10 Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You

Parents Forum
1

<p>"Class of 2012,</p>

<p>I became sick of commencement speeches at about your age. My first job out of college was writing speeches for the governor of Maine. Every spring, I would offer extraordinary tidbits of wisdom to 22-year-olds—which was quite a feat given that I was 23 at the time. In the decades since, I’ve spent most of my career teaching economics and public policy. In particular, I’ve studied happiness and well-being, about which we now know a great deal. And I’ve found that the saccharine and over-optimistic words of the typical commencement address hold few of the lessons young people really need to hear about what lies ahead. Here, then, is what I wish someone had told the Class of 1988:"…</p>

<p>Interesting and maybe controversial.</p>

<p>[What</a> They Don’t Tell You at Graduation - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577366332400453796.html?mod=quicklinks_graduation]What”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577366332400453796.html?mod=quicklinks_graduation)</p>

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<p>I sent the article to my graduating daughter. I don’t really see much controversy, maybe #7? but he explained what he meant. I’m sure some (many?) of those points have been said at commencements! He wrote a whole book on this?</p>

<p>The comments are always fun to read.</p>

3

<p>Great article/advice! My favorite:</p>

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<p>Author is writing a book being released May 7th on this topic btw…</p>

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<p>^ I wonder if that book will get the same “WSJ bump” that the Tiger Mom’s book got?</p>

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<p>“4. Marry someone smarter than you are.”</p>

<p>LOL… if you didn’t, your spouse did.</p>

7

<ol>
<li>How much s/he is being paid to sit there and pretend to be interested in your graduation ceremony.</li>
</ol>