"Doing what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy – that's how little kids think."
Barack Obama's commencement address to high school seniors included some digs at the Trump administration.
Barack Obama's commencement address to high school seniors included some digs at the Trump administration.
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00:00This pandemic has shaken up the status quo and laid bare a lot of our country's deep-seated problems.
00:07From massive economic inequality to ongoing racial disparities to a lack of basic health care for people who need it.
00:16It's woken a lot of young people up to the fact that the old ways of doing things just don't work.
00:23That it doesn't matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick.
00:29And that our society and our democracy only work when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.
00:39It's also pulled the curtain back on another hard truth.
00:44Something that we all have to eventually accept once our childhood comes to an end.
00:49You know all those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing?
00:55Turns out they don't have all the answers.
00:58A lot of them aren't even asking the right questions.
01:02So if the world's going to get better, it's going to be up to you.
01:08That realization may be kind of intimidating, but I hope it's also inspiring.
01:14With all the challenges this country faces right now, nobody can tell you,
01:19no, you're too young to understand or this is how it's always been done.
01:24Because with so much uncertainty, with everything suddenly up for grabs,
01:29this is your generation's world to shape.
01:34Since I'm one of the old guys, I won't tell you what to do with this power that rests in your hands.
01:40But I'll leave you with three quick pieces of advice.
01:43First, don't be afraid.
01:46America's gone through tough times before.
01:48Slavery, Civil War, famine, disease, the Great Depression, and 9-11.
01:54And each time, we came out stronger.
01:58Usually because a new generation, young people like you,
02:02learned from past mistakes and figured out how to make things better.
02:07Second, do what you think is right.
02:10Doing what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy,
02:14that's how little kids think.
02:16Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs,
02:21still think that way, which is why things are so screwed up.
02:26I hope that instead, you decide to ground yourself in values that last.
02:31Like honesty, hard work, responsibility, fairness, generosity, respect for others.
02:39You won't get it right every time.
02:41You'll make mistakes, like we all do.
02:44But if you listen to the truth that's inside yourself,
02:47even when it's hard, even when it's inconvenient,
02:51people will notice.
02:53They'll gravitate towards you.
02:55And you'll be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.
03:00And finally, build a community.
03:03No one does big things by themselves.
03:06Right now, when people are scared, it's easy to be cynical and say,
03:10let me just look out for myself or my family or people who look or think or pray like me.
03:18But if we're going to get through these difficult times,
03:21if we're going to create a world where everybody has opportunity to find a job and afford college,
03:27if we're going to save the environment and defeat future pandemics,
03:31then we're going to have to do it together.
03:35So be alive to one another's struggles.
03:38Stand up for one another's rights.
03:41Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us.
03:45Sexism, racial prejudice, status, greed.
03:49And set the world on a different path.
03:52When you need help, Michelle and I have made it the mission of our foundation
03:56to give young people like you the skills and support to lead in your own communities
04:02and to connect you with other young leaders around the country and around the globe.
04:07But the truth is, you don't need us to tell you what to do.
04:12Because in so many ways, you've already started to lead.
04:17Congratulations, Class of 2020.
04:20Keep making us proud.