Author George Saunder’s Timeless Speech to the 2013 Graduates of Syracuse University Demonstrates the Power of Authentic Human Communication
5/17/26 – – College graduation season is in full swing. Commencement speakers from all walks of life are doing their best to inspire accomplished young people with their wisdom, wit and warnings.
This weekend, New York Times writer Melissa Kirsch examines what makes these speeches memorable and moving. Her conclusion: “The best graduation speeches, I think, are the ones grounded in personal experience, the ones that ring not only sincere, but also profoundly felt.”
Based on those criteria, if you have the honor of being invited to deliver a commencement address, artificial intelligence programs are not the best places to turn for help. Derivative themes and language, even when presented by honorary degree recipients wearing robes and mortar boards, fall flat. The speakers and their speeches are forgotten before the graduates and their families leave campus.
One of the most entertaining, poignant commencement addresses I’ve ever read was delivered by professor and bestselling author George Saunders to the 2013 graduating class of Syracuse University, my alma mater. It focuses on the importance of kindness. Each time I’ve posted it on this blog, there’s been very positive reader response.
In her article, Melissa Kirsch praises Saunders’ address: “I love this speech because it emerges from a relatable personal experience, and it dwells in specifics rather than conceptual oratory. Every person present has their own failures of kindness. Everyone present is implicated.”
AI could not have helped Saunders, one of our most celebrated authors, construct his timeless message. So, I present it here again in honor of 2026 graduates everywhere and as a reminder that authentic, human communication stands out more than ever in the age of AI.
https://artsandsciences.syracuse.edu/news-all/news-2013/2013-george_saunders_convocation
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