMoriarty2012 Posts: 31
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4

    Thank you!

    Great speech, the entire thing. :smile:
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    I haven't seen it but from the sounds of the comments I would love it.

    I am trying hard to build up my daughters self esteem and worth without giving her this entitled and special snowflake (good one Dot! :flowerforyou: ) attitude that runs rampant in our young folks. :explode:
    Off to watch it.
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