Tim Cook Leaves the Audience SPEECHLESS One of the Best Motivational Speeches Ever
look back over your shoulder fondly
and say goodbye to act one of your life
and then quickly look forward
act two begins today
it’s your turn to reach out
and take the baton
[Music]
you enter the world at a time of great
challenge
our country is deeply divided and too
many americans refuse to hear any
opinion that differs from their own
our planet is warming with devastating
consequences and there’s some that even
deny it’s even happening
our schools and communities
suffer from deep inequality we fail to
guarantee every student the right to a
good education
and yet
we are not powerless in the face of
these problems
you
are not powerless to fix them no
generation has ever had more power than
yours
and no generation
has a chance to change things faster
than yours can
the pace at which progress is possible
has accelerated dramatically
aided by technology every individual has
the tools potential and reach to build a
better world
that
makes this
the best time in history to be alive
whatever you choose to do with your life
wherever your passion takes you
i urge you to take the power you have
been given and use it for good
aspire to leave this world better than
you found it
i didn’t always see life as clearly as i
do today
but i’ve learned the greatest challenge
of life
is knowing when to break with
conventional wisdom
don’t just accept the world you inherit
today
don’t just accept the status quo
no big challenge has ever been solved
and no lasting improvement has ever been
achieved
unless people dares to try something
different
dare to think different
i was lucky
to learn from someone who believed this
deeply
someone who knew that changing the world
starts with following a vision not a
path
he was my friend
and mentor
steve jobs
steve’s vision was the great ideas comes
from a restless refusal to accept things
as they are
and those principles still guide us at
apple today
we reject the notion that global warming
is inevitable
that’s why we run apple on a hundred
percent renewable energy
we thank you
we reject the excuse that getting the
most out of technology means trading
away your right to privacy
so we choose a different path
collecting as little of your data as
possible being thoughtful and respectful
when it’s in our care
because we know it belongs to you
in every way at every turn the question
we ask ourselves is not what can we do
but what should we do
because steve taught us that’s how
change happens
and from him i learned to never be
content with the way that things are
i believe this mindset comes naturally
to young people and you should never let
go of this restlessness
so today’s ceremony
isn’t just about presenting you with a
degree
it’s about presenting you with a
question
how will you challenge the status quo
how will you push the world forward
when you look across this country and
when you see people’s lives held back by
discrimination in poverty
when you see injustice and inequality
you should be the last people
to accept things as they are
whatever path you’ve chosen be it
medicine or business engineering of the
humanities whatever drives your
passion be the last to accept the notion
that the world you inherit cannot be
improved
be the last to accept the excuse that
says that’s just how things are done
here
should be the last people to accept it
and you should be the first to change it
the world-class education you’ve
received that you’ve worked so hard for
gives you opportunities that few people
have
[Music]
you are uniquely qualified
and therefore uniquely responsible
to build a better way forward
that won’t be easy
it will require great courage
but that courage will not only help you
live your life to the fullest
it will empower you to transform the
lives of others
last month i was in birmingham to mark
the 50th anniversary of dr king’s
assassination
and i had the incredible privilege of
spending time with women and men who
marched and worked alongside him
many of them were younger at the time
than you are now
they told me when they defied their
parents
and joined the sit-ins and the boycotts
when they faced the police dogs and the
fire hoses
they were risking everything they had
becoming foot soldiers for justice
without a second thought
because they knew that change had to
come
because they believed so deeply in the
cause of justice
because they knew even all the adversity
that they had faced
they had the chance to build something
better for the next generation
we can all learn from their example
if you hope to change the world
you must find your fearlessness
fearlessness means taking the first step
[Music]
even if you don’t know where it will
take you
it means being driven by a higher
purpose
rather than by applause
it means knowing that you reveal your
character when you stand apart more than
when you stand with the crowd
if you step up without fear of failure
if you talk and listen to each other
without fear of rejection
if you act with decency and kindness
even when no one is looking even if it
seems small or inconsequential
trust me
the rest will fall into place
more importantly you’ll be able to
tackle the big things when they come
your way
it’s in those truly trying moments that
the fearless inspire us
fearless like the women who say me too
and time’s up women who cast light into
dark places
and move us to a more just and equal
future
fearless like those who fight for the
rights of immigrants who understand that
our only hopeful future
is one that embraces all who want to
contribute
[Applause]
be fearless
be the last people to accept things as
they are and the first people to stand
up
and change them for the better
in 1964
martin luther king jr
gave a speech at page auditorium to an
overflow crowd
students who couldn’t get a seat
listened from outside on the lawn
dr king warned them
that someday
we would all have to atone
not only for the words and actions of
the bad people
but for the appalling silence
and indifference of the good people who
sit around and say
wait on time
[Music]
[Applause]
martin luther king stood right here at
duke and said
the time is always right
to do right
for you
that time is now
it will always be now
it’s time to add your brick to the path
of progress
it’s time for all of us to move forward
and it’s time for you to lead the way
[Music]
you