Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address

I am going to write at least 1000 words about "Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address".

The 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address is a graduation speech.  It was spoken very differently from a normal speech.  Instead of following tradition and going with what everyone else did in the past years, The writer of this commencement apparently wanted to relate to the college students and tell them what life will be like as adults.

To relate to college students, he starts by saying the first part of the traditional normal style of a graduation speech, then the speaker explains that it was a requirement of commencement speeches  to say this first part with the moral story.  Then the speaker's version starts.

All the moral stories in this commencement show how people think.  The first one about the fish shows that the fish are so used to the water that they don't even know that they are in water.  The writer is trying to show an example of a prison so intricate that the prisoner thinks that it isn't a prison.  The point of the fish story is to show that "important realities are often the hardest to see and talk about".  Another example is the story about the atheist and the religious person.  The atheist said he didn't believe in god because once, he called on god to save him from a blizzard, but all that came to save him was a few Eskimos.  This is a mental prison in which the atheist won't even think about the other side of the argument, he only thought his way instead of thinking, "oh maybe god sent those Eskimos."  The speaker told us to stop being so arrogant and to see life through other people's shoes too.

The speaker also uses a real time situation to show people HOW to think.  The speaker talks about getting stuck in traffic.  The speaker says not to get mad at the person that drives past you and blocks your way.  Instead, you should think, "Maybe I'm the one blocking their way.  Maybe they have to get to the hospital and I'm blocking their way".  This is a good way to think because then, no one hates another person and the world is a happier place.  Of course, its not very likely that more that half of the world's population is going to follow this.  Being angry at another person for blocking your is your "default" instinct.  Subconsciously, you are always going to think that way.

It is extremely hard to think about other people every day and night because if you think about it, the world is really centered around you.  You see this happen, you get hit by a bowling ball, you eat the pie and get sick.  Its all centered around you.  It seems very selfish, but it is true. Because it seems that everything is centered around you,  it's very hard to focus on others when you are the most important thing.  Even tearing your mind from the little thoughts and arguments inside your head is extremely difficult and required lots of willpower.  Now you have to think about your thoughts and other people's thoughts while you are worrying about getting home late and your resume and your paperwork that you forgot to file?  That's just plain difficult.

The speaker then tells you that he is not going to "lecture you on compassion".  He said it is very difficult to adjust yourself to think about other people, and that only "well adjusted people" can do this.  The speaker says this so that you won't be pressured into thinking this way, but you will still try, as it is a very good virtue to have.

I think that this is a very important virtue to have.  If everyone in the world had it, the world would be a lot more peaceful.  First of all, everyone in the world would actually like every one and there would be a lot less hate in the world.  Second of all, it would be a nearly Perfect world with less taxes, absolutely no terrorism, and a more caring government that listens to the citizens and lets them vote for everything.  almost everything in the world would be perfect.  But of course, as I said before, not everyone in the world can have this virtue.

I sometimes have this wonderful virtue.  For example, once I didn't let my sister eat my snacks that I for got the name of, then I thought about it in her way, if I were her.  I realized that I would be begging for the snacks with an unknown name too.  Then I gave her one.  It made me feel like I was a wonderful person with a very giving attitude.  I knew that I did a  great thing.  That's a little over dramatic, but it really does make you feel good when you look at something from another person's point of view, and then you realize why that person is acting the way he or she is.

Closer to the end of the commencement, The speaker says that there is no such thing as atheism, and everyone worships something, whether it be yo yos or Jesus.  The speaker says one thing not to worship is your beauty.  If you do, you will never think that you are beautiful and you will never be happy.  The speaker says not to worship your power, or intellect either, because you will feel weak and/ or stupid.

Then, the speaker talks about freedom.  "That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing."  


Then the quote that will stay with me forever, "I wish you way more than luck".  I really like this quote because it stays away from the normal "I wish you luck".  This sentence shows that the speaker put a lot of effort into this commencement speech and that this commencement speech strives to be different from the rest.  


I said this a few times already, but I will say it again.  If everyone in the world followed what the speaker said to do, the the world would be nearly perfect.