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Siddhartha Mukherjee urges UPenn students to embrace forgiveness in commencement speech
“Dare to return love and forgiveness to an unforgiving, unforgiven world”, Mukherjee said.
Siddhartha Mukherjee delivers an inspiring speech at University of Pennsylvania commencement / Image – University of Penn/Screenshot
Oncologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Siddhartha Mukherjee urged students at the University of Pennsylvania to embrace love and forgiveness emphasizing the profound human urge to feel those emotions as they approach their final moments.
Addressing the university’s 268th Commencement, Mukherjee delivered a deeply moving speech to the graduating Class of 2024, sharing intimate insights from his work with cancer patients in their final stages, which moved some students to tears. He was also honored with a Doctor of Sciences degree.
“Don’t wait,” he urged the graduates to express those emotions in that very moment, from the field. “This is the lesson that we can learn from dying that we can also apply to life, and to living.”
“Dare to return love and forgiveness to an unforgiving, unforgiven world,” said Mukherjee as he invited the students to take this advice to heart in real-time, inspiring them to actively shape their relationships and interactions with a sense of urgency and authenticity.
Mukherjee’s speech resonated deeply with the audience, with many students visibly moved by his words. Aamir Lacewala, a graduate from the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, noted the emotional impact, observing that many were tearful behind their sunglasses.
Mukherjee’s address encapsulated the themes of reflection, immediate action, and human connection, urging the graduates to live examined lives filled with purpose and compassion. His poignant message underscored the significance of their transition and the potential they hold to effect positive change in an often unforgiving world.
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