David Mccullough's Speech Analysis

Academic accomplishment is an illusion of superiority. The only people that truly achieve happiness and accomplishment are the ones who go beyond labels, physical characteristics, jobs and degrees, and see themselves as well as the people around them as humans. The person in charge of a commencement speech must be able to reach the students from an equal and humble approach rather than a judgmental or superior one, because the students are full of dreams, hopes and aspiration. The attitude of the speakers towards their audience plays a critical factor in whether they could inspire the students who listened to them or not. Consequently, it’s easy to determine that David McCullough's approach to the students comes from a know-it-all basis, contrasting …show more content…
Jobs pitches the students’ concern regarding an uncertain future, and instead of telling them what to do, Jobs respects their freedom of choice whether they take his words into account, or not (5). On the contrary, McCullough tries, through a braggart perspective, to discipline the students by giving them specific guide lines of what they must do in order to make the most out of their lives (4). The difference between an explanation and a frivolous rant is huge. McCullough fails to realize that the students are done listening to sermons and speeches about how to live their life’s, that although they are well intended, this kind of speeches have the same structure as any of their other subjects in school. Since they are just graduating, the message must be carried out and demonstrated in a whole different way for the sake of captivating the students’ attention. Furthermore, the students know that although their parents and teachers are trying to save them time, and maybe some rough experiences, the only way to learn something is by experiencing it. They know deep down that they must discover what makes them pursuit a fulfilling life by themselves. That’s what makes Jobs’ speech so engaging. He explains how the world works rather than describing how the world sees them or how they must live in it. In fact, by narrating his own experiences, Jobs ends up explaining how experiences, either good or bad, become part of an essential factor in the development of our lives. Jobs’ modesty charms the students, because it’s a billionaire that achieved success by giving out, never giving up. By shamelessly accepting his flaws and weaknesses, the students can see Jobs as a normal human being like them; full of doubt, fearful, but with an undeniable thrive to achieving more every day. Jobs demonstrates that being cool is not simple, but it's cool being