You Can Finally See the Full Video of Teacher‘s ’You Are Not Special’ Speech
- Posted on June 9, 2012 at 11:53pm by
Jason Howerton
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Wellesley High School teacher David McCullough, Jr. (Source: Boston Herald)
On Thursday, The Blaze brought you the story of one High School teacher’s brutally honest commencement speech where he told a group of high school seniors that they were neither “special” nor “exceptional.”
“The sweetest joys in life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is,” Wellesley High School teacher David McCullough, Jr. told students. “Congratulations, good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and for ours, extraordinary lives.”
He went on, “You are not special. You are not exceptional. Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur, that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia, no matter how often your maternal caped crusader has swooped in to save you… you’re nothing special.”
The speech angered some parents, who preferred a more uplifting and motivational speech to cap off their children’s high school experience. However, after the story made headlines, others came out in support of the teacher’s willingness to tell it like it is. You can read the full address here.
Whether you think the speech was epic or offensive, the full video of McCullough’s address is now available for your viewing pleasure. Decide for yourself whether you think his comments were fitting for the occasion:
(H/T: Daily Beast)
Featured image courtesy of Wellesley Media Corporation.
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Comments (118)
zoro51
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:36amwow most teachers say something positive this loser does the oposite,,, no encouragement no support just off your selves.. what a LOSER he is .. kids these days have enough to go thru with out a adult telling them u suck ass now die… america has LOST its gleam,….
Report Post »CommunismSurvivor
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:23am“Loser”? You obviously didn’t listen to the whole thing. This guy is right. The modern education system celebrates mediocrity, revels in it you might even say. Everyone gets a trophy, yay! Everyone’s special! Then these kids get out into the real world, and what happens? OWS happens. Gimme gimme gimme! I’m entitled! Where’s my trophy! If we want this entitlement mindset to stop this is the first step to do it. Give these kids a reality check. Working harder, trying harder, never giving up makes you special, not all those school soccer trophies on the wardrobe.
Report Post »cielorojo
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:26amHow so? What he’s saying is nothing but the truth. Because most children grow up hearing that they are special, they behave at their first job acting just like if they are special. They have no work ethics, no respect for others and the list goes on and on. And guess what? the “special children” are the ones that suffer the most because reality hits them hard.
Report Post »forthepeople
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:27amZoro … you don’t get it ….A big part of our problem in youth today is they have never been told NO or life is not fair and the world owes you nothing go work for it !
Report Post »lwillis59
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:42amZoro…. you must be from the“everyone gets a trophy” mind set…either you did not listen to the entire speech and just took your comments from the sound clips.. OR you just don’t believe in exceptionalism.. no winners no loosers everyone gets a trophy just for showing up..
Report Post »deb4truth
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:13pmThe brave are the ones that recognize the truth for exactly what it is…truth…pure and simple..often painful to hear…but in the end it is truth that will save us from ourselves.
Report Post »I‘m so sorry you’re not among the brave.
Deceived and Disgusted
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:39pmzoro51 There can be no way you’ve misinterpreted his message. If by chance you are serious please submit your brain to Guinness as the most dense material on earth.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:41pm…and afterwards the Principle handed out participation trophies to all.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:49pmThis is the same drivel that seeped from the blubbery frog lips of the mugging toad Al Franken in his book. It was a load of communist crap then and it’s a truckload of socialist fertilizer now and will always be untrue and chestpoundingly apelike to repeat in every future scenario conceivable.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:55pmNo, I didn’t listen to the speech. I made an assumption from the headline.
Report Post »I retract.
But Al Franken is still a dillweed.
Vrilgesellschaft
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 3:44pmI’m glad you never taught my kids. I teach at a community college where every drooling nitwit comes out of high school thinking he’s a genius – because all of his brain-damaged leftie teachers told all the students that! We have two generations of young adults who barely know enough to pick their noses because of people like you.
Report Post »D-Fence
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:36pmZoro. This was a perfect, realistic commencement speech.
Report Post »Dale
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:52pmzoro51;
Assuming you graduated High School, you must have had one of those ‘supportive’, ‘uplifting’ speeches. This teacher, Mr. McCullough, had the decency to tell his graduates the truth: you have accomplished something; but nothing more than MANY others have – now distinguish yourselves – it, the speech, was truly inspirational. It is too bad you didn’t understand.
Report Post »OlderCowGirl
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:13pmYou obviously missed his point.
Report Post »dockj
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:59pmHey Zoro,
Report Post »FYI – Opposite is spelled with two “t’s”. The kiddos have had all the coddling and hand holding that they need at this point (especially in Wellesley, Mass!!). I would like to have seen a tad more enthusiasm at the podium perhaps… but McCullough’s message was excellent. Every kid does NOT deserve a trophy. Not everyone should run the 100 meter dash. Certain students deserve to FLUNK! If 90% of women can’t complete the physical training to become fire fighters – then 90% of women should fail out — NOT be pushed through at a lower standard. In short, as McCullough said — these kids aren’t special! Bravo. Nice job! And by the way – listen to the entire address (12 mins). It is positive and encouraging.
JQCitizen
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 12:54pmWow! I wish this had been MY graduation speech! This man obviously CHALLENGES his students! I’ve had a FEW teachers this good! I LOVE THIS SPEECH!!!
Report Post »SLOWBIDEN
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 2:35pmI agree 110% of what this guy had to say.
Report Post »Thomas Paine
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 2:42pmWow most teachers spew BS creating a entitlement mentality in lazy children.
Report Post »This teacher told the truth.. what a HERO he is ..
Stormy1948
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 9:52pmThe children of today need this kind of speech! They will not get it from their hovering,meddlesome parents! the kids today think the world owes them something! Wrong! The kids today whine about everything and everything! Someone needed to tell them, “Hey! Get your butt to school, work, service or something, becasue if you don’t, you will be crushed! I don’t care how many trophies you got, how many times your mommy told you you were the wisest, smartest, prettiest, most loved person in the world!” Get over it, your not! There will always be someone smarter, wiser, prettier then you are! So strive to be better. Be a go getter, try harder, you will succeed! The world does not owe you diddly! And one day some of these dingbat parents will figure it out! I hope! I am the mother of five, grand mother to 12. My kids all have great jobs! They did it them selves, my oldest five grandchildren work, and go to college! No one coddled them! We loved them and let them find out how the world works!
Report Post »vancity
Posted on June 13, 2012 at 10:56pmThis guy is 100% right on. Listen to the whole speech before you go crying about his “your not special” comments. I love his points about reading…too many kids graduate school now without the ability read a paragraph, it’s sad. I would have loved to have a teacher like this who told you straight up how the real world is.
Report Post »Gallagher1
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:48amI like Obama’a at Barnard..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYO3KdZFq-4
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:48pmFunny and sad at the same time…
Report Post »Spacejockey42
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:46amBravo!
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:22amexcellent
Report Post »tajloc
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:21amI just “un” retired to work with a small Christian school. Most of the parents were “snow plow” parents and would have disliked the speech. A “snowplow” parent makes sure that nothing gets in the way of success in school. I taught science and had the devil of a time teaching them about error. They all want the right answer and that doesn’t play well in data collection.
Report Post »I loved the speech and our PTA would have hated it.
Rom 8:28
kickagrandma
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:30amCongratulations. You sound like my kind of teacher.
I, too, like an others, I suspect, lost jobs to “political correctness”. Turned out to be good loses in order to have more bonding time with God. I do miss the kids….. high school, no less.
Report Post »grand slam grandam
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:06amTajloc: Further clarity in your remarks would be appreciated because you, as a teacher, have lived it!
1. Can you talk further about “snowplow parents”? Might the implication be that “snow-plow parents” will bull-doze over authority in order to have their student/child be given an “A” regardless of how right or wrong his answer actually is?
2. “They all want the right answer and that doesn’t play well to data collection”. Not being in the education world we don’t understand what you call “data collection”.
3. “I taught science and had a devil of a time teaching them about error.” Do errors occur at a rapid rate in science, or is science the place to be when a person wants to encounter “errors”? Maybe that subject is too complex to broach here? In my lifetime I have found “errors” all along the way, an inevitable phenomenon!
Mr. McCullough did us all a favor with his speech, hard to accept, takes time to digest, but true. He had us listening!
Report Post »pickupyurcross
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:07amI think this is one of the best parts.
“…you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.”
What a great message to tell these young people. Treat everyone else like they are special and through that, you will be.
Report Post »Faith in God
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:22amDream big, work hard and think for yourself…
someone did watch all of it, and posted with a snippet so that everyone will watch and learn something, or a liberal weenie did it to inflame.
Report Post »pickupyurcross
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:48amAnyone complaining about that speech didn’t read or listen to the entire thing and are taking a short portion of it out of context.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:37amA most worthy commencement address.
Report Post »Bobolinsky
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:06amFinally? I saw the whole 13 minutes last week. Where’s the Blaze been?
Great speech though.
What do you get when you cross 6.7 billion people and liberal thinking?
6.7 billion people waiting for the short bus.
( did I mention I don’t like political correctness?;))
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 7:41amExcellent!
Report Post »marybethelizabeth
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 7:10amThis speech is anything but honest. He’s criticizing American society but his criticisms are based on false assumptions and mis-assigned motivations. People do not act the way the do for the reasons he lists in his speech.
This guy is saying the class valedictorian is no more special than the class clown. Isn’t that a collectivist idea?
The speech is utter nonsense that mentions some phrases that resonate with conservatives so profess agreement without understanding. The speech is an illogical mess.
Report Post »Bobolinsky
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:08amWhich speech were you listening to?
Report Post »HumbleMan
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:24amListen to it again Mary. Pay attention this time. Put aside your preconceptions about what’s conservative or how conservatives think.
If you don’t get that the speech is a spark of light in the darkness, then at least reflect on this one line: “If everyone is special, then no one is”.
Report Post »Robert
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:40amthis was a lucid well wriiten speech that speaks the truth…maybe your liberal brain can’t digest the truth
Report Post »john141714
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:28amno marry he is saying that there are 3 million students that graduate or whatever it was he said and they all have been told there special. He is saying that if that’s true no one is special.
Report Post »Memphismerlin
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:42amMary, go back and listen to it again. He is not saying that being the class clown is the same as the valedictorian. He is saying that even though you are the valedictorian of your school which makes you unique in your school, there are 37,000 other people that hold that same claim in America this year alone.
Report Post »He is also saying that everyone is unique and “special” in their own right so no one is “special”. Lets put it another way, if everyone makes at least a million dollars a year, a million dollars would no longer be a lot of money, it would be minimum wage.
And his other point is that we live in a world of trophies given out just because you were there. Trophies do not matter, actual accomplishments do.
Silversmith
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:31amMary your agenda wastes your time – and ours.
Silversmith
Report Post »lwillis59
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:51amIts a Liberal Bobo… what do you expect????? Its Mary.. she hangs around here all the time trying to feel “special ”She can’t take the fact that she is not… and that “special” requires integrity.. self dicipline.. hard work…CHARACTER..
Report Post »Possessor
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:24pmEnvy is the hatred of other people who are actually better than you. The envious person will try too destroy and drag the person, and or persons down to their debauched life style.
Report Post »Possessor
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:31pmMany class valedictorian go to college, and find out the hard way they are now getting,C’s, D‘s in their class’s. Sorrowfully many of them can’t handle the truth and commit suicide. They are no longer the “big” fish on campus, but only a little guppy.
Report Post »OlderCowGirl
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:23pmMary…you are so very arrogant…and like your friends and heroes…incapable of understanding the truth as presented in simple, yet grand concepts.
I’m so glad I cannot understand brains who think like yours.
Report Post »kevinthewriter
Posted on June 13, 2012 at 1:36pmMary, have you ever witnessed a crazy person dance? They don‘t care who’s watching or whether they look silly. They simply immerse themselves in the moment, unaware of how foolish they look to the sane. Sometimes I envy them and wish I could shut myself out from logical thinking and socially acceptable behavior…but I can’t. Therefore, I ask my fellow blazers not to try to explain why you’re so wrong about this speech. I don’t want them to ruin the sweet bliss of your ignorance. Just dance Mary.
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 7:08amI have been of the opinion that kids are not even human beings until somewhere around 25 to 30 years old
Report Post »LongRange
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 10:12pmI do believe you are correct in your theory ;-)
Report Post »TopAssistant
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 7:04amExcellent! I would love to find a typed version of this so I can e-mail it on to others.
Report Post »Kenszen
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 2:11amThe full text is here: http://www.theswellesleyreport.com/2012/06/wellesley-high-grads-told-youre-not-special/
Report Post »grumpyt
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:30amThank you for posting the entire video, I have used it to start discussions with both of my teenage kids as well as printed it for my older one for her to put up for her two boys.
This is the message that all Americans need. It is why America is EXCEPTIONAL! It is Glenn’s message. “Go out and DO something! Go change the world!”
Report Post »baichard
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 3:53amOne of the single greatest, most prescient speeches I have heard in my 60+ years. Anyone who takes exception — well, I don’t hold much hope for them. A world full of teachers like this? What a different world we would live in now. Just wonderful . . .
Report Post »lwillis59
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 11:56amlets see if this principle gets to teach next year for telling the TRUTH
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 2:00amhow dare he
of course little jonny is special…………….he did get that participation trophy ya know
Report Post »Ohio Guy
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 3:59pmA few years ago when my son was 10 his baseball team finished 3rd in a tournament. Incredibly he and each of his teammates received a small trophy. I could not believe it, a 3rd place trophy! Walking off the field to our car I said this to him. “That trophy is a bottom drawer trophy. By that I mean you can keep it, but in a drawer, we don’t display 3rd place trophies in our house.” So you better understand that I was not just being a Hard a$$ I am the same person who as a 10 year old myself refused to go on the field to accept a runner up trophy for a tournament that we had just lost. Even at that age I could not understand being rewarded for losing. Good thing I was never an Olympic athlete could you imagine me refusing to stand on the podium to accept the Silver medal, it would be an international incident.
Report Post »GdHUs
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:08amVery, very refreshing to hear. He must listen to Glenn. I hope he has him on his show.
Report Post »gobucks100
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:57amFrom the first time I read this when The Blaze first mentioned this a couple of days ago, I have read the speech many times. It is a classic speech that so many need to hear. I have saved and printed this speech to share with my 12 year old twins who will enter 8th grade next year. We will have many discussions on the message of this speech before they enter high school. The message of this speech needs to be spread far and wide and kids today should not have to wait to hear until they graduate from high school. I want to thank Mr.McCullough, Jr. for providing such a thought provoking and inspirational speech.
Report Post »grand slam grandam
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:53amThank you, Mr. McCullough, for sharing your wonderful sense of humor! A real display of truth-telling that may only come with having lived a full life.
Report Post »miktar
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:44amThat was perfect! The only (and most important) detail he left out was that all of this may happen only by Gods grace. I understand, however, it was a public school commencement
Report Post »Mil Mom
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:33am@BOMUSTGO
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 11:59pm
What about those in “Special Ed?
Report Post »****
I guess when they finish the ED, they lose the Special!
Mil Mom
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:26amIt sure sounded like the students loved it; AND SO DID I! That’s exactly the kind of speech every graduating kid should be required to hear. No reason to get upset, he was encouraging them to go out and become special, not expect others to shower the accolades on them. To do for the sake of doing and success will be the by-product.
Report Post »MRMANN
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:48amExcellent point, but I also think that the students need to hear this message long before they graduate.
Report Post »lwillis59
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 1:52pmThe students loved it because they do not want to believe that we are all the same.. with no unique talents.. no better no worse…their is an inherit desire in all of us to achieve and accomplish.. to create.to excell.. as parents we want better for our children.. NOT THE SAME..
Report Post »Z
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:11amSunscreen…. He failed to mention the importance of sunscreen. Other than that, his word are awesome.
Report Post »LAWDOGG
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:08amI like the idea of a reality check, but a congratulations is still in order and a positive tone should still be set. Regardless of what he believes; some people are just better at certain things than others and should be recognized as such. Some people try harder. Does that make them special? Yes, yes it does. This goes right along with some schools districts her in AZ putting an end to acknowledging a school valedictorian.
We shall continue to be a country filled with fickle traditions, serving only those that may find benefit for themselves in said traditions. This guy made it more about him than the students. He took their day away from them.
Congrats kids, but don’t get too full of yourselves because you are not special and will eventually f*** it all up.
Report Post »Mil Mom
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:30amYou didn’t even hear the same speech I did, there was nothing being taken away, he was adding humor to remind them that tomorrow they’ll still wake up and have to decide what to do with the rest of their life! To too many high school graduates, that cap and gown and diploma will considered the end-all, and now they just try to make it through each day; he’s telling them to not settle for that, but go out and become someone of value.
Report Post »LAWDOGG
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 12:50amAfter watching a second time I agree with you.
Report Post »TopFlightSecurity
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 2:51amActually dawg removing the award for valedictorian and what this teacher did are not the same thing. Choosing not to honor a valedictorian is the same as participation trophies and telling all the kids they are special. This guy did just the opposite, funny how I knew it would be you who would be on the other side of this thing.
Report Post »Kenszen
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 2:15am@TopFlightSecurity Didn’t you read his post that was made almost 3 hours before you did yours? He watched it again and said he agreed. Give him some credit, man. And apologize.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 11:59pmWhat about those in “Special Ed?”
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:50amMuch better than what I woke up to this morning! Sickening story. WOW, kids can’t sing GOD BLESS THE USA in school ceremony? These Commies have gone crazy on us! I hope they defy the ban and sing it loud an clear! ERRRRR http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/school_silences_patriotic_song_xdunXcLPbE8S2rAEcZoUiP?utm_medium=rss%26utm_content=Local
Report Post »http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/10/nyc-principal-bars-students-from-singing-god-bless-usa-at-graduation/#ixzz1xNFLAfWs?test=latestnews
OlderCowGirl
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:39pmHow about if we just treat and tell all people that we like them…we love them…we respect them. This takes the performance-pressure off “the special person” and puts the love on the other guy. I worked with handicapped folks. Handicapped folks (for lack of a better word) understand when love and kindness are given…but not so much the word or concept “special”.
Why should we treat handicapped people different that other people? Why do we call it the “Special Olympics”??? Why do we feel the need to call anyone “Special”?
Just pay it forward to everyone.
Report Post »