2016 University of Michigan Commencement Address by Michael Bloomberg

You’ve probably heard the old adage, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword.’

Well, in 2016, Michael Bloomberg wielded his proverbial pen with a commencement address at the University of Michigan that was nothing short of a call to arms.

He challenged the fresh-faced graduates not with threats of physical combat, but with the perhaps even more daunting task of preserving tolerance and open-mindedness in an increasingly polarized society.

It wasn’t just a simple speech; it was a powerful commentary on the state of politics, academia, and the economy.

But was it a rallying cry or a stark warning? You’ll have to form your own conclusions.

Background

Michael Bloomberg’s ascent from a budding entrepreneur to a global business magnate and education advocate epitomizes the essence of ambition and the transformative power of continuous learning.

His journey, beginning over six decades ago, embodies the realization of the American dream, showcasing his transition from a hopeful young man in Boston to a significant figure in New York City, largely attributed to his willingness to embrace risk and innovation.

His 2016 commencement address at the University of Michigan stands out as a key moment in his advocacy for education, where he underscored the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and innovation—skills he deems crucial in today’s dynamic job market.

Bloomberg credited his educational experiences for equipping him with the perspectives and tools necessary for his success, advocating for the role of public research universities in fostering lifelong learning and staying ahead in innovation.

Bloomberg’s Michigan speech reflects his deep-seated belief in education as a catalyst for personal and professional development. He positioned education as a pivotal factor in achieving one’s dreams and advancing societal progress, advocating for a culture that champions continuous learning.

This encapsulation of Bloomberg’s life and message serves as a motivational call to action, urging graduates to pursue lifelong learning as a means to navigate challenges and contribute meaningally to the global community.

Key Takeaways

Here are 4 key takeaways from Michael Bloomberg’s 2016 University of Michigan Commencement Address that highlight the importance of innovation, civic engagement, and tolerance:

• Michael Bloomberg founded a global company as a young entrepreneur.
• He advocates for lifelong learning in a knowledge-driven economy.
• Bloomberg received education at the University of Michigan.
• He believes in the importance of broadening the mind and enhancing adaptability.

Story

Michael Bloomberg’s journey from a career setback to founding a tech empire and becoming NYC’s mayor underscores the unpredictability of life and the essence of resilience.

Critiquing divisive partisanship, he calls for a return to cooperative governance. Advocating for free speech in academia, Bloomberg champions open debate as crucial for democracy.

His narrative inspires adaptability, unity, and informed discourse. Let’s delve into it:

Personal and Professional Journey

Michael Bloomberg’s narrative begins with humble aspirations that underscore the fluid nature of career paths and the importance of resilience. His recounting of early dreams to manage a factory, followed by the unexpected twist of being fired at 38, sets the stage for a story of reinvention and success against the odds.

Bloomberg’s journey from experiencing a significant career setback to founding a groundbreaking technology company illustrates the unpredictability of life’s trajectory and the value of adaptability. His personal anecdotes serve as a compelling reminder that setbacks can lead to new avenues of opportunity and achievement, encouraging an open-minded approach to career and life decisions.

Bloomberg’s professional evolution is a powerful testament to the potential for growth and success through perseverance and the willingness to embrace change. His story, marked by significant transitions from aspirations of factory management to making a mark in the technology sector and eventually entering public service, highlights the diverse experiences that can shape a fulfilling career.

Bloomberg’s narrative emphasizes the importance of staying adaptable, seizing opportunities, and the belief that it’s never too late to chart a new course, offering inspiration to those navigating their own professional and personal journeys.

The Political Climate

In his reflections on public service and the broader political landscape, Bloomberg offers a critical view of the divisive partisanship that hampers effective governance and societal advancement. Drawing on his tenure as Mayor of New York City and his observations of national politics, he articulates a concern for the growing polarization that undermines the foundational principles of democratic governance.

By invoking George Washington’s cautionary words about the dangers of political parties, Bloomberg emphasizes the historical awareness of such risks and advocates for a renewed commitment to civility, dialogue, and compromise in the political arena.

Bloomberg’s critique of the current political climate is not merely an observation but a call to action. He underscores the importance of transcending partisan divides to address common challenges and advance the public good. His appeal for a return to principled governance, where cooperation and constructive debate prevail over conflict and obstruction, resonates as a timely reminder of democracy’s core values.

Bloomberg’s perspective invites a reconsideration of how political engagement and leadership can be conducted with a focus on unity and progress, stressing the critical need for a political culture that fosters collaboration and respect.

The Role of Education and Free Speech

Bloomberg staunchly defends the principle of free speech within the context of higher education, critiquing the trend towards shielding students from challenging or uncomfortable ideas. He articulates a vision of academia as a bastion of open inquiry and debate, where exposure to a wide array of perspectives is essential for intellectual growth and the development of critical thinking skills.

By opposing the creation of “safe spaces” that limit such exposure, Bloomberg argues that such practices not only detract from the educational experience but also threaten the foundational principles of democratic discourse and the free exchange of ideas.

His advocacy for the robust engagement with diverse viewpoints in educational settings reflects a broader concern for the health of democratic societies. Bloomberg suggests that the ability to confront and engage with differing opinions is integral not only to personal development but also to the functioning of a vibrant democracy.

His critique of trends that inhibit such engagement underscores the importance of education as a platform for learning to navigate and appreciate the complexity of the world. Bloomberg’s defense of free speech and the value of challenging ideas in higher education champions a vision of learning that prepares individuals to contribute thoughtfully and effectively to society.

Learnings

In University of Michigan Commencement Address by Michael Bloomberg, there are 3 key learnings. Let’s delve into each:

Embracing Continuous Learning and Adaptability

Bloomberg’s advice underscores the critical need for an ongoing commitment to learning and flexibility in a rapidly evolving world:

• Lifelong Learning as a Necessity: Highlights the indispensable role of continual learning in staying relevant and competitive, especially given the pace of technological change.
• Adaptability in Career Paths: Encourages a readiness to embrace new opportunities and pivot when necessary, suggesting that a flexible approach to one’s career can lead to unforeseen success and fulfillment.

This perspective emphasizes the importance of remaining open to growth and change, both professionally and personally, as key to navigating the complexities of the modern world.

Fostering Open-mindedness and Collaboration

Bloomberg stresses the importance of diversity in thought and the collective pursuit of goals as fundamental to innovation and societal progress:

• The Value of Diverse Perspectives: Advocates for the significance of engaging with a broad array of viewpoints, underlining how diverse perspectives can enhance problem-solving and decision-making.
• Teamwork and the Power of ‘We’: Highlights the superiority of collaborative efforts over individual endeavors in achieving substantial and meaningful results, promoting the idea that shared objectives often yield the greatest rewards.

This approach champions the benefits of open-mindedness and collaboration, recognizing them as essential components of effective leadership and impactful achievement.

Defending Democracy and Free Expression

Bloomberg’s message includes a call to action for preserving democratic values and the freedom of speech, essential for a healthy society and governance:

• Vigilance Against Partisanship and Demagoguery: Urges an active engagement in democratic processes and the selection of leaders who prioritize practical, unifying solutions over divisive rhetoric.
• Championing Free Speech: Stands firmly in defense of free expression as a cornerstone of democracy and a catalyst for critical thinking, urging support for the right to diverse and dissenting viewpoints.

Through these principles, Bloomberg advocates for a vigilant and participatory approach to democracy, emphasizing the crucial role of free speech in fostering informed citizenship and robust public discourse.

Michael Bloomberg’s University of Michigan Commencement Speech

Thank you, President Schlissel, and to the Board of Regents. Good morning, everyone!

It’s a real honor to be on this great campus where so much history has been made. And it’s a thrill to walk in the footsteps of Gerald Ford, James Earl Jones, Lucy Loo, and Tom Brady! I’m told that no quarterback has played in more Super Bowls than Tom Brady and in case there are any New Yorkers here, I would just note that he played against the Giants in two of them.

I’m honored to have been asked to speak to all of the faculty, administrators, alumni, and most of all, to the great class of 2016! So, graduates: This is a great day, but there’s another group here that also deserves a big round of applause: your parents and families.

Of course, there were many other people who helped you on your journey, so after you receive your diploma, and as you make your way in the world, remember that your greatest achievements – like today’s – will owe an awful lot to the people around you.

If there’s a secret to success beyond hard work and good luck, it’s that

      The more you say ‘we’, and the less you say ‘I’, the farther you’ll go.

It’s something that the most effective leaders understand and take to heart. Remember: There is almost nothing we do in life that we do alone.

The most useful knowledge that you leave here with today, like the importance of teamwork, has nothing to do with your major. It’s about how to study, how to cooperate, how to listen carefully, how to think critically, and how to resolve conflicts through reason.

Those are the most important skills in the working world and it’s why colleges have always exposed students to challenging and uncomfortable ideas.

The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure and shield students from these ideas through ‘safe spaces,’ ‘code words,’ and ‘trigger warnings’ is, in my view, a terrible mistake. The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations – not run away from them.

A micro-aggression is exactly that: micro! But in a macro-sense, one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views. We can’t – and we shouldn’t try, not in politics, or in the workplace. In the global economy, and in a democratic society,

            An open mind is the most valuable asset you can possess.

Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about why that’s true based on the lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career. Let’s start with the global economy, and let me put in perspective the job market many of you are entering. For the first time in human history, the majority of people in the developed world are being asked to make a living with their minds, rather than their muscles. For 3,000 years, humankind had an economy based on farming: till the soil, plant the seed, harvest the crop. Hard to do, but fairly easy to learn.

Then, for 300 years, we had an economy based on industry: mold the parts, turn the crank, assemble the product. Hard to do, but also fairly easy to learn.

Now, we have an economy based on information: acquire the knowledge, apply the analytics, use your creativity. Hard to do, hard to learn, and even once you’ve mastered it, you’ll have to start learning all over again, pretty much every day.

If you have the luxury of more than one job offer – now or in the future – don’t pick the one that pays the most; pick the one that teaches you the most and don’t worry if the people around you seem quicker or smarter. You can’t control that, but you can decide that you’re going to outwork them.

In my company, I always give the most complex and important projects to our busiest employees. Why? Because they are the hardest-working and most dedicated. They’re the first ones in the office and the last to leave. They’re the ones who take the shortest lunch breaks and the least vacation. It may not sound like great fun, but in the end, you have to set your priorities.

The secret to success is not rocket science. It just requires true dedication and a willingness to go the extra mile.

Whatever your field, volunteer to take on new assignments even if they’re outside your comfort zone. Take the initiative on your own to learn and develop new skills and build contacts who can help you down the road. When will you have learned enough? Let’s put it this way: I know of no Nobel Prize winner who has stopped studying. And in the information economy, everyone – in both white collar and blue collar jobs – will have to keep deepening their knowledge and adapting to technological change.

My life is a perfect example of how important it is to keep an open mind about careers and technology. After college, I went to business school in hopes of landing a middle management job in a factory. I had no idea that factories would soon be closing all across the country, and neither did anyone else.

I ended up finding a job at a Wall Street firm. I loved the job, and soon, my interest in managing a plant disappeared. I thought I’d stay at the firm forever. And I might have – except for one small thing: I got fired.

I was 38 years old, and it was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was also the best thing that ever happened to my career. It led me to start a tech company to computerize real-time financial data. It sounds simple now, but this was 1981 – the dawn of the computer age. We were trying to invent a computer that no one wanted with technology that didn’t exist – a classic example of innovation. Everyone said I was crazy, and maybe they were right. I had only a limited background in computers, and I had never started or run a company, but with a lot of help from some very talented and driven people, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.

So the lesson is: Whatever you think your dream job is today, don’t get too attached to it. Chances are, if the job still exists in 15 years, it will be very different – and you may have found other passions. Keeping an open mind to new ideas will be essential to your professional success, and it will be just as crucial to our collective future as a democratic society.

That’s the other lesson I’ve learned that I’d like to share with you today. During the 12 years I had the honor of serving as Mayor of New York City, I witnessed a disturbing change in the nature of American politics: a rise in extreme partisanship and intolerance for other views.

I’m a political independent, but over the course of my life, for non-ideological reasons, I’ve been a Republican and a Democrat. So I can tell you: Neither party has a monopoly on good ideas; each demonizes the other unfairly and dishonestly. This is not a new phenomenon – but it has reached a dangerous new level.

In 1796, George Washington spent much of his farewell address warning Americans against political parties, which he called ‘the worst enemy’ of democratic governments. He wrote of the natural tendency parties have to elevate a single leader who seeks power, in his words, ‘on the ruins of public liberty.’

In this political season, it’s worth remembering what Washington had to say. And so, allow me to read a brief passage from his farewell address.

Partisanship, Washington wrote, ‘serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, and foments occasionally riot and insurrection… A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame… lest, instead of warming, it should consume.’

Well said, George. We have survived more than 200 years of political parties largely because the Founding Fathers created checks and balances to temper the fires of partisanship. Of course, they also excluded most Americans from their vision of democracy because they feared what democracy might produce. But over the past two centuries, through the sacrifices of so many civil rights leaders and soldiers, the promise of equal rights has spread across income, religion, race, gender, and sexual orientation.

We still have a long way to go, and it would be a mistake to think that our progress is irreversible or that Washington’s warning is a relic of history. Neither is true and never will be. Democracy and citizenship will always require constant vigilance against those who fan the flames of partisanship in ways that consume us and lead to the ruins of public liberty.

We have certainly seen such figures before, in both parties. In the 1930s, there was the despotic Huey Long in Louisiana, and just a few miles up the road in Dearborn Father Coughlin blamed ‘Jewish conspirators’ for America’s troubles. Then came Charles Lindbergh in the 40s, Joe McCarthy in the 50s, George Wallace in the 60s, and Pat Buchanan in the 90s.

Every generation has had to confront its own demagogues and every generation has stood up and kept them away from the White House, at least so far. Now, it’s your turn.

In this year’s presidential election, we’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime. Our country is facing serious and difficult challenges, but rather than offering realistic solutions, candidates in both parties are blaming our problems on easy targets who breed resentment. For Republicans, it’s Mexicans here illegally and Muslims, and for Democrats, it’s the wealthy and Wall Street.

The truth is: We cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone. We are all in this together, and we all must be part of the solution. America’s power in the world comes not from the walls we build, but the doors we open, and it comes not from tearing down success, but building up opportunity.

American citizenship does not require much of us. We have no military draft; no mandatory national service; no compulsory voting. Our taxes, compared to Europe, are relatively low. And yet, our voting rates are terrible, and they’re especially low among young people. This year, you can help change that.

Voting is the only way to stop demagogues. But the best way to stop demagogues from rising in the first place is to elect leaders with the courage to face reality, make tough decisions, and lead from the front, rather than following from behind. That has become harder over time. Let me share a story from my time in City Hall that illustrates why.

In 2002, we banned smoking in New York City’s bars and restaurants, and it caused a huge backlash. We got a lot of angry letters and phone calls, and I got a lot of one-fingered waves when I walked down the street. But as time went by, the ban proved to be a huge boon to the bar and restaurant business – surprise, surprise – and smoking rates in our city went down by nearly 30 percent, helping to increase life expectancy for New Yorkers two years above the national average. In fact, I’m glad to say, the policy became so popular that cities and states all over the world copied it.

Today, elected officials who decide to support a controversial policy will also get angry letters, phone calls, and faxes, if they still have fax machines. And for sure, they will now get millions of angry Tweets and Facebook posts denouncing them in the harshest possible terms. That’s democracy in action. But that kind of instant condemnation also makes some elected officials afraid to do things that, in their heart of hearts, they know are right.

So democracy in action can actually produce a lot of inaction, which we see every day in Washington, D.C., and other levels of government, too. When governments fail to address the needs of the people, voters in both parties get angry and some politicians exploit that anger by offering scapegoats instead of solutions.

If we want to stop demagogues, we have to start governing again, and that requires us to be more civil; to support politicians who have the courage to take risks; and to reward those who reach across the aisle in search of compromise.

Now I know doing this won’t be easy, and that’s partly because it’s not just social media that has changed the civic dialogue.

The constant bombardment of news that we see on our phones, computers, and TVs gives us the impression we are acquiring knowledge. Yet many of the sources, facts, and interpretations are either dubious, or colored by partisanship, or outright lies

. I say that as the owner of a media company who has seen how the marketplace has shifted. Today, people choose cable TV channels and websites that affirm their own political beliefs rather than ones that inform and challenge their beliefs. As a result, we have grown more politically cloistered and more intolerant of those who hold different opinions.

Think about this: In 1960, only four to five percent of Democrats and Republicans said they would be upset if a member of their family married someone from the opposing party. In 2010, one in three Democrats, and one in two Republicans, said they would disapprove of such a marriage. In 1960, most people would never have believed that inter-party marriage would attract such resistance, while inter-racial marriage and same-sex marriage would gain such acceptance. For all the progress we have made on cultural tolerance, when it comes to political tolerance, we are moving in the wrong direction.

We see this trend of political intolerance across the country: At campaign rallies that turn violent; on social media threads that turn vitriolic; and even on college campuses, where students and faculty have attempted to censor political opponents.

I know that one of today’s graduates, Omar Mahmood, has faced threats and intimidation because he dared to write political satire about being left-handed in the Michigan Daily and he refused to apologize for it. Omar, wherever you are out there, I’m glad you stood your ground.

Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right, no matter how unpopular it may be or how many people try to shout you down. And just as importantly: Never hesitate to stand up for the rights of others to express their views and exercise their rights, no matter how unpopular that may be. The only way to ensure your right to express yourself is to protect others’ rights to express themselves.

In 2010, I found myself in the middle of a huge debate over free expression. There was a national uproar over a proposal to build a mosque several blocks from the World Trade Center. Members of both parties attacked the plan as an affront to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Even the Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to protect against religious discrimination, opposed the idea. But they had all forgotten: the terrorists didn’t just attack buildings, they attacked our freedom to live and pray as we choose according to our own beliefs and values, equally.

The torch that Lady Liberty holds aloft in the New York Harbor lights the way for people of every faith and philosophy, and it shines down on every corner of the city and every community across this great land. No religion should ever face special restrictions on their rights, whether it concerns building a house of worship or getting a visa.

As durable as the American system of government has been, democracy is fragile – and demagogues are always lurking. When Ben Franklin was leaving the Constitutional Convention, a woman approached him and asked him: ‘Well, doctor – what have we got: a republic or a monarchy?’ Franklin replied, ‘A republic – if you can keep it.’

Well, graduates: It is now your responsibility to keep it. That starts with keeping an open mind, voting, and demanding that politicians offer practical solutions, not scapegoats or pie-in-the-sky promises. In 1928, Republicans promised ‘a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard.’ They won control of Congress and the White House – and a year later, instead of a chicken and a car, we got the Great Depression.

Today, when a populist candidate promises free college, free health care, and a pony, or another candidate promises to make other countries pay for our needs – remember: those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast. If there were simple solutions to complex problems, we wouldn’t have those problems.

I’m optimistic that you graduates will rise to the occasion and help protect our Republic against the dangers of demagogues and the fires of partisanship that Washington warned us about 220 years ago. I believe in you. I support you. And I will stand with you in this battle to the end of my days so that my children and grandchildren can be as proud of America’s devotion to freedom and equality as I am.

As for today: this is a day of celebration, so relish it; enjoy every minute.

Congratulations and Go Blue!

Conclusion

In wrapping up, Bloomberg’s 2016 address at the University of Michigan hit the nail on the head. He urged graduates to keep an open mind, continuously learn, and value diversity of ideas.

His criticism of both political parties and academia’s safe spaces stirred the pot, leaving a lasting impact.

The message was clear – avoid intolerance and demagoguery, tackle tough situations, and embrace different perspectives.

Indeed, a thought-provoking call to arms for the graduating class.

You can read the rest of the speech collection here:

Speech Collection