Conan O'Brien Delivers Dartmouth's Commencement Address 

"in 2000-I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality." --Conan O'Brien

Wonderful speech by not only a comedy legend, but a man of great intelligence and humility.

Guy gets on stage, roasts the college for 20 minutes, ends with sincerity, then walks off with a diploma. What a legened

I love that the Secret Service are cracking up in the background.

I am 70 years old, and this is the ONLY commencement address I have EVER enjoyed...

I think my favourite part of the speech is how hard the president laughed at Conan's jokes.

"i once sat in your seat, Literally. last night i snuck out here and sat in every seat, i did it to prove a point, i'm not bright and i have a lot of free time" Godly comedic talent right here

"There is nothing more liberating than having your worst fear realized." Now that is profound.

"...Your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.."

President Kim is having the time of his life

Did he even look at any notes? Wow...articulate doesn't even begin to describe what I just heard.

Conan is better than Carson, Letterman, Leno, Fallon, and Kimmel combined.

21:14 "It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique" - Great fucking quote.

Wow, Conan never fails to amaze me. What a speech. Barely looking at notes. Fantastic!

Ah yes, the two languages of the world: English English - Conan O'Brien

“So late last night, I began.” Truer words have never been spoken.

"...I told graduates not to be afraid to fail. and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity and with clarity comes conviction and true originality. " I love this (and many othesr) quote.

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention." Wow. Smart words.

You know a guy is funny when even The Secret Service is laughing in the background

I've ran out of Conan remotes and I got here. First minute and I'm already hooked. Awesome speech.

Probably the most beautiful speech I've ever witnessed. Conan, I salute you.

Absolutely incredible speech. Funny but also serious at times. Conan is brilliant at what he does.

"Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen."

20 min of jokes and 1 min of rly rly deep intense introspective seriousness

Stinky Pete is cheesin' so hard

His ability to balance lighthearted jokes with profound insights is truly remarkable. Conan's speech not only entertains the audience but also imparts valuable life lessons that resonate with graduates and viewers alike. His message about embracing failure and learning from it is particularly inspiring. Conan's own experiences in the entertainment industry serve as a powerful reminder that setbacks and disappointments can lead to personal growth and unexpected opportunities.

People who hate attending these events will definitely come just to see conan.

I always thought he was funny, but this was better than any standup performance. Hilarious and brilliant. Everyone behind him was dying. Ended with pearls of wisdom. Bravo!

I can’t believe this speech got ANY downvotes. This was an amazing commencement speech. Funny, and also as real as it gets.

Why is there an English caption named "English (auto generated)" and "English - Conan O'Brien" 😂😂

being unemployed and having no idea which path to go this speech is what I need right now

The only disappointing thing about this video is I know I'm not gonna get a commencement as meaningful as the one I've internalized from this video.

Best moment: 9:27 "And Penn, Columbia, and Cornell, well, frankly, who gives a shit?" And then all these old people onstage just bust out laughing like there's no tomorrow, and you know, YOU KNOW, that at least some of them went to or taught at those schools....

One of the very best commencement speeches I have ever heard.

"your path at 22 is not necessarily the same path when you are 32" spot on

This is probably one of the best commencement speeches of all time. It entertains and inspires while also being pragmatic and realistic about what the future holds for the graduates.

Pretty sure Dartmouth knew what it was getting when they invited Conan. XD

I think anyone who has gone through a failure of any kind should hear this. His serious segment at the end was profound, touching, and spoke to my soul. I've been waiting for someone to say something like this, but none have come close to this eloquence. I shouldn't expect anything less from Conan anyways!

To have heard his speech today, 7 years after graduating, I've never felt more alive and calmed by "it's okay if what you perceived 4 years ago, might not be what is to become". I have been telling that to myself, from the moment I came across the assurance last years. I feel a little safer than usual, than before, than ever. The only constant is change.

"There are few things in life more liberating than having your worst fear realized" damn, I need to remember that forever...

"You know, New Hampshire's such a special place: when I arrived, I took a deep breath of this New England air and thought 'Wow, I'm in the state that's next to the state where Ben & Jerry's ice cream is made.'" Lol, when I came to Dartmouth for my sister's Master's graduation, that is literally what I thought!!

Sort of incredible the way he slowly almost impercetibly transitioned from jokes to seriousness.

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique." Powerful and true!

Conan is a comedic genius! Every line is carefully crafted to mix humor, sincerity and lightheartedness !

Thank you RU-vid algorithm. Awesome recommend. Would never have searched this great speech.

"I did it to make a point: I'm not bright, and I have a lot of free time" had me dying

"But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention." That's very profound.

"Way back in the 1940s there was a very, very funny man named Jack Benny. He was a giant star, easily one of the greatest comedians of his generation. And a much younger man named Johnny Carson wanted very much to be Jack Benny. In some ways he was, but in many ways he wasn't. He emulated Jack Benny, but his own quirks and mannerisms, along with a changing medium, pulled him in a different direction. And yet his failure to completely become his hero made him the funniest person of his generation. David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson, and was not, and as a result my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are. My peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention."

Whoever says that its unprofessional, who cares ; hes a comedian and he hit his point of failure and success. Just because he had fun and delivered an entertaining speech doesnt mean its unprofessional

Great speech! Conan manages to be funny, sometimes hilarious, give good and encouraging yet original advice, and talk a fair amount about himself without making the speech essentially about himself. That's pretty impressive. I'd say this is someone who truly earned his honorary degree. Thanks, Conan!

I rewatched this so many times

After 12 years, watched this again. Still golden.

I got chills at 21:25, what a beautifully articulate man, a comedic genius

This is the third time I’ve watched this in the past 8 years. And it is still so incredibly good. Conan is a wonderful speaker. Hilarious, and so moving. I love this speech. “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” I watched him say that live on his last show when I was 18 and it will always be with me.

He's not only hilarious, butt he's a really gifted speaker actually. His diction, pace and volume were superb. I just enjoyed listening to his address.

Some genuinely inspiring quotes that were a huge relief to hear: 19:37 21:14 21:27 22:18

Conan is just another level of great. Smart, witty, funny, and genuine.

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us...". That's one of the most accurate, most profound, and most generally-applicable statements I think I've ever heard.

What an absolutely spectacular speech.

I wonder how many graduates attending here, as they got older and went through life's ups and downs, came back to this speech at some point and watched it again - only this time being able to truly relate to what he was saying. (Oh, and watching the Secret Service cracking up in the background was hilarious.)

Wow.. It was so hilarious and so awesome speech.

This is my fave commencement speech. I come back to his message time and time again. "It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention." Amen 🙏

Conan is a real class act! I was working as a grip on a tour he performed in Seattle. After the show he came down from his dressing room and thanked us all for a wonderful show.

I'm just glad to be alive at the same time as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Conan is severely underrated because of how he acts but those of us who understand his genius know how funny he is and the fact he graduated from Harvard makes him stand alone from the rest looking up at him. Soo many good quotes from this commencement speech and you could tell when he got serious his demeanor changed and made me really listen to his wisdom.

Surprise, surprise - he actually had something serious to say. He saved the beef to he end. Don't get me wrong, enjoy the beginning half. But the end will fill you even more.

ive now gained a lot of respect for Dartmouth

Having had the fortune to work with Conan a few months back, this speech really sums up what every person out there should realise. Things happen out in life, completely of left field, that you would NEVER had dreamed of happening. Conan is an inspiration.

"It is our failure, to become our perceived ideal, that ultimately defines us, and makes us unique." "There is nothing more liberating than having your worst fear realized." "I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality." - This just proves that Conan is really a smart , genius, kind person who chose, knows, and loves to act like a fool for a career and to make people happy.

Extremely intelligent.

this was recommended so i clicked it to watch it while i eat.. i thought i’ll just laugh at the jokes but i ended up crying a little at the end. im graduating next year, and i’ve been so anxious about my career path and what he said touched my soul. the kids who knew exactly what they wanted to be scared the shit out of me, didn’t expect to have a profound realisation while i eat, i love this guy

"There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized" is the most accurate and helpful advice that has ever been given.

Should be mandatory viewing for parents and children alike. Powerful advice, sage from experience, and absolutely brilliant comedy.

"There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized" 19:35

Fucking love you conan-- ur a true legend

that was really well executed

What a brilliant commencement speech. I’ve watched it several times and never fail to marvel at his talent.

20:00 so funny that the bodyguards of Pres. Bush Sr. laugh at the hotel shootout joke

I've watched Conan for 20 years and he's the real deal..very funny and original..

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention."

I didn't know he was a Harvard graduate. I enjoyed the whole speech. At age 46 I am settled where I will probably finish my career as a lab tech. I had bigger ambiguous dreams when I was in college. But when you don't have the conviction or the willingness to sacrifice a few years of your life, the reality will hit you hard when you graduate from the college. Being in school and studying your butt off is the easiest thing one can do in life. It will pay off when you graduate. Immediate gratification is the worst enemy...

I'm an unemployed MBA graduate. The end of his speech was both hard to listen to and inspiring. Here's to hoping I come back stronger from my disappointment. The rest was hilarious ! Conan's awesome.

I've watched this about 10 times now, love Conan he is such an inspiration man.

My English teacher during my senior year of high school (2012) showed us this speech. This is truly my high school and college commencement speech.

I had pretty much become fed up of watching Conan...saturated to the core...is what it is...but I just saw this speech and gained enormous respect and admiration for this man in an instant...a trully remarkable speech that will stick for good..

How can you not feel inspired after a speech as hard-hitting as that? Filled with so much compassion, yet resolute too, cutting the strings from past failures and filled with the unlimited potential of a blossoming future. It almost brings a tear to my glass eye! I have so much more Respect for Conan now. [He hit the ball out of the park with:- "It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique" ]

Conan's sincere shared advice to us: "Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen."

What a legend he is. First time I hear him open up and it made me cry!!!

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique." That's deep.

This and Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford in 2005 are the two best commencement speeches ever. The inspiration these speeches deliver is just astounding.

"Your path at 22 will not necessarily be your path at 32 or 42, one's dream constantly evolving, rising and falling, changing course." Mr Conan

Graduated in 2021 after a harrowing college experience. I hope he knows what an inspiration this speech was. Thanks Conan.

I can't believe i watched the whole thing,

As a valedictorian, a graduate with a Ivy League degree ( that too magna cum laude ) and as a successful personality in showbiz, he sure does undersells himself as not brilliant. Love Conan's humour

When Conan said your dreams will change as you aged - I felt that. Great speech!

One of the best commencement speech I have ever watched on RU-vid.

A fantastic commencement speech and a great example of how you can grow from your mistakes.

Great to see President Kim enjoying the speech

Brilliant speech, and I have a newfound respect for Dartmouth for having Conan come to deliver it.

Thanks for posting this. Much needed

I'm starting college next week and this really inspired me, love this guy