Jerry Seinfeld | Duke's 2024 Commencement Address 

We’re embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about. Man that pretty much sums up our world today.

“…Don’t, think about having, think about becoming…” well said!

Can’t believe Jerry is 70.

The fact he just preached instead of reading off of a paper is amazing. 100 percent real.

"Humor is the most powerful, most survival essential quality you will ever have or need to navigate through the human experience."

"not enough of life makes sense for you to be able to survive it without humour". Incredible.

Jerry was, is, and will always be, one of the best! In time, those kids will come to realize how lucky they were to have been a part of this.

I learnt something today “don’t lose your humour”. Great reminder.

"We’re embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about" ... everyone should hear this !

My life has taken many twists and turns. I wanted to work in radio and now I enforce laws. I love my job, my wife, my dogs and our first home. So much can change in life. Just keep going. Great speech Jerry.

This video came in my feed and being the Jerry fan that I am, I clicked on it. I love speeches made by comedians, especially him. 3-4 minutes into the video I realised I'm sitting on my bed in my dorm room and this is my last day of college. It is! I'm going to pack my bags after this. A cab is going to drop me off 220 km away tomorrow afternoon. This is my last day of college, night rather, I realised, and I listened to the rest of the speech with that realisation. I spent this day being jealous, regretful, and fixing problems with my phone at a shop, and attempting to return this booklet I had, at which I failed btw. I listened to this after eating. I just thought it was beautiful.

I like what Jerry says about enjoying the little things. Makes me feel a lot better about enjoying my coffees, my waterman pens, my hobonichi diaries, and my Diesel jeans. If you are happy with the little things, the energy transmits to other areas of life creating a positive flywheel effect.

I love Jerry Seinfeld. He's generous with this speech. I wish I met someone giving me this speech when I graduated. He's talking about values here which I wished I had in my 20s.❤❤❤

When you hear truth spoken, it just resonates. This speech totally resonated with me. Very grateful for Jerry's 70 years of wisdom distilled into that talk.

no looking down at a script no teleprompter this is from the heart

I was one of the students there. Glad that I wasn't lazy enough to skip this or foolish enough to walk out on this amazing speech!

One of the best speeches EVER !!!! I'm old and he is 100% correct on all points :)

That is the best commencement speech I've ever heard!! Well Done JS.

Great comedian, great school. I appreciate the media bringing this to my attention. I would have missed it. I can't believe Jerry is 70. He is doing something right. One of the best speeches I have heard.

Loved the part about not losing your sense of humor. So many people are losing their sense of humor now and are so highly sensitive. Great speech! Good advice. Nobody ever regrets laughing too much.

"Hey kids, what's the deal with homework? You're not working on your home!" -Jerry Seinfeld

"Most things do not work." Truer words were never spoken.

Amen, Jerry Seinfeld. Whatever you think is cool, is cool. Just go for whatever you think is cool.

People trashed this kind of talk ? He did great. Good speech. He told the truth!

His comments about Bee Movie had me cracking up. The whole speech was a banger. I had no idea what to do with my career when I graduated from Clemson. My degree opened doors but I don't use it for my current job. I might not be passionate about what I do, but it is fascinating stuff and I work with a great team of people. That's the end goal.

Awesome. Brilliant. Insightful. Wise. Genius. We need more speeches like this at colleges and universities.

LOVE JERRY! He is entertaining and he appreciates his gift. I hope those kids go back and watch this several times. You have to laugh to get through life. My parents always laughed. My mother taught us to laugh at ourselves. My dad taught us that we control our moods. Thank you, mom and dad!!

As a retired scientist, the experience I enjoyed during my higher education challenged me to think for myself. Today? Our universities and colleges have become the bastion of professional students that never grew up and instead surround themselves with likeminded academics who do NOT foster independent thinking, but rather dependent thinking. They live in a bubble they created, not understanding the true meaning of life. Unfortunately, we have a generation of narcissistic people who champion any and every "cause" in an effort to validate their own existence. I was so relieved when my children graduated and left the college campus. Instead of being smothered by all knowing "professors" they could finally experience real life, not the utopian ideal society created by fallible people. Think for yourself. Do NOT follow the mob. There are two sides to every coin. Open your mind.......it is a terrible thing to waste.

Anyone who has watched Seinfeld extras he talks the same points in his extras interview, JS THE GOAT

What a GENIUS! He put work , heart , comedy and wisdom! What a privilege!

I really like the point about falling in love with things. Makes me remember to be thankful & appreciate each moment.

Congrats to Duke! You made an excellent decision to have Jerry give the commencement address.

So many gems here ... Most of all, "Do not lose your sense of humor ... You have no idea at this point in your life how much you're going to need it to get through." 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

The Warren Buffett of stand-up comedy … It all makes so much sense when he says it.

What an incredible message to give to a graduating class. A sense of humor is everything. Great speech.

I can hear his mother now: "How could anyone not like him?"

“We’re embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about.” = perfect description of our culture today.

As a Harvard and MIT grad, who worked as a rocket scientist for 3 years, I now live in the jungle building modern mud homes! You truly don't know where life will take you. Being open to change, and working hard no matter what, is the way to really enjoy life

Congratulations Class of 2024!

At 59, I still managed to get a lot from this speech. He's really something.

Thanks Jerry, from a Duke Grad, class of ‘59

What an honor to have Jerry Seinfeld at your graduation speech. He's still making good jokes and good points.

I love Seinfeld ! He looks amazing - he is 70 but if I didn’t know who he was I would guess early 50s - he seems so much younger.

As a Duke Dad 2014 myself, my tears keep flowing 😂😂. Congrats Duke 2024 boys and girls !

It would have been classic if kramer walked on stage looking lost.

that speech was GOLD, jerry! GOLD!

This is a nice lesson on life speech. This is something many should listen to, both young and old. I am just right behind Seinfeld in age, and can relate one hundred percent to everything he said. Brilliant!

I found myself laughing, reflecting, and worrying throughout his speech. His jokes landed with me, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The lightheartedness of his humor was just what I needed. His words made me think about what kind of society that we live in where everything seems so serious. I can't even get an ice-cream with my family without posters plastered everywhere denouncing political problems a world away. And finally, I worry that the algorithms that dictate what we see online, work only to divide us over issues we cannot or don't understand. I think Jerry is right, we shouldn't lose our humor. Our world is messy, and we can either lay down and cry, or start laughing and build a better world for our children. Thanks, Mr. Seinfeld, for taking a considerable risk and giving a commencement speech in what some would consider a "hostile work environment". And finally, Congratulations, class of 2024! Welcome to the workforce--I'll be the one bringing you the coffee.

Great speech! You gotta love Jerry!! Congratulations to Duke grads.

He’s a flipping genius, I’ve been falling in love all day, thanks JS

In my 50s, but this speech still rings true as if I were still in my 20s. The world is always going to be insane and you gotta have a sense of humor. And he's so right, fascination is WAY MORE USEFUL than passion. Too many people are passionate these days and they have little appreciation for anything. To be fascinated by something is to have a deep appreciation for it. And to appreciate something, you must be grateful for it. Gratitude is the way to happiness. And it really is the smallest of things that make it all worthwhile.

Congratulations, Mr Seinfeld. Well deserved. I still watch your show often. Your three points are so important and invaluable at any age. Good luck to the Duke graduates.

What's the difference between school and life? In school, we're given a lesson, and then a test. And in life, we're given a test, that teaches us a lesson.

Humor will be your stainless cup of water on the brutal hike of life ♥️

Jerry Seinfeld is an absolute genius. You can tell he put a lot of work into this speech. PERFECT!!!! I wish I saw it live.

When Jerry said "What a crowd !", I remembered the late Rodney Dangerfield, bless his soul.

Oh my God Jerry. You are an incredible person. So grateful for all these years with you.

Great speech! I'm 48 and I got some good things out of that. Notably the importance of figuring out the coolest job and doing that. So true.

I'm glad I avoided all the headlines and videos about this and just watched it. Very good, and overall entertaining for a commencement address! I like the part about being proud of your degree. I've seen a lot of people with good degrees tell people about it with some level of shame. Some degrees are extremely hard, require countless sleepless nights of studying, and deserve respect. If someone has put in the work, whatever it may be, they shouldn't have to ashamed just because there might be some level of privilege in the equation. You have to work with what you're given, and handicapping yourself helps no one.

I have couple kids in high school and junior high school. I'm going to collect the amazing commencement speeches that I wish I had when I was graduating and give them to my kids when they graduate. I will start with this one.

Great experience! I enjoyed it! My daughter was a graduate there. I am a proud mom!

Definitely one of the best commencement addresses I’ve seen.

LOL ... I totally lost it when Jerry said "Thank you for the phony degree" ..... Although I'm sure he meant well about receiving the doctorate !!

BRILLIANT. As a 53 year old- I hope this lands for the younger generation. Thank you Duke and Jerry! 🎤🔥❤

Im 41 years old. I went to university, got a job in environmental consulting, went to work in the resources sector and have been in the industry for 19 years. Wife, 3 kids, dog, mortgage. I STILL have no idea what i want to do 😂. Do something, pick something, give it a go. If it doesnt work out, change your plans. Be open to opportunities, be humble, do what is best for you but dont burn bridges, do it to the best of your abilities. Life does not happen in a straight line. ❤

I feel like I just got more value than I would have gotten out of a degree at Duke. Thanks for sharing this gem publicly!

I may not be one of those students however that speech gave this 77yo hope for our future. Awesome job Seinfeld. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

How beautiful to hear Seinfeld Minutia expand into a life-path of joy in the journey, in the details, and in engagement with life. ❤❤❤

Fantastic Jerry. Don't EVER lose your sense of humor = words to live by

Talk about wisdom bombs. This is one of the best speeches I've ever heard. Even though aimed towards youth, I think it applies to all ages. Thank you, Jerry!

Wow. Just amazing ! Jerry true to form, excellent and lovable. Good choice, DUKE.

"You just can't do it..." Hahahaha

Jerry has just demonstrated he’s worth every penny he has. This speech is just brilliant for today’s world.

What an awesome speech! So much wisdom here. Jerry is the 🐐

One of the best I've heard. Don't loose your ability to laugh at yourself and others.

What a privilege to hear Jerry Seinfeld speaks during graduation. Wise words!

Fantastic speech. Go USA Go Freedom

Great speech. I love it and I have rewatched it several times. Just perfect balance of humor and heartfelt wisdoms.

What a lovely speech. Thank you, Jerry.

One of the most interesting parts of life is how it will surprise you. Spent my whole life feeling confused and unfulfilled, square peg in a round hole. Feeling like I almost got it right, but was never quite the right fit. 28 now and finally feel like I've found my rhythm. Trust yourself and keep your humor. Amazing speech

WOW man, just WOW. At the beginning I thought. Seinfeld? and now, oh yeah, Seinfeld. HE GOT IT! I got as emotional as I did with Steve Jobs's speech, Jerry's speech was so profound, unbelievable. This one was THE BEST: "We’re embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about." 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Here: A 57 year old man who is graduating tomorrow. My hat off to Seinfeld, no teleprompter, no script, JUST HEART. P.S. I've always loved J. Seinfeld

One of the most genuine speech ever delivered at any graduation ceremony… every word is said purely straight out from the heart from beginning to end

What a great and inspiring speech! And funny too 😂.

As a 2021, mask-wearing, no-family-allowed-to-the-ceremony graduate of Duke, I am so glad these students had such a wonderful graduation experience! What a speaker choice! ❤ I know our '21 class couldn't control what we experienced, but, Duke, if you ever offer a do-over ceremony, I'll be there. Congratulations everyone! 💙😈

I love Jerry's slow metamorphosis from silly goose to father figure

This guy is a pure GENIUS.

Gotta love Jerry - that's gold, Jerry, gold!!

You can always count on Seinfeld to deliver. A real Pro.

Thank you Jerry, for making me laugh at myself and the world.

Those that walked out missed a gem of a speech. The wisdom of a life lived well is priceless!

My daughter graduated today from Duke and I thought he did a very good talk.....humor mixed with seriousness.

"Focus on becoming. . .BEES! I LOVE BEES!" --Jerry Seinfeld

The students are thinking to themselves " this is the guy who did the voice of the animated bee from when I was a kid".

He made a show about nothing, and gave a speech that meant everything. And I laughed at both. Thank you, Jerry!

I watched this because I love Jerry Seinfeld, but have now sent it to all of my friends and to my children because it's also profound, and kind of moving. Thank you, Jerry, for sharing your humor and wisdom, especially in the face of ridiculous behavior from a few well-intentioned but misguided people. Their loss for missing it. This made my day.

I really enjoyed this. Thanks Jerry!

He is not reading off of a script. He is not looking down, but out and around. Well done for a speaker.

He's so right about humor. I once had a weird medical issue. Told a buddy of mine and all he did was laugh about it! Made me lose all my stress about it. Made it okay. Part of life.

Don’t worry about anyone who walked out on this speech. They’re not going to make it and we won’t have to worry about them in a couple of years.

I graduated from Duke !!!!Class of 2024