Conan O'Brien used his Harvard University commencement speech to argue that humility and the human connection matter far more than any diploma.
"I always recognize the enormous role of luck in my life. Refusing to see how luck has played a role in anyone's success is simply ignorant. Many people are happy to mistake a lucky poker hand for their own brilliance, and fighting that human instinct has kept me sane.
"I honestly believe that community, spontaneity, and a real commitment to humility has helped me build a rich life that means much more to me than any diploma. And believe me, I'm not saying the goal is to renounce accomplishments, but rather to metabolize them. If you carry your victories lightly, other qualities –- kindness, originality, courage, humor, and humanity –- have room to emerge.
"Maybe the greatest lessons I've learned along these lines have been through my 24 travel shows. I have degraded myself in Cuba, Ghana, Korea, Armenia, half of Europe, Argentina, Thailand, Mexico, and Greenland, where I visited a real estate office and tried to buy the country. When I travel to another land, every quality I have discussed -- community, adaptation, and a sincerely humble approach -- are all necessary. When you don't speak the language, no one truly cares where you went to college, and you have no choice but to make friends.
"It's on these travels that I learned a great lesson: let yourself be bad at things. I have been a bad dancer in every country I have visited. But the people laugh because it turns out everyone everywhere is related to at least one terrible dancer. For me, humility on these trips can easily lead to humiliation, which is also a useful tool.
"Three weeks ago, I visited Amsterdam, dressed up as Van Gogh, and forced my way into the Van Gogh Museum, where I started loudly demanding a cut of the merchandising because I made no money during my lifetime. Guards forcibly ejected me. I was roundly mocked by patrons for my pathetic display. But I did see a lot of smiles. And not one person said, now that's a Harvard grad.
"In Tokyo, I met with a teacher of Japanese etiquette who volunteered I wasn't her type. And when I asked her why, she just said, 'face.' In Ghana, after accepting a royal invitation, I was kicked out of the Ashanti Palace by the Queen Mother, because her favorite soap opera was starting.
"I understand that I am preaching modesty and connection at a time when this is not in style. We are living through a period of extreme narcissism. Our current leadership in Washington believes that empathy is a weakness and that our nation stands supreme and alone. Add to that, everyone here today has a phone in their pocket that is algorithmically programmed to celebrate you and you alone by making you the protein-maxing hero of your own special journey.
"Much has been written about how isolated and siloed we've become, but for me, the antidote is quite simple. By de-emphasizing what makes us special — in your case, a prized degree — we can really find one another, not as an exercise in virtue, but as a path towards greater laughter, love, and real growth."
Andrew Huberman’s sleep cocktail is a game changer.
Magnesium threonate + Apigenin + Theanine.
He says this combo shuts down racing thoughts, calms anxiety, and helps you fall asleep fast, all backed by solid science.
I’ve been using it myself and it actually works. Deeper sleep, no grogginess the next day.
When you’re wired from screens and stress, a simple, effective tool like this can seriously improve your recovery and energy.
Tried this stack yet, or what’s your go-to for better sleep?
Josh Brolin nailed sobriety in one powerful line.
He loved drinking — called it gasoline in his veins. But he made it his mission to make sobriety more fun than his wildest nights. He was even willing to lose his wife Kathryn to put sobriety first.
No more Jekyll and Hyde. No more getting banned from every bar. That version of him is gone.
This one hit me hard. Most people see sobriety as losing something. Brolin treated it like upgrading his entire life.
Real change happens when the new path feels more alive than the old one.
Have you found sobriety (or quitting any bad habit) can actually become more rewarding than before?
@MatteMartin2 Yes. Just don’t have the bug, and your free time is spent on other things. I mean there is a correlation between having shitty taste and being a dumbass, but it is extends beyond music, lol.
“What does the money machine eat? It eats youth, spontaneity, life, beauty, and, above all, it eats creativity. It eats quality and shits quantity.”
— William S. Burroughs