Let me conclude with this. I’m not going to moralize about to whom much is given, much is expected, because most of you have made of yourself much more than what you’ve been given. But now you are in a privileged position. You’re part of an exceptional generation and doors will open to you that will not open to others. My Yale Law School grad son graduated very well from Yale Law School. My other son out of loyalty to his deceased mother decided to go to Syracuse Law School from Penn. They're a year and a day apart in their age. The one who graduated from Yale had doors open to him, the lowest salary offered back in the early ‘90s was $50,000 more than a federal judge made. My other son, it was a struggle -- equally as bright, went on to be elected one of the youngest attorney generals in the history of the state of Delaware, the most popular public official in my state. Big headline after the 20xx election, “Biden Most Popular Man in Delaware -- Beau.” (Laughter.)
And as your parents will understand, my dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize they turned out better than you, and they did. But you’ll have opportunities. Make the most of them and follow your heart. You have the intellectual horsepower to make things better in the world around you.
You’re also part of the most tolerant generation in history. I got roundly criticized because I could not remain quiet anymore about gay marriage. The one thing I was certain of is all of your generation was way beyond that point. (Applause.)
And I just can’t keep living this way
So starting today, I’m breaking out of this cage
I’m standing up, Imma face my demons
I’m manning up, Imma hold my ground
I’ve had enough, now I’m so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly i probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through
And don’t even realize what you did, believe me you
I been through the ringer, but they can do little to the middle finger
I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of
My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers, and drop dead
No more beef flingers, no more drama from now on, I promise
To focus solely on handling my responsibilities as a father
So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughters and raise it
You couldn’t lift a single shingle lonely
Cause the way I feel, I’m strong enough to go to the club
Put a corner pub and lift the whole liquor counter up
Cause I’m raising the bar, I shoot for the moon
But I’m too busy gazing at stars, I feel amazing and
(Hook)
I’m not afraid to take a stand
Everybody come take my hand
We’ll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just let you know that, you’re not alone
Holla if you feel that you've been down the same road
I began to commute thinking I was only going to stay a little while -- four hours a day, every day -- from Washington to Wilmington, which I’ve done for over 37 years. I did it because I wanted to be able to kiss them goodnight and kiss them in the morning the next day. No, “Ozzie and Harriet” breakfast or great familial thing, just climb in bed with them. Because I came to realize that a child can hold an important thought, something they want to say to their mom and dad, maybe for 12 or 24 hours, and then it’s gone. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. And it all adds up.
But looking back on it, the truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me. Some at the time wrote and suggested that Biden can't be a serious national figure. If he was, he’d stay in Washington more, attend to more important events. It’s obvious he’s not serious. He goes home after the last vote.
I’ve seen some people, who many would consider to “have it all” end their life because they thought they were not good enough.
A thought, a belief within them told them they were not worthy.
These people that many were jealous of, many envious of, were not good enough.
You must value yourself enough, to take the time EVERY SINGLE DAY to work on you. To engage in something, that will ensure you are a positive influence on the world.
This of course doesn’t mean life will suddenly be perfect. The same life-challenges will show up, but if your mind is strong, if you mind is at peace, your REACTION to the challenging times will be very different.Your reaction will be HOW CAN I MAKE THIS WORK, not ‘why is this happening to me’
the more you're thinking back to those original goals, the easier it is for you to get back up and say, "Alright, it might be difficult, it might be painful, it might be stressful, there might be no people that believe in me, but I believe in myself."
You know it might have been the case that you should have gone through that harsh break up, that you should have gone through that heavy loss, just in order to find something even better.
But the only way to get to that even better, is to get back up and work. To get back up and put yourself out there again. And arise from that again, stronger, better, smarter, ready to grasp that new opportunity.
You gotta believe the tables in your life will turn. That pain will become power, that weakness will become strength, and that confusion will become peace. Better things are coming for your life.
Everyday is a new beginning. It's time for you to start treating it that way.
Here’s something else I observed -- intellectual horsepower and tolerance alone does not make a generation great: unless you can break out of the bubble of your own making -— technologically, geographically, racially, and socioeconomically -— to truly connect with the world around you. Because it matters.
No matter what your material success or personal circumstance, it matters. You can't breathe fresh air or protect your children from a changing climate no matter what you make. If your sister is the victim of domestic violence, you are violated. If your brother can’t marry the man he loves, you are lessened. And if your best friend has to worry about being racially profiled, you live in a circumstance not worthy of us. (Applause.) It matters.
So be successful. I sincerely hope some of you become millionaires and billionaires. I mean that. But engage the world around you because you will be more successful and happier. And you can absolutely succeed in life without sacrificing your ideals or your commitments to others and family. I’m confident that you can do that, and I’m confident that this generation will do it more than any other.
Look to your left, as they say, and look to your right. And remember how foolish the people next to you look -- (laughter) -- in those ridiculous hats. (Laughter.) That’s what I want you to remember. I mean this. Because it means you’ve learned something from a great tradition.
For your generation, there’s an incredible amount of pressure on all of you to succeed, particularly now that you have accomplished so much. You’re whole generation faces this pressure. I see it in my grandchildren who are honors students at other Ivy universities right now. You race to do what others think is right in high school. You raced through the bloodsport of college admissions. You raced through Yale for the next big thing. And all along, some of you compare yourself to the success of your peers on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, Twitter.
Today, some of you may have found that you slipped into the self-referential bubble that validates certain choices. And the bubble expands once you leave this campus, the pressures and anxiousness, as well -- take this job, make that much money, live in this place, hang out with people like you, take no real risks and have no real impact, while getting paid for the false sense of both.
But resist that temptation to rationalize what others view is the right choice for you -— instead of what you feel in your gut is the right choice —- that’s your North Star. Trust it. Follow it. You're an incredible group of young women and men. And that's not hyperbole. You're an incredible group.
It means you’re willing to look foolish, you’re willing to run the risk of looking foolish in the service of what matters to you. And if you remember that, because some of the things your heart will tell you to do, will make you among your peers look foolish, or not smart, or not sophisticated. But we’ll all be better for people of your consequence to do it.
That’s what I want you to most remember. Not who spoke at the day you all assembled on this mall. You’re a remarkable class. I sure don't remember who the hell was my commencement speaker. (Laughter.) I know this is not officially commencement. But ask your parents when you leave here, who spoke at your commencement? It’s a commencement speaker aversion of a commencement speaker’s fate to be forgotten. The question is only how quickly. But you’re the best in your generation. And that is not hyperbole. And you're part of a remarkable generation.
you -- you’re on the cusp of some of the most astonishing breakthroughs in the history of mankind -— scientific, technological, socially —- that’s going to change the way you live and the whole world works. But it will be up to you in this changing world to translate those unprecedented capabilities into a greater measure of happiness and meaning -— not just for yourself, but for the world around you.
And I feel more confident for my children and grandchildren knowing that the men and women who graduate here today, here and across the country, will be in their midst. That’s the honest truth. That's the God’s truth. That's my word as a Biden.
Congratulations, Class of 20xx. And may God bless you and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
I felt like a fool. He then went on to say, Joe, it’s always appropriate to question another man’s judgment, but never appropriate to question his motives because you simply don't know his motives.
It happened early in my career fortunately. From that moment on, I tried to look past the caricatures of my colleagues and try to see the whole person. Never once have I questioned another man’s or woman’s motive. And something started to change. If you notice, every time there’s a crisis in the Congress the last eight years, I get sent to the Hill to deal with it. It’s because every one of those men and women up there -- whether they like me or not -- know that I don't judge them for what I think they're thinking.
Because when you question a man’s motive, when you say they're acting out of greed, they're in the pocket of an interest group, et cetera, it’s awful hard to reach consensus. It’s awful hard having to reach across the table and shake hands. No matter how bitterly you disagree, though, it is always possible if you question judgment and not motive.
Senator Helms and I continued to have profound political differences, but early on we both became the most powerful members of the Senate running the Foreign Relations Committee, as Chairmen and Ranking Members. But something happened, the mutual defensiveness began to dissipate. And as a result, we began to be able to work together in the interests of the country. And as Chairman and Ranking Member, we passed some of the most significant legislation passed in the last 40 years.
I’m so happy to be here on your day and all of your day. It’s good to know there’s one Yalie who is happy I’m being here -- be here, at least one. (Laughter.) On “Overheard at Yale,” on the Facebook page, one student reported another student saying: I had a dream that I was Vice President and was with the President, and we did the disco funk dance to convince the Congress to restart the government. (Laughter.)
Another student commented, Y’all know Biden would be hilarious, get funky. (Laughter.)
Well, my granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, whose dad went here, is with me today. When she saw that on the speech, I was on the plane, Air Force Two coming up, she said, Pop, it would take a lot more than you and the President doing the disco funk dance. The Tea Party doesn't even know what it is. (Laughter.)
Look, I don't know about that. But I’m just glad there’s someone -- just someone -- who dreams of being Vice President. (Laughter and applause.) Just somebody. I never had that dream. (Laughter.) For the press out there, that's a joke.
I’ve been lucky. And my wish for all of you is that not only tomorrow, but 20 and 40 and 50 years from now, you’ve found that sweet spot, that thing that allows you to get up in the morning, put both feet on the floor, go out and pursue what you love, and think it still matters.
Some of you will go to Silicon Valley and make great contributions to empower individuals and societies and maybe even design a life-changing app, like how to unsubscribe to Obama for America email list -- (laughter) -- the biggest “pan-list” of all times.
Some of you will go to Wall Street and big Wall Street law firms, government and activism, Peace Corps, Teach for America. You’ll become doctors, researchers, journalists, artists, actors, musicians. Two of you -— one of whom was one of my former interns in the White House, Sam Cohen, and Andrew Heymann —- will be commissioned in the United States Navy. Congratulations, gentlemen. We're proud of you. (Applause.)
But all of you have one thing in common you will all seek to find that sweet spot that satisfies your ambition and success and happiness.
I’ve met an awful lot of people in my career. And I’ve noticed one thing, those who are the most successful and the happiest -- whether they’re working on Wall Street or Main Street, as a doctor or nurse, or as a lawyer, or a social worker, I’ve made certain basic observation about the ones who from my observation wherever they were in the world were able to find that sweet spot between success and happiness. Those who balance life and career, who find purpose and fulfillment, and where ambition leads them.