Tom Hanks told graduates of Harvard University on Thursday to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain.
“For the truth to some is no longer empirical. It's no longer based on data, nor common sense, nor even common decency," said the two-time Academy Award winner during his keynote address. He invoked the Latin word for truth is “veritas,” Harvard’s motto.
“Telling the truth is no longer the benchmark for public service," he said. "It’s no longer the salve to our fears, or the guide to our actions. Truth is now considered malleable, by opinion and by zero sum endgames."
That left the more than 9,000 graduates at Harvard's 372nd commencement with a choice to make, said the Hollywood icon, who has played an astronaut, a soldier, a little boy in a man's body and even a Harvard professor in a decades-long movie career.
“It’s the same option for all grownups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans: Those who embrace liberty and freedom for all; those who won’t; or those who are indifferent," he said. “Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The others get in the way."
Near the end of the speech, he drove the point home to a group that included not just undergraduates but those who graduated from Harvard’s professional and extension schools.
“The responsibility is yours. Ours. The effort is optional. But the truth, the truth is sacred. Unalterable. Chiseled into the stone and the foundation of our republic,” he said.
Hanks, who was awarded an honorary doctor of arts degree, poked fun at his own lack of academic credentials on a stage filled with some of the world's brightest minds and most accomplished scientists.
“It’s not fair, but please don’t be embittered by this fact,” Hanks said. “Now, without having done a lick of work, without having spent any time in class, without once walking into that library — in order to have anything to do with the graduating class of Harvard, its faculty, or its distinguished alumni — I make a damn good living playing someone who did," he said in reference to his depiction of fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon in three movies based on Dan Brown’s novels — “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels & Demons” and “Inferno.”
“It’s the way of the world, kids,” he said to a chorus of laughter.
Before Hanks headed to the podium to give his speech, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow, presiding over his last commencement before stepping down, called Hanks, “Wilson's bestie, Buzz's buddy, Ryan's savior, America's dad," and presented him with a Harvard volleyball, in tribute to his role in “Cast Away,” where to stay sane his character talks to an old volleyball.
Hanks proved to be the most popular person on stage, posing for selfies with faculty members before the ceremony and giving congratulatory fist bumps to dozens of Harvard students who graduated summa cum laude.
“May goodness and mercy follow you all the days," he said, referencing a biblical verse. “All the days of your lives. Godspeed."
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14 Comments
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Spitfire
Harvard grads will be too busy chasing the big bucks to care about anything else.
PharaohChromium
You mean the truth, that he and his ilk, don't want people realizing.
He is a phoney.
... a genuine fake.
He represent a class of people, who don't really care about regular folk. He's good at pretending though.
Bofington
Elon has already pushed truth in the right direction. The US government and the past 3 years of nonsensical shenanigans is so exposed I'm surprised the white house isn't completely blurred out on TV. It's too bad Hanks isn't clear in what he refers to as "Truth."
Sven Asai
Yes, he’s very funny. If anyone including you and me would have to search for the truth, would you ever estimate to find it there in Harvard? Come on, that extremely biased place is surely one of the very last locations with chances to find it.
1glenn
Telling the truth and not twisting the truth. I wish Harvard Law School grad Gov. DeSantis would take that creed to heart.
ian
Must search for and find it before you can defend it
Eastman
pathetic empty talk.
Antiquesaving
This is true. But doubly maybe even Triple on university campuses.
No debate is permitted anymore on many subjects because it may offend some people, don't say pregnant women, use pregnant person. Don't forget to use the correct pronoun ( look at Facebook or Instagram to know before meeting someone.) Don't use The words "survivor" and "victim" should be replaced with "person who has experienced" or "person who has been impacted by," no Americans or immigrants US citizen and person that immigrated, and definitely don't try to use logic.
Now perhaps Tom would like to ask Harvard and the other Ivy League universities to explain their cap on ethnic Asian students that score higher than others that get let in. ( This is officially available policy explained as otherwise other non Asian minorities can't get in).
Raw Beer
That's what I've been doing for decades, though I did not graduate from Harvard...
Carl N Jpn Gcjp
Support and DEFEND each and every one of our Constitutional Rights as they are clearly written in the Constitution. Pretty simple.
Peter Neil
At least things are consistent here. Everyone hates everything and everyone.
virusrex
To defend the truth it would be first necessary to accept when personal opinions are wrong according to objective and valid evidence. Pushing for whatever is personally believed, even if it can be demonstrated as false, is not something positive nor desirable.
CPTOMO
Definite words to live by.
I'm flattened by the irony.
virusrex
There is no irony, that comes only because you like to comment in every topic with a scientific opinion to oppose it just because you want to think differently so you think ironic to defend what you personally consider impossible to accept as truth.
For rational people there is nothing ironic about considering true (or as close as can possibly be considered) things that the scientific community of the world are in consensus about, from climate change to the value of the scientific global authorities.