Commencement Speech Quotes

• The commencement speech is not, I think, a wholly satisfactory manifestation of our culture.

  John Kenneth Galbraith

  Thinking, Culture, Speech

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• Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

  Steve Jobs

  Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring

  Commencement Address at Stanford University, delivered 12 June 2005, Palo Alto, CA

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  Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

  Bernard Baruch

  Inspirational, Funny, Life

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  Go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.

  Neil Gaiman

  Inspirational, Graduation, Mistake

  Neil Gaiman's Commencement Address at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, www.uarts.edu. May 17, 2012.

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• It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might has well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.

  J. K. Rowling

  Inspirational, Success, Graduation

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  Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

  Steve Jobs

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  Commencement Address at Stanford University, delivered 12 June 2005, Palo Alto, CA

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  Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

  Judy Garland

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  "Business Etiquette for the Nineties: Your Ticket to Career Success". Book by Lou Kennedy, 1992.

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  Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

  Steve Jobs

  Love, Inspirational, Life

  Commencement Address at Stanford University, delivered 12 June 2005, Palo Alto, CA

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  Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't.

  Bill Nye

  Inspirational, Inspiring, Learning

  Bill Nye (2015). “Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World”, p.370, St. Martin's Press

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• Don't be afraid of fear. Because it sharpens you, it challenges you, it makes you stronger; and when you run away from fear, you also run away from the opportunity to be your best possible self.

  Ed Helms

  Graduation, Running, Opportunity

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  Continue to share your heart with people even if it's been broken.

  Amy Poehler

  Love, Heart, People

  Harvard University Class Day Commencement Address, delivered 26 May 2011

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• Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated.

  Garry Trudeau

  Graduation, College, World

  "Peace, war, economy dominate graduation speeches" by Patricia McCormack, www.upi.com. May 29, 1982.

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• There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

  Beverly Sills

  Inspirational, Motivational, Positive

  "Conquering an Enemy Called Average". Book by John Mason, 1996.

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• So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality.

  Jim Carrey

  Graduation, Path, Commencement

  Jim Carrey's Commencement Address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, www.mum.edu. May 24, 2014.

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• Never follow anyone else's path, unless you're in the woods and you're lost.

  Ellen DeGeneres

  Graduation, Funny Inspirational, Funny Motivational

  "12 Inspiring Graduation Speeches by Amazing Women" by Kelly Conniff, time.com. May 18, 2014.

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• You might as well take a chance on doing what you love.

  Jim Carrey

  Graduation, Doing What You Love, Might

  "Jim Carrey Receives Honorary Diploma from Maharishi University of Management". Jim Carrey's commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, www.iowasource.com. May 24, 2014.

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• Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

  Steve Jobs

  Graduation, Heart, Stanford University

  Commencement Address at Stanford University, delivered 12 June 2005, Palo Alto, CA

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• You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.

  Denzel Washington

  U Haul, Behinds, Haul

  "Denzel Washington to College Grads: 'Put God First'" by Michael W. Chapman, www.cnsnews.com. May 11, 2015.

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• You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

  Zig Ziglar

  Motivational, Attitude, Failure

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• My favorite animal is the turtle. The reason is that in order for the turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out.

  Ruth Westheimer

  Graduation, Moving, Animal

  "‘Other People’s Rejection Letters’: 8 Of The Craziest Rejection Letters" by Bill Shapiro, www.huffingtonpost.com. May 11, 2010.

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• Don't be afraid to fail big, to dream big.

  Denzel Washington

  Dream, Failing, Bigs

  "Ohio Gov. John Kasich". 'This Week', abcnews.go.com. May 24, 2015.

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• Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

  Dr. Seuss

  Life, Smile, Graduation

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• Do not follow where the path may lead.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Graduation, Travel, Adventure

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• I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don't want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love

  Jim Carrey

  Father, Doing What You Love, Lessons

  "Jim Carrey's inspiring commencement speech" by Lisa Respers France, www.cnn.com. May 28, 2014.

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• Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

  Arnold Schwarzenegger

  Failure, Funny Graduation, Pockets

  "Six Rules on How to Be Successful". Speech at the University of Southern California, www.graduationwisdom.com. May 15, 2009.

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