The Importance of Standing Up For The Rights Of Others - Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg - Trust Your Instincts
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the Harvard Commencement Speech for the 2014 academic year, where he encourages all new Harvard students to follow their hearts, listen to others, and to stick to what they believe in.
Transcript:
"Do not be afraid of saying what you believe is right no matter how unpopular it may be, especially when it comes to defending the rights of others. Stand up for the rights of others, and in some ways it's even more important than standing up for your own rights. Because when people seek to repress freedom for some, and you may remain silent, you are complicit in that repression and you may well become its victim. Do not be complicit. Do not follow the crowd. Speak up and fight back. You will take your lumps. I can assure you of that. You will lose some friends and make some enemies. I can assure you of that too.
But the arc of history will be on your side, and our nation will be stronger for it. We must follow the evidence where it leads and listen to people where they are. If we do that, there is no problem we cannot solve, no gridlock we cannot break, no compromise we cannot broker. The more we exchange or embrace a free exchange of ideas, and the more we accept that political diversity, the healthier we are, the stronger our society will be.
- Micheal Bloomberg
