Matt Damon was the speaker at Friday morning’s MIT graduation ceremony, and his speech was compelling, moving, and of course a little funny. He discussed his own experience of dropping out of college 12 credits shy, as well as the experience of writing and shooting Good Will Hunting at MIT.
“You can imagine how excited I was when President Reif wanted me to speak at the MIT commencement, and how sorry I was to learn that the MIT commencement speaker does not get to go home with a degree. So, yes, for the second time in my life, I’m fake graduating from a college in my hometown.”
In part of the speech Matt got more serious and suggested the importance of taking issues like income inequality and global warming very seriously.
He then went on to read some of the reactions he got about Good Will Hunting from actual MIT students. One read:
“In the end, the reviewer writes that the actual character development flies out the window. Will and Sean talk, bond, solve each other’s problems, and then cry and hug each other. After said crying and hugging, the movie ends. Such feel-good pretentiousness is not my mug of eggnog.”
He closed out discussing the importance of knowledge, and never ceasing to seek it.
“Your education should never be over, even outside of your work.”