Conan O’Brien urged the Class of 2026 to look beyond academic achievement and treat a Harvard degree as the least important thing people know. He said real education starts after graduation through friendships, successes, defeats, and accepting that greatness comes from the surrounding mess rather than despite it. He credited his own path to help received from many people and to luck, warning against mistaking a lucky outcome for personal brilliance. He urged resistance to extreme narcissism, citing self-absorption fueled by smartphones and pointing to U.S. leaders. He emphasized community, spontaneity, and humility as foundations for a rich life.
"“I really understand how much hard work it took for all of you to get to this point,” O'Brien, a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, told the crowd at Tercentenary Theatre. “You should feel enormous pride, just as I did on my Commencement day.” But a Harvard degree can be double-edged, he added."
"“Because your real education starts now, with friends you've made and friends you get to meet, with stunning successes and miserable defeats, and with a humble acceptance that your greatness comes from the mess around you, not despite it,” O'Brien told graduates."
"“Many people are happy to mistake the lucky poker hand for their own brilliance, and fighting that human instinct has kept me sane,” he said. “I honestly believe that community, spontaneity, and a real commitment to humility have helped me build a rich life.”"
"In that spirit, he urged his audience to resist the “extreme narcissism” of the times, with pointed reference to U.S. leaders and smartphone-fueled self-absorption."
Read at Harvard Gazette
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