Admiral McRaven addresses the University of Texas at Austin Class of 2014
The University of Texas at Austin・15 minutes read
The speaker at the graduation emphasizes the slogan "What starts here changes the world" and shares how individual decisions can have a significant impact, offering lessons from Navy SEAL training on resilience and teamwork. He stresses the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges, urging graduates to take risks, face fears, and never give up to make a positive difference in the world.
Insights
- Individual decisions can have profound impacts, as highlighted by the speaker through examples of saving lives and influencing future generations, emphasizing the potential for anyone to change the world.
- The importance of perseverance, teamwork, and facing fears is underscored by the speaker, drawing from Navy SEAL training experiences to illustrate valuable lessons applicable to overcoming challenges and achieving success.
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Recent questions
How can individual decisions impact the world?
By sharing examples of how small decisions can have significant ripple effects, the speaker emphasizes the power each individual holds to change the world. He illustrates how saving a life or making a different choice can lead to positive outcomes that resonate through future generations. This highlights the importance of considering the broader implications of our actions and the potential for positive change through individual decisions.
What are the key lessons from Navy SEAL training?
The speaker shares 10 valuable lessons learned from Navy SEAL training, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, resilience, and teamwork. He discusses the significance of making one's bed daily, working together as a team like boat crews, and facing fears to overcome challenges. These lessons underscore the value of pushing oneself beyond perceived limits, taking risks, and never giving up in the face of adversity.
How does the speaker encourage overcoming obstacles?
The speaker encourages overcoming obstacles by sharing stories of students who approached challenges differently to achieve success. By recounting instances where individuals broke records or faced fears head-on, he highlights the importance of taking risks and embracing discomfort to grow and succeed. This serves as a reminder that facing fears and trying new approaches can lead to breakthroughs and personal growth.
What is the significance of perseverance in changing the world?
The speaker emphasizes the importance of perseverance in changing the world by sharing examples of intense SEAL training and missions. He describes the rigorous training SEALs undergo, including facing physical and mental challenges like "Hell Week." By highlighting the need to persevere in the face of adversity and never giving up, he underscores the power of hope and resilience in overcoming obstacles and making a lasting impact on the world.
How does the speaker inspire resilience in facing challenges?
The speaker inspires resilience in facing challenges by sharing stories of SEAL training and missions that require unwavering determination. He discusses the intense physical and mental challenges SEALs endure, such as swimming under a ship in minimal visibility and enduring "Hell Week." Through these examples, he underscores the importance of staying resilient, pushing through tough moments, and never giving up, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This serves as a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from perseverance and resilience in overcoming challenges.
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Summary
00:00
"Graduation speech: Change the world with resilience"
- The speaker addresses the audience, including graduates, recalling his own graduation from UT 37 years ago.
- He emphasizes the slogan "What starts here changes the world," highlighting the potential impact of graduates.
- The speaker shares examples of how individual decisions can have far-reaching effects, saving lives and impacting future generations.
- He stresses that anyone can change the world, regardless of background, and offers suggestions for a better world.
- The speaker shares 10 lessons learned from Navy SEAL training, starting with the importance of making one's bed daily.
- He discusses the significance of teamwork, using the example of boat crews in SEAL training.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of perseverance and resilience, illustrated through the "sugar cookie" drill and physical challenges.
- He recounts the story of a student breaking a record by approaching an obstacle differently, encouraging taking risks to overcome challenges.
- The speaker shares the importance of facing fears, using the example of swimming with sharks during SEAL training.
- He describes the intense training SEALs undergo for underwater attacks, highlighting the need to persevere in the face of challenges.
14:36
"Mission Success: Keel, Hell Week, Perseverance"
- To successfully complete a mission, one must swim under a ship to find the keel, the darkest and deepest part of the ship where visibility is minimal and noise from machinery is deafening.
- "Hell Week" in SEAL training involves six days of intense physical and mental challenges, including spending 15 hours in freezing mud flats facing pressure to quit, with the ultimate test being to resist ringing a bell to quit.
- The power of hope and perseverance is highlighted as essential for changing the world, with examples like Washington, Lincoln, and Malala, emphasizing the importance of never giving up, even in the toughest moments.
