During the May 28, 2026 Harvard commencement address, senior speaker Noah Eckstein said this:
Understanding is difficult. It takes effort. My grandfathers knew that, but they chose to try anyway. I want to leave you all with one simple practice. Whenever you meet someone you disagree with, stay your case, yes, stand up for what you believe, but also ask the other person about their beliefs. Ask them how they got there. Listen like you might be wrong. That’s not a weakness or betrayal of your own ideals. That is the hardest and most important thing you can do in a world that is constantly telling you, “pick a side”.
I can’t even tell you how much I love that line. I do my best to live this philosophy every single day. And so far, it hasn’t let me down.
The transcript of his entire speech can be found here.
