In the commencement speech, the
author tells us that she had once believed perfection is the key to happiness.
She says everyone should not live according to standards and what society
believes. You should do what makes you happy.
This
is true if what makes you happy is to become a singer or a zoo keeper. As long
as you are striving for what you believe in, you will be successful in your own
terms.
Although, you can’t do something like stop trying in school just because homework makes you unhappy. If everyone was free to do what they want and when they want, our world would end in chaos. We have standards to abide by not to just restrain us from doing what we really want to do but also to shape the world around us. If more of us start doing what pleases us, this is called being selfish. Not everything is about ourselves and we should acknowledge that. We should have to force ourselves, once in a while, to do things that we simply have to do. This is called responsibility.
Being responsible is not always a great thing. People expect way too much from us to do things that they expect us to do. Kids are responsible for brushing their teeth. Teenagers are responsible for staying in school. Adults are responsible for going to work and bringing home food. If one of these cycles is broken, there would be consequences. If kids stopped brushing their teeth, their mouth would rot and result in pain every time they take a bite out of anything. If teenagers skip school, their future would be down the drain since they will lack education. If adults stayed home just because they hate their job, their family would starve to death.
Everyone will have a role they have to play; an event they have to do that is not pleasant to them. But if they strongly hold down their foot to live a happy life for themselves, they have to realize other people are affected by their actions as well.
The author in the speech was describing about how she quit a job at New York Times to be a full time mother. She has the right to do that because she possibly received an opportunity. Her husband could have a great standing career to provide for the family. But if there was someone else who wanted to quit to become a full time mother but does not have a husband to support her, with this lack of opportunity, of course, she must refrain from making herself happy and do what is needed to provide her children with what they need.
Being the idea of perfection is not necessarily a bad thing if that is what you want. If you are happy with knowing that pretty much everything about yourself is perfect, then that is how you should do it. When it comes down to it, everyone’s idea of perfection is different but yet, it is impossible to reach there. In the end, it’s not success we have to live by. It is responsibility and opportunities.
Although, you can’t do something like stop trying in school just because homework makes you unhappy. If everyone was free to do what they want and when they want, our world would end in chaos. We have standards to abide by not to just restrain us from doing what we really want to do but also to shape the world around us. If more of us start doing what pleases us, this is called being selfish. Not everything is about ourselves and we should acknowledge that. We should have to force ourselves, once in a while, to do things that we simply have to do. This is called responsibility.
Being responsible is not always a great thing. People expect way too much from us to do things that they expect us to do. Kids are responsible for brushing their teeth. Teenagers are responsible for staying in school. Adults are responsible for going to work and bringing home food. If one of these cycles is broken, there would be consequences. If kids stopped brushing their teeth, their mouth would rot and result in pain every time they take a bite out of anything. If teenagers skip school, their future would be down the drain since they will lack education. If adults stayed home just because they hate their job, their family would starve to death.
Everyone will have a role they have to play; an event they have to do that is not pleasant to them. But if they strongly hold down their foot to live a happy life for themselves, they have to realize other people are affected by their actions as well.
The author in the speech was describing about how she quit a job at New York Times to be a full time mother. She has the right to do that because she possibly received an opportunity. Her husband could have a great standing career to provide for the family. But if there was someone else who wanted to quit to become a full time mother but does not have a husband to support her, with this lack of opportunity, of course, she must refrain from making herself happy and do what is needed to provide her children with what they need.
Being the idea of perfection is not necessarily a bad thing if that is what you want. If you are happy with knowing that pretty much everything about yourself is perfect, then that is how you should do it. When it comes down to it, everyone’s idea of perfection is different but yet, it is impossible to reach there. In the end, it’s not success we have to live by. It is responsibility and opportunities.
