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This teacher's graduation speech is getting a lot of attention on the web. He told the students at graduation that they were not special.
Do you think his message has any anti-religious tones to it.... that God made everyone special, and yes they are special? Does it conflict with your value and ideas of how kids should be raised? Or is he right and just being pragmatic?
Quote:
Critics were shocked to hear David McCullough tell a graduating class of high school seniors that they are "not special," but the students and parents of Wellesley, Mass., school rallying around their favorite teacher.
Bucking the norm for such speeches, McCullough skipped the platitudes in favor of some blunt talk, telling the class of 2012 in the affluent Boston suburb last Friday that although they may have been "pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped" by their parents, "none of you is special."
I guess it comes down to what we define as "special", does it mean "above the norm" or is he just telling the students "as it is". We have become a society of raising children to where no one looses and everyone is a winner, when in reality, there are winners and loosers. To brain wash children into thinking that they win while loosing does a dis-service to our children. There is nothing wrong in teaching a child to do their best and yes, sometimes your best just isn't good enough. I applaud this speaker in saying "there is nothing special about you" it's a tough world, just do your best and at the end of the day if you feel good about what you have done, then that is your reward.
Kudos to David McCullough..refreshing to hear of someone speaking some truth at one of these graduations, instead of the generic BS you hear at 99% of the time at these events
The next great speech would be, "the world owes you nothing".
Kinda sucks when we find out the truth the hard way but it is nonetheless true.
We are all unique in our own way and that is the only thing that differentiates us.
Very few men and women have ascended to greatness, the majority of us merely journey through life unnoticed except perhaps by family and a few friends.
This teacher's graduation speech is getting a lot of attention on the web. He told the students at graduation that they were not special.
Do you think his message has any anti-religious tones to it.... that God made everyone special, and yes they are special? Does it conflict with your value and ideas of how kids should be raised? Or is he right and just being pragmatic?
The teacher is absolutely correct, you are not special, I am not special.
This teacher is doing exactly what should be the goal of ever single teacher, to prepare their students for life in the real world, a world were reality rules, and students that are not prepared to deal with reality will find that reality can be a harsh mistress.
You sound like you have had a life time of people blowing fantasy dust up your skirt, and that was a gross disservice to you.
The next great speech would be, "the world owes you nothing".
Kinda sucks when we find out the truth the hard way but it is nonetheless true.
Reality sucks at times, but it is all we have, and one can better deal with the sucky parts if you meet it head-on and with your eyes open. Squeezing one's shut tight and wailing "does not, does not" is the greatest disservice to themselves possible.
The teacher is absolutely correct, you are not special, I am not special.
This teacher is doing exactly what should be the goal of ever single teacher, to prepare their students for life in the real world, a world were reality rules, and students that are not prepared to deal with reality will find that reality can be a harsh mistress.
You sound like you have had a life time of people blowing fantasy dust up your skirt, and that was a gross disservice to you.
Lol! You must have assumed that I am against the teacher's message. I tried to present the OP without taking a position..... in a this way or that way manner.
I don't think the teacher's speech had anything to do with religion. Of course everyone's unique, but not more 'special' than anyone else, especially in the context he meant about how society will treat us.
If you tell someone they are not special and they believe it; they will never be special.
The Bible says that even the hair on our head is numbered. Can a person get any more special than that.
We all need to see ourselves as God sees us. He not only sees us as we are now but He also sees what we are capable of becoming. Lean not on our own understanding. In all ways acknowledge God and He will direct your path.
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