Note to McCullough: Not special, but holy

The Holy Spirit (by Giaquinto)

In case you’re so special that you haven’t even heard of David McCullough, Jr., let alone his commencement address to a “herd” of 2012 graduates, here’s an instant recap.

McCullough, who has taught English at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts for umpteen years, decided to add a little philosophy to the mix (after all, there are just so many verb conjugations a fellow can talk about).  He shocked the group (and soon the world at large) by making announcements like these:  You are not special.  You are

not exceptional…  Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped…  But do not get the idea you’re anything special.  Because you’re not.   

When the flack began, and accelerated faster than a high-school quarterback, McCullough began to annotate these statements. During an interview with WBUR’s Sacha Pfeiffer, McCullough explained:  If you send a kid out with an inflated sense of self, somebody’s going to pop that balloon.  He said that he didn’t intend his message to be harsh, but rather realistic.  He further explained that not being thought of as special could be quite liberating (in the sense of less performance anxiety and perfectionism). 

So if “special” is gone, then what is left?  McCullough envisions a world in which “everyone deserves to be

treated with respect and taken seriously and cared about.”  If this were the case, then “everyone is special” (which “kind of nullifies the concept of specialness”).  Perhaps a different adjective would then be in order.  Perhaps that adjective is “holy.”

A Course in Miracles has long emphasized the distinction between “special” and “holy” relationships.  In her article The Holy Relationship, Marianne Williamson explains:  In the special relationship, the ego guides our thinking and we meet in fear, mask to mask.  In the holy relationship, the Holy Spirit has changed our minds about the purpose of love and we meet heart to heart.  For the “special” relationship is based upon perceived differences, whereas the “holy” relationship is based upon fundamental unity.

Resources

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/18720284/2012/06/06/full-transcript-youre-not-special-speech

http://www.wbur.org/2012/06/14/mccullough-speech

http://www.mutank.com/newsite/holyrel.html

Copyright June 29, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved