Not long ago, I came across a little-known speech titled, “You and Your Research”.
The speech had been delivered in 1986 by Richard Hamming, an accomplished mathematician and computer engineer, as part of an internal series of talks given at Bell Labs. I had never heard of Hamming, the internal lecture series at Bell Labs, or this particular speech. And yet, as I read the transcript, I came across one useful insight after another.
After reading that talk, I got to thinking… what other great talks and speeches are out there that I’ve never heard?
I’ve been slowly searching for answers to that question and the result is this list of my favorite interesting and insightful talks that are not widely known. You may see a few famous speeches on this list, but my guess is that most people are not aware of many of them—just as I wasn’t when I first started looking around.
As far as I know this is the only place where you can read transcripts of these speeches in one place.
Famous Speeches and Great Talks
This list is organized by presenter name and then speech topic. Click the links below to jump to a specific speech. On each page, you’ll find a full transcript of the speech as well as some additional background information.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “The Danger of a Single Story”
Jeff Bezos, “Statement by Jeff Bezos to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary”
Jeff Bezos, “What Matters More Than Your Talents”
John C. Bogle, “Enough”
Brené Brown, “ The Anatomy of Trust “
John Cleese, “Creativity in Management”
William Deresiewicz, “Solitude and Leadership”
Richard Feynman, “Seeking New Laws”
Neil Gaiman, “Make Good Art”
John W. Gardner, “Personal Renewal”
Elizabeth Gilbert, “Your Elusive Creative Genius”
Albert E. N. Gray, “The Common Denominator of Success”
Bill Gurley, “Runnin Down a Dream”
Richard Hamming, “Learning to Learn”
Richard Hamming, “You and Your Research”
Steve Jobs, “2005 Stanford Commencement Address”
Peter Kaufman, “The Multidisciplinary Approach to Thinking”
C.S. Lewis, “The Inner Ring”
Admiral William H. McRaven, “Make Your Bed”
Arno Rafael Minkkinen, “Finding Your Own Vision”
Charlie Munger, “2007 USC Law School Commencement Address”
Charlie Munger, “A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom”
Charlie Munger, “How to Guarantee a Life of Misery”
Charlie Munger, “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment”
Nathan Myhrvold, “ Roadkill on the Information Highway “
Randy Pausch, “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”
Randy Pausch, “Time Management”
Anna Quindlen, “1999 Mount Holyoke Commencement Speech”
John Roberts, “I Wish You Bad Luck”
Sir Ken Robinson, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”
J.K. Rowling, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure”
George Saunders, “Failures of Kindness”
Claude Shannon, “Creative Thinking”
BF Skinner, “How to Discover What You Have to Say”
Jim Valvano, “Don’t Give Up”
Bret Victor, “Inventing on Principle”
David Foster Wallace, “This is Water”
Art Williams, “Just Do It”
Evan Williams, “A Journey on the Information Highway”
This is an on-going project. If you know of another great talk, please contact me .
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13 Best Motivational Speeches for Entrepreneurs (2024)
Who couldn’t use a few of the best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs?
Business can be hard. Heck, life can be hard.
We’re all on a journey, and we’ve all been down in the dumps before, wondering if what we’re doing is really worth it.
Wondering if what we’re doing is really making an impact.
But, it’s important that we’re always moving forward. This is a lesson that I learned early in life.
I remember I was around 4 years old, and I was learning to ride my bike with my uncle and my father.
Of course, I fell off multiple times while I was learning to cycle, and I remember the time I cut my knee pretty badly.
At that point I really just wanted to quit and go home. But, my family told me: “you can’t quit now, you’re almost there. Just try it once more!”
You’ve probably heard that before too, right?
So, I got back on that bike. I didn’t want to, but you just need to power through and face your challenges head-on.
Sure enough, that was the first time that I rode that bike without any help.
After that, I was so glad I kept moving forward and that I never gave up.
Now, that probably wasn’t the motivational speech that you expected when you clicked on this article, but it’s evidence that we can do so much more than we think we’re capable of when we’re spurred on by others.
And that’s exactly why we’ve created this article – we’ve listed all of our favorite motivational speeches here, because we already know how much more you can achieve with a little bit of extra motivation .
So, let’s jump into it!
Post Contents
Will Smith – Pursuit of Happiness
Al pacino – any given sunday, steve jobs – 2005 stanford commencement speech, matthew mcconaughey – university of houston speech, sheryl sandberg – harvard business school motivational speech, sylvester stallone – balboa speech, arnold schwarzenegger – famous motivational speech, richard st.john – 8 secrets of success, eric thomas – i can, i will, i must, denzel washington – fall forward, key takeaways, want to learn more, 13 best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.
Considered one of the best motivational speeches, this famous motivational speech from the 2006 film, Pursuit of Happyness , features Will Smith and his son playing basketball.
At the start of the clip, you’ll see Smith’s son (his actual son, Jaden Smith) playing around with a basketball, and he shouts out, “I’m going pro!”
After hearing this, Smith decides to try and level his son’s expectations, mentioning that he himself never really excelled at basketball, so his son shouldn’t expect to either.
His son is visibly disappointed by this comment, and Smith notices this.
Smith then proclaims: “don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something, not even me.”
“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”
This motivational speech is a special one. Even though both Will and Jaden Smith are acting, they’re still father and son, and you can see how this scene reflects their own family dynamic.
It’s a short motivational speech, but it’s one of the best motivational speeches of all time, in our opinion.
Al Pacino’s speech from the American Football drama, Any Given Sunday, is next up on our list.
This famous motivational speech really gets your blood flowing – perfect for watching before you tackle a difficult day .
The motivational speech revolves around the idea of inches being so important in American Football, even if we have the tendency to overlook them.
He talks about the different ways that his team can gain advantages over their opponents, even if it’s only an inch at a time.
He proclaims: “when we add up all those […] inches, that’s what makes the difference between winning and losing”.
This point is applicable throughout life, too – it’s the people who go the extra mile who tend to find success more often than not.
And sometimes, you won’t notice it at first, but like Pacino mentions, it’s the sum of all the small parts which lead you to victory.
Motivational speeches like this one pump you up when you need it most.
Steve Jobs, one of the key figures behind tech giant Apple’s success, is next up on our list of the best motivational speeches of all time.
In his 2005 Stanford commencement speech, the former Apple CEO dives deep into his own journey as an entrepreneur , and he speaks openly about the issues that he’s faced along the way and how he overcame them.
During this classic motivational speech, Jobs talks about how he was actually a college dropout and that this was one of the most important times of his life.
He mentioned that he dropped out of college to take classes that he was truly interested in, rather than studying topics he wasn’t deeply passionate about.
One of those classes that he took up after dropping out was calligraphy. He was so compelled by the high standard of handwriting.
To many, this might seem like a strange choice, but he connects the experience that he gained from that class to the font choices that he installed on Apple computers.
If Jobs had never taken that calligraphy class, he wouldn’t have cared so much about a seemingly small detail, like fonts, but Apple was the first company to add different typefaces to their operating systems.
He goes on to say: “You can’t connect the dots if you’re looking forward, you can only do it looking backwards. So, you need to keep moving forward and hope that the dots align somehow.”
The key message from this famous motivational speech is that we’re always learning. We’re always growing and finding out new information. It’s all about what we choose to do with that information that really defines us.
As Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Next up on our list of motivational speeches is Matthew McConaughey, with his commencement speech at the University of Houston.
The Oscar-winning actor delivers some very pertinent points during his speech, but the one that stuck out for me was how he spoke of joy being a “constant approach”.
McConaughey said: “Joy is always in process, it’s always under construction.”
He spoke of how he was previously judging his success on metrics that he thought were important to him, like the number of academy awards he won, or the amount of money his films grossed.
But, it was only when he decided to focus on the whole process of creating a film, and enjoying every aspect of it, that he found true success in those metrics.
It turned out that, when he took everything one step at a time, and truly enjoyed his craft, he found that things just fell into place.
“Define success for yourself.”
Find what you want to achieve, and enjoy the entire journey – not just the high points, but the lows too.
Matthew McConaughey ended up delivering one of the best motivational speeches from the past few years.
Sheryl Sandberg, the American entrepreneur, tech executive, author, and current COO of Facebook, is the next addition to our list of the best motivational speeches with her talk at the Harvard Business School in 2012.
Besides talking about her own experiences as an entrepreneur, and her work at Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg, Sandberg mentions a very pertinent idea. One that we can all do well to remember.
“Motivation comes from working on things that we care about.”
This is certainly true for entrepreneurship – those who are running businesses and working to tackle problems that engage them are more likely to find success.
And, according to Sandberg, it’s so important that we continue to work, because that’s the most important thing.
All in all, this is one of the best motivational speeches for students that we’ve seen.
Rocky Balboa , played by Sylvester Stallone, is a famed character best known for his courage, hard work, and determination.
In Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the Rocky franchise, Stallone delivers one of the hardest-hitting motivational speeches of all time.
Stallone starts off the motivational speech by saying: “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.”
He goes on to talk about the value of hard work and commitment and emphasizes that “it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
As an entrepreneur, this motivational speech really hits home. There will be struggles on your journey to success , but as Stallone says, it’s all about “how much you can take and keep moving forward, that’s how winning is done.”
Remember this when your back is up against the wall – winners never give up!
This is one of the most iconic motivational speeches. You’ll often find it in motivational speech mashup videos on YouTube or even on Spotify.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-American actor, entrepreneur, politician, and former My Olympia, is next up on our list of the most famous motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.
He starts his motivational speech with a simple, powerful message.
“Work your ass off.”
Schwarzenegger then discusses how having a goal was so pivotal for him on his journey to success in a variety of fields.
He also talks about how “only a quarter of people really enjoy what they’re doing in life.”
Schwarzenegger also believes that everybody should be constantly working to get closer to their main goal and properly utilize every hour of their day.
“Imagine if you worked on a business every day for an hour . Imagine how further along you would get.”
This is perhaps the most important message from this motivational speech – it’s down to us to make the most of our limited time on earth. And this message, which everybody can get behind, is why we believe this is one of the best motivational speeches of all time.
Next up on our list, we’ve got an infamous TED talk from Richard St.John – also one of the shortest motivational speeches that we’ve ever seen, but it sure is impactful.
St.John mentions at the start of the video that this talk is a condensed version of 7 years of research (including research from more than five hundred interviews with successful professionals).
One of the most interesting points that St.John mentions is that if you want to be successful at something, you need to “put your nose down in something and get damn good at it.”
But, the most motivational part of St.John’s speech for us was where he talks about passion.
He said: “if you do something you love then the money comes along later.”
This section of the motivational speech is especially relevant for entrepreneurs – if you’re building a brand , then try and be invested in it as much as possible – a commitment to the cause will really help you find success in the long run.
When you’re trying to find success, you need to love what you do!
Eric Thomas is a fantastic speaker, and in this classic motivational speech, he empowers us to believe that we can always get through adversity, no matter what the challenge is.
Thomas repeats this line throughout the speech: “I can get through this. I will get through this. I must get through this.”
He also cleverly uses our loved ones as a source of inspiration in this motivational speech.
He asks us to focus on the 3 people we love the most and challenges us to question our own decisions regarding motivation.
“You gotta think about those people every day.”
“You have some days when you think about hitting the snooze button? […] The days you don’t feel like getting up, just think about them.”
Instead of being lazy and complacent, we need to think about our loved ones and question what they’d think if we were procrastinating 24/7 .
Honestly, it’s fine doing something for yourself, but knowing that you’ve made your loved ones proud just makes everything feel 10 times better. This is one of the main messages from this motivational speech.
And that’s why this is one of the best motivational speeches of all time. It takes the onus away from working for yourself and instead focuses on putting in the work for people you couldn’t bear to let down.
Elon Musk – USC Commencement Motivational Speech
Elon Musk is an icon of inspiration for countless people worldwide. Known for his out-of-the-box thinking and visionary technology, Musk shows us that anything is possible if we put our minds to it.
In the USC Commencement motivational speech, Elon immediately demonstrates his tendency to break away from the status quo. He tells us he was advised to stick to 3 items that he wanted to mention, but he’s going to share four.
Elon tells his listeners that they need to work proportionally to the accomplishments they want to achieve. “If you want to start a company, you need to work super hard.”
Elon’s speech here is compelling because it’s so authentic. He doesn’t talk about being lucky or following your gut instinct. Musk tells us that great things come from an equally astronomical amount of work.
Musk also acknowledges the power of great people, “all a company is, is a group of people that have gathered together.” Elon says that if you want a great company, you need a great team.
Musk’s third point is to “focus on signal over noise.” In other words, concentrate on developments that make the product better, “don’t just follow the trend.”
The final piece of advice from Elon’s speech? “Take risks.” Jump into new opportunities and pursue different things.
Ed Shereen – Being Weird is a Wonderful Thing
Ed Sheeran might not be the first person you think of when you visualize the world’s greatest thought leaders. Yet, he constantly moves millions of people with his music and his words.
At the 9 th Annual American Institute for Stuttering Benefit Gala, Sheeran talked about how Eminem helped him overcome his speech impediment.
Sheeran admits to being a “very, very weird child” with a birthmark on his face, large glasses, and no eardrum on one side of his head. He says that “stuttering was actually the least of my problems when I went to school,” but he found it extremely difficult.
Sheeran notes that not being able to express himself in the right way was his biggest concern with his stutter. However, when his dad bought him an Eminem CD when he was young. Listening to it helped him to learn how to speak fast and accomplish his stutter.
Ed’s insights are a great source of inspiration for entrepreneurs learning how to deal with the stress of public speaking and believing in themselves.
Now, Ed believes that “being weird is a wonderful thing”. He asks us to “embrace yourself, embrace your quirks, and embrace your weirdness.”
Jim Carrey – Maharishi University Commencement Motivational Speech
Jim Carrey’s commencement speech at the Maharishi University is filled with so much wisdom it’s difficult to decide which to focus on.
Perhaps the most important statement Jim made for entrepreneurs and business leaders was that “fear” will always be a big player in our lives. However, Jim notes, “you get to decide how much.” You can spend your life in fear, or you can follow your heart.
Jim says that countless people choose their path out of fear. They stick to what’s safe and easy because they’re afraid to ask, “what if?” However, Carrey says that the only way to live is to ask the universe for what you need.
Jim Carrey invites his listeners to “risk being seen in all of your glory.” He says that our job isn’t to figure out how we’re going to reach success, but to simply “open the door in your head” and walk through it when the time is right.
“You will fail at something. Accept it.”
In the last entry on our list of the best motivational speeches, Denzel Washington discusses failure.
But, Washington doesn’t shirk away from failure ; he embraces it.
He says that “every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”
This is certainly true when it comes to entrepreneurship . You learn so much from everything you do, whether it’s a win or a loss.
But, the most important thing isn’t necessarily winning or losing. It’s about getting out there and giving it everything you’ve got. That’s why this is one of our favorite motivational speeches about life.
“Never be discouraged. Never hold back. And when you fall in life, remember this: fall forward.”
So, that’s our list of the best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs.
We hope you enjoyed those clips. We just want to highlight a couple of key points present across all of these motivational speeches.
It’s important that you love what you do . Be invested. Be present. And be the best you can be.
Failure isn’t a bad thing . If you learn from it, and continue to move forward, it can lead to great things.
You need to want it. Entrepreneurship, along with many things in life, can be tough. You want it bad? Prove it.
Okay, that’s all from me today. Did I miss any motivational speeches off from this list? Let me know in the comments section – I read them all!
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The 24 Best Motivational Speeches Our Employees Have Ever Heard
Published: July 19, 2023
It was halftime during one of my 7th-grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. Suddenly, it was game over.
That's when our assistant coach burst into our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I've heard to this day.
I can't directly quote him because he said some inappropriate things for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too).
The point is he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.
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Motivational Speech
A motivational speech can come from anywhere or anyone, but it usually has a specific audience in mind.
Whether it's a graduation speech, an all-company meeting, a championship sporting event, or a conference keynote, these speeches are designed to change how their listeners see the challenges facing them in the future.
Like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.
Think about the last time you felt generally unmotivated. What brought you out of that feeling? Sometimes all it takes to get you going is a good night's sleep or witnessing the benefits of your labor.
Still, other times, you might listen to someone say something that resonates with you — that alters how you've been looking at a particular task or problem.
Motivational speeches and speakers can come in all different forms, but this is the one thing they have in common — resonance. They resonate with the right listener at the right time and in the right way.
Who knows, this article is doing some for you right now. (I can dream, can't I?)
We selected 24 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and other fields to help you stay motivated no matter what your work throws at you. Watch these videos if you want to feel inspired by a project.
Trust me, I was wiping my eyes after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they can put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.
(Disclaimer: Some speeches may contain NSFW language.)
Elon Musk: "The Importance of Never Giving Up" (2020)
Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)
Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)
Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)
J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)
Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)
Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)
Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)
Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)
Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)
Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)
Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)
Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)
Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)
Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)
David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)
Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)
Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)
Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)
Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)
Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)
Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)
Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)
The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time
1. elon musk: "the importance of never giving up" (2020), theme of speech: perseverance and resilience.
Elon Musk's "The Importance of Never Giving Up" speech about perseverance and determination is decisive.
In this speech, Musk emphasizes failing and learning from failures as keys to success. He recounts his life and career, demonstrating how he overcame challenges.
One key takeaway from Musk's speech is his advice to adopt a growth mindset.
Musk encourages listeners to view setbacks as learning experiences. He also highlights the value of perseverance, persistence, and taking risks.
Elon Musk's word serves as an upbeat reminder that perseverance, patience, and the desire to attempt things repeatedly in the face of difficulty are essential for success.
"If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it."
2. Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)
Theme of the speech: empathetic leadership....
The "Leading with Empathy" talk by Angela Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and compassion in leadership.
According to Ahrendts, leaders must view their employees as whole people with lives outside of work. Leaders can instill trust, respect, and mutual support in their employees and organizations.
Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of team mission as well. Leaders can inspire their teams by connecting them to a greater goal.
She believes that working together fosters creativity, innovation, and growth.
"Leading with Empathy" is a powerful reminder that leadership requires more than technical knowledge. To truly inspire and motivate their employees, leaders must understand their emotional needs and create a supportive, inclusive environment.
"Empathy is the glue that holds relationships together, whether they are personal or professional."
3. Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)
Theme of the speech: sleep and productivity.
The Huffington Post's founder, Arianna Huffington, emphasized the importance of sleep to overall health. In her 2023 speech, "The Power of Sleep," she discusses how sleep deprivation affects our health, productivity, and happiness.
Huffington observes that we have been taught to sacrifice sleep for success. She also mentions that well-rested employees are more creative, efficient, and effective.
To address these issues, Huffington proposes a cultural shift that recognizes sleep as essential to health and wellness.
She advises individuals and organizations to prioritize sleep, avoid technology before bedtime, and create a restful sleep environment. Sleep, according to Huffington, is a necessity, not a luxury.
By recognizing the importance of sleep, people and businesses can enhance their health, productivity, and general well-being.
Arianna Huffington's "The Power of Sleep" speech in 2023 emphasizes the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.
It promotes a culture where getting enough sleep is essential for health and well-being.
"Sleep is the Swiss Army knife of health, it does everything."
4. Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)
Theme of the speech: inclusion and diversity.
Apple CEO Tim Cook advocates for inclusion and diversity. He has been instrumental in the company's initiatives to advance fairness and equality inside its ranks and across the technology sector.
Cook has prioritized diversity and inclusion at Apple because he believes it is proper and necessary for innovation and business success.
Unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment, and employee resource groups contributed to his success.
Outside of Apple, Cook has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform. He has raised awareness of these issues and advocated for social change as a business leader.
Tech leaders and others have lauded Cook's commitment to diversity and inclusion. He has raised awareness of these issues, leading to significant change at Apple and elsewhere.
"Inclusion and diversity are not just buzzwords, they are fundamental values that drive innovation and creativity."
5. J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)
Theme of speech: failure.
In J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement speech, the Harry Potter author explored how two phenomena -- failure and imagination -- can be crucial to success.
While failure can help you understand where your true passion lies, and where you should focus your energy moving forward, imagination is what will allow you to empathize with other people so you can use your influence to do good.
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”
"You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."
6. Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)
Theme of the speech: gender equality and leadership.
Sheryl Sandberg's 2021 talk, "Lean In," encourages women to lean into their careers and leadership roles. She urges women to stand up for one another and themselves to overcome societal and cultural hurdles.
Sandberg highlights the need to have distinct objectives and goals and be prepared to take calculated risks to achieve them.
She also underlines how crucial it is for more female leaders to advance diversity and gender equality across all industries.
Sandberg's speech also emphasizes collaboration. She urges women to mentor other women and look for sponsors and mentors themselves.
The "Lean In" talk by Sheryl Sandberg emphasizes women's voices and perspectives in all aspects of society.
To remove barriers and foster more inclusive and varied workplaces and communities, Sandberg urges women to pursue their professional ambitions with confidence and with the help of their communities.
"We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored."
7. Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)
Theme of speech: taking risks.
Jim Carrey might make a living as the goofiest comedian around, but in 2014, he combined classic Carrey humor with unforgettable insight at Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony.
Jim Carrey opened his speech dishing punchlines, but he eventually opened up about his upbringing and the role fear plays in our lives. You can actually hear the amazement in the students' reactions in the video above.
“I learned many great lessons from my father -- not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
8. Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)
Theme of speech: life and career.
Considering the YouTube video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech has 24 million views, it's likely that you've seen this one already.
In the speech, Jobs plays on two themes: connecting the dots (anecdote: how taking a calligraphy class helped inspire the design of the Mac) and love & loss (anecdote: how getting fired from Apple helped inspire his greatest innovations).
Perhaps the most memorable part his speech comes at the end, when he quotes the (now-famous) lines from the final issue of his favorite publication, The Whole Earth Catalog:
“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
9. Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)
Theme of the speech: discovering true happiness and fulfillment in life..
In "The Pursuit of Happiness," famed actor and motivational speaker Matthew McConaughey provides his enlightened viewpoint on obtaining true happiness and fulfillment.
McConaughey presents a genuine and approachable study of what it means to live a fulfilling life through sincere storytelling and personal anecdotes.
The speech discusses the significance of authenticity and remaining true to oneself. McConaughey encourages people to define their success rather than succumb to social pressures or external expectations.
He stresses aligning our behaviors and decisions with our fundamental values and passions.
McConaughey expresses his conviction in the power of thankfulness and the importance of living in the present moment. He encourages people to create a grateful mindset, recognizing the blessings and possibilities surrounding them.
By appreciating the present and finding joy in the journey, individuals can experience more profound happiness and fulfillment.
"Happiness is not a destination. It's a state of mind, a journey, and a choice we make every day."
10. Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)
In his 2011 UPenn commencement speech, Denzel Washington highlighted three reasons why we need to embrace failure in order to be successful. First, everybody will fail at something at some point, so you better get used to it.
Second, if you never fail, take that as a sign that you're not really trying. And third, at the end of the day, failure will help you figure out what path you want to be on.
“Fall forward. Here's what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out twenty-six-hundred times in his career — the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs.
Fall forward.
Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know that—because #1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”
11. Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)
Theme of speech: perseverance.
Last year at INBOUND, Vera Jones told a moving story about the life lessons she's learned from raising her blind son.
She explains how having faith in your future and letting it lead you toward your true purpose will help you overcome blinding obstacles.
She also discusses how following your passion and trusting your vision develops empathy, which is a critical leadership skill.
“Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we're here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same.”
12. Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)
Theme of Speech: Self-Belief and Confidence
Oprah Winfrey's 2020 speech "The Power of Self-Belief" emphasized the importance of self-assurance. She attributed her success to her unwavering self-assurance.
According to Oprah, self-belief is not about being arrogant or overconfident. She stresses the significance of overcoming self-doubt and fear, which can prevent people from reaching their goals.
Oprah used personal stories to demonstrate how self-confidence has aided her in life and work. She encouraged her audience to believe in themselves and to embrace their inner strength.
The Power of Self-Belief" reminded us how important it is to have faith in ourselves and our ability to succeed.
"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams."
13. Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)
Best known for his role in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, actor Charlie Day had lots of wisdom to share during the 2014 commencement speech at his alma mater, Merrimack College.
Day explained to the audience how college degrees are inherently valueless, since you can't trade them in for cash. Instead, it's you, your hard work, and the risks you take that provide real value in life.
“You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure.
You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks.”
14. Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)
The video above is an animated excerpt from researcher Brené Brown's speech, " The Power of Vulnerability ." In the speech, Brown explores how our fear of not being good enough (among other fears) drives us to shield ourselves from our own vulnerabilities.
The alternative to wearing this emotional suit of armor: Embrace vulnerability through empathizing with others.
"Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling."
15. Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)
Theme of the speech: embracing dedication, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of greatness..
Bryant emphasizes setting ambitious goals and working tirelessly to achieve them. Through captivating storytelling and personal anecdotes, he reveals the sacrifices and relentless effort required to excel at the highest level.
Bryant's speech is a testament to the power of hard work, discipline, and a growth mindset in attaining greatness.
The speech also explores embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. Bryant shares how setbacks and challenges can fuel personal growth and resilience.
He encourages individuals to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as motivation to push beyond their limits.
Bryant's speech goes beyond the realm of sports, offering valuable insights and life lessons applicable to all areas of life.
His relentless pursuit of greatness and unwavering commitment to excellence inspires individuals striving to achieve their goals and dreams.
"I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.'
We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it."
16. David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)
From the opening minutes of David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech , in which he questions commencement speech conventions, it's clear that Wallace has some serious wisdom to share.
The crux of his speech: Many of us are oblivious to our own close-mindedness. We picture ourselves as the centers of our own, individual universes, instead of seeing the bigger, more interconnected picture.
“If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable.
But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you'll know you have other options.
It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred — on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.”
17. Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)
Theme of the speech: cultivating a growth mindset for personal and professional development..
In "The Growth Mindset," Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, and author, delivers an enlightening speech on the power of adopting a growth mindset for personal and professional growth.
Dweck's extensive research on mindset and achievement provides the foundation for her impactful message.
Dweck explains the difference between a fixed mindset, where individuals believe their abilities are fixed traits, and a growth mindset, where individuals believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning.
She demonstrates how a growth mindset fosters resilience, learning, and innovation through relatable stories and compelling examples.
Dweck's speech resonates with individuals seeking personal and professional development, as she provides insights into how adopting a growth mindset can positively impact all areas of life.
Her research-based approach and engaging speaking style make "The Growth Mindset" an inspiring resource for individuals striving for continuous growth and improvement.
"The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset."
Famous Short Speeches With Inspirational Takeaways
18. al pacino: "inch by inch" (1999), theme of speech: teamwork.
Yes, this speech is from a football movie (Any Given Sunday), but trust me: This isn't your stereotypical rah-rah-go-get-'em sports speech. It's deeper than that. It's about life, and loss, and ... gosh darn it just listen to Al Pacino.
He's pouring his soul out!
“Either we heal as a team or we're gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me.
And we can stay here and get the $&#@ kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time.”
19. Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)
Theme of the Speech: Empowerment and Collaboration
Satya Nadella's 2023 lecture, "Empowering Others," emphasizes the importance of leadership that empowers others rather than focusing on personal success.
He emphasizes the importance of leaders cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone feels respected and able to accomplish their best work.
Nadella also discusses the significance of technology in positive development. Some of society's most important issues may be resolved by technology, but proper development and application are required.
According to Nadella, empathy and emotional intelligence are essential for outstanding leadership. He suggests that Leaders listen to and understand. their team members' needs and motivations.
Leaders can develop a culture of trust and collaboration that will help the team flourish.
Satya Nadella's "Empowering Others" provides a special message about leadership in the current day. By emphasizing diversity, empathy, and responsible innovation, Nadella encourages audiences to strive for excellence while being mindful of their impact on others and the world.
"Success is not just about what we achieve individually, but what we enable others to achieve."
20. Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)
Theme of speech: never give up.
I had to put this one next since it plays along the same themes as Denzel Washington's UPenn speech. In the scene above, from the 2006 film Rocky Balboa, the title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) is having a heart-to-heart with his son.
The advice he gives him: Don't let your failures or the adversity you face slow you down. Keep. Moving. Forward.
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”
21. Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Theme of speech: don’t let them bring you down.
Here's another speech from the big screen, this time from the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness.
In the scene above, Will Smith's character explains to his son why he shouldn't pursue basketball (because he'll end up being "below average") before having a major change of heart.
“Don't ever let somebody tell you ... you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”
22. Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)
Theme of the Speech: Action and Overcoming Self-Doubt
The "The 5 Second Rule" speech by Mel Robbins promotes action to achieve goals and overcome concerns and doubts.
When confronted with a decision or action that needs to be completed but you are hesitating or procrastinating, countdown from 5, and then act. According to Robbins, this method breaks habit loops that keep us unhealthy.
Counting down and taking action may assist us in overcoming uncertainty and self-doubt and moving toward our objectives. For success, Robbins also promotes mentality and self-talk.
She believes that to realize our potential, we must consciously reframe negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.
Mel Robbins' presentation "The 5 Second Rule" is a practical and efficient technique to overcome procrastination and achieve goals.
Robbins inspires listeners to take command of their lives and achieve by emphasizing attitude, self-talk, and positive actions.
"You are never going to feel like doing the things that are tough, difficult, or uncertain, but you have a choice."
23. Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)
Theme of the Speech: Spirit and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth examines the significance of perseverance and resilience in achievement in her book "The Power of Grit." According to Duckworth, grit—passion and determination—is essential for long-term success and overcoming obstacles.
Duckworth addresses grit and mentality, believing that people who view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than threats will develop resilience and determination over time.
She advocates for a growth mindset, which believes people can acquire intelligence and other qualities through hard work. Duckworth places a premium on rigorous practice to achieve skill and mastery.
She recommends soliciting feedback, setting challenging goals, and intentionally improving abilities and succeeding. Angela Duckworth's "The Power of Grit" illuminates long-term achievement.
Duckworth emphasizes attitude, focused practice, and resilience to urge listeners to acquire grit and pursue their passions with tenacity.
"Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality."
24. Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)
Theme of speech: inspiring and believing in your team.
The Miracle on Ice is still considered the biggest upset in Olympic hockey history. And for good reason. The Soviet Union won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. team consisted only of amateur players.
It was obvious the Soviets were better. But, in the movie Miracle, which told the incredible story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Kurt Russell's character — Coach Herb Brooks — knew that this game was different.
The U.S. was better than the Soviets that day. And his speech conveyed such a strong belief in his team that they pulled off one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century.
“If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game… Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can!
Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time.”
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Entrepreneurship
12 Best TED Talks of All Time (For Business Leaders in 2024)
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If you're in business management or just want to learn more about business, there are many helpful business presentations online that you can learn from. One of the best sources of educational, motivational, and informational presentations for business professionals is TED Talks.
Yo u may be wondering: what are TED Talks?
TED Talks are a series of short talks on a variety of topics that are free to listeners. They are known for attracting excellent speakers with innovative ideas. Actual TED Talks differ from regular business presentations because each speaker must give their presentation from memory and they are limited to 18 minutes. TED Talks are also a good resource to study if you're trying to improve your speaking skills .
These short, online presentations include such business-relevant topics as leadership, management, business strategy, and more. There are talks to inform, talks to inspire, and talks to entertain.
In this article, I'm sharing a collection of 12 of what I believe to be the best TED Talks for business leaders and other business professionals.
12 Best Business TED Talks
Here's a carefully curated collection of what are, in my opinion, some of the best TED Talks of all time for you to learn from. For your convenience, I've separated the TED Talks into four main areas:
Business Leadership
Informative
Business Strategy
To learn even more about running a successful business, you may want to review these tutorials:
Now, let's take a look at the TED Talks for each area separately:
1. Business TED Talks on Leadership
Leadership is an important part of doing business. Here are some of the best TED Talks on leadership. Use these talks to improve your own leadership skills.
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon Sinek started out in advertising, but has since written several best-selling books on leadership. In this TED talk, Sinek explores why some companies and individuals are successful and others are not.
In the talk, Sinek explains how successful people and organizations are different based on how they focus on the questions: what, how, and why. Hint: most people have the wrong focus when they try to promote products or ideas. Learn about that difference in this eye-opening talk.
Roselinde Torres: What It Takes to Be a Great Leader
This business TED Talk by Roselinde Torres explains why companies are failing to produce leaders. In her work as a management consultant, Torres has observed leaders in hundreds of corporate leaders and companies of all types for over 25 years.
In this TED Talk video, Torres points out that the world is now more global, more digital, and more connected than ever. As a result, traditional leadership development is no longer effective. This TED Talk explains how to develop leaders in today's world and identifies the questions you need to be asking as a business leader in the 21st century.
David Logan: Tribal Leadership
David Logan is an author and teacher. Logan has spent over ten years studying tribes, which are naturally occurring groups that occur anytime humans get together.
In this TED Talk, Logan discusses the concept of tribes and discusses their importance in the business world and the world in general. Logan identifies the five general types of tribes that form and explains how each tribe interacts with society, including the workplace. This is a must-see talk for the thoughtful leader who wants to understand and improve their workplace culture.
2. Business TED Talks That Inform
Knowledge is power, or the so the saying goes. As a business professional, the saying is certainly true. It's important to be informed if you want to run a good business.
Susan Cain: The Power Of Introverts
As a leader, are you overlooking introverts? According to Susan Cain , you probably are. Cain is a speaker and the author of the popular book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking .
In this TED Talk, Cain explains what it's like to be an introvert. Cain also builds a compelling case for the contributions that introverts make--including the contributions of many introverts who later became famous. The bottom line: if you're overlooking introverts, you're missing out. Learn why in this informative talk.
Angela Lee Duckworth: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth teaches psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth is also the Founder and CEO of Character Lab, a non-profit dedicated to the science of character development.
While teaching school Duckworth made a shocking discovery that talent and IQ aren't the best predictors of success. Rather, success seems to be determined by a character trait Duckworth calls "grit." Learn more about what "grit" is and the difference it makes in this fascinating talk.
Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend
If you're a business person, you've probably experienced stress. That's a bad thing, right? Not necessarily. Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist who studies stress and how it affects us. McGonigal lectures at Stanford University and has written several popular books about stress.
McGonigal's studies show that you can change the way you react to stress and the way it affects your body and life. In this startling talk, you'll learn the details about some of the potential benefits of stress and how to combat the stress's harmful effects. This TED Talk isn't only for business leaders, but for anyone who deals with stress on a regular basis.
3. Business TED Talks That Inspire
You may not consider inspiration a part of doing business, but it is. A good business professional needs to find their inspiration to be able inspire others. Here are some Business TED Talks to help you find your own inspiration.
Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor is a speaker and author who studies happiness. Achor has written several books including The Happiness Advantage . Achor's also founded GoodThink, Inc , an organization dedicated to teaching about happiness.
This TED Talk video uses humor to illustrate the importance of happiness in the workplace. Achor explores the outliers--people who are above average. By studying outliers, Achor examines how happiness affects achievement-namely, that optimism is an important factor in success. Do you have the right formula for success? Find out in this TED Talk.
Bel Pesce: 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams
Bel Pesce is a TED Fellow, an entrepreneur, and also an MIT graduate who formerly worked in Silicon Valley. Pesce has since returned to Brazil and has been named one of the "10 Most Admired Leaders in Brazil."
In this helpful TED Talk presentation, Pesce tackles (and debunks) five common success myths that may be holding you back. Whether you're thinking of starting a business or want to tackle a passion project, this talk can help you identify faulty thinking and untrue perceptions that may be holding you back.
Matt Cutts: Try Something New for 30 Days
Matt Cutts became famous as the head of Google's web spam team and as a member of the search optimization team. Currently, Cutts is the acting administrator of the United States Digital Service --an organization that manages technology projects for the U.S. government.
In this short inspirational TED Talk, Cutts encourages listeners to conduct a 30-day experiment of trying something new. Cutts also shares personal experiences on the impact of completing a 30-day challenge, which include improved confidence and energy. This talk will make you want to start your own 30-day experiment--and it can make a real difference in your life.
4. Business TED Talks on Strategy
Business strategy refers to the way that you achieve your goals. In these talks, you'll learn some new techniques to help you improve your business strategy.
Linda Hill: How to Manage for Collective Creativity
Linda Hill is a business professor at Harvard University and the chair of the Leadership Initiative. Hill has written several popular books and received several awards for innovation.
Cr eativity and innovation are important for any business. In this engaging TED Talk, Hill explains that the typical management style doesn't work if you want to encourage creativity and in novation in your organization. The talk also points out that true innovation is the result of teamwork and not individual genius. Learn how to encourage creativity in your own organization with the techniques Hill shares here.
Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas Spread
Seth Godin is an award-winning blogger, entrepreneur, and popular author. Godin is perhaps best known for this blog , which is known for short but insightful posts on a wide variety of topics.
This TED Talk video explains why spreading ideas should be part of your winning business strategy. According to Godin, those who successfully spread ideas are the ones who can actually implement changes. Godin covers the effects mass media has had on the spread of ideas, but goes on to explain that attempts to spread ideas aren't always successful. Mass marketing no longer works. In this Business TED Talk, learn what causes ideas to spread and how you can use the spread of ideas for your own business marketing.
Susan Colantuono: The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get
Susan Colantuono founded Leading Women , a consulting firm for companies who want to close the gender gap in business. Leading Women has worked with dozens of organizations around the world to encourage women's leadership development.
In this business TED Talk, Colantuono tackles the tough question of why there are so few women in upper management. The talk identifies three key elements that companies look for in leaders and explains why women often don't demonstrate one of those key competencies--even though they may have that ability. If you're a woman in business or if your business wants to advance women, this TED Talk video is a must-watch.
Create Your Own Professional Business Talk
Even if you don't speak for TED Talks chances are good that, as a business professional, you'll need to give professional presentations. If you do need to give a professional presentation, consider using a professional presentation template to give your presentation an extra degree of professionalism.
You can find presentation templates on Envato Elements or GraphicRiver . Or browse through these presentation roundups to find a presentation template that appeals to you:
You may also want to check out our eBook on presentations: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations .
The presentations eBook is free when you subscribe to our newsletter.
There are plenty of online resources for business leaders, including many from TED Talks. I've just shared some of the best TED Talks for your business. Now it's time for you to use what you've learned. Or, perhaps you'd like to share your own business knowledge by creating your own professional presentation. Why not start today?
Editorial Note: This content was originally published in 2018. We're sharing it again because our editors have determined that this information is still accurate and relevant.
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10 Of The Greatest Leadership Speeches Of All Time
The world may be dominated by social media these days, but we should never underestimate the power of a great speech..
In fact, despite the prevalence of Facebook and Twitter, videos of some of the greatest leadership speeches are still immensely popular. Here are 10 examples of fantastic, motivational speeches that will show you why.
1. Martin Luther King: I have a dream
Any article featuring inspirational speeches must include this ground-breaking speech.
On 28th August 1963, Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of over 250,000 . In it, he calls for an end to racism and equality for all. In 1999, this speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.
2. Steve Jobs: How to live before you die
In 2005, Steve Jobs gave a Commencement Address to Stanford University that will leave you with goosebumps. It’s a brilliant speech, and also a great lesson from one of the most influential presenters in history.
3. President Obama: Seeking a new beginning
In June 2009, President Obama gave a rousing speech at Cairo University . This speech shows Obama at his best, building a fantastic rapport with his audience.
4. Randy Pausch: The last lecture
Carnegie Mellon Professor, Randy Pausch, gave his last lecture to a crowded auditorium.
This presentation is about achieving your childhood dreams and it’s a great one to study for tips on building a connection with your audience and really getting them on your side.
5. Rosalinde Torres: What it takes to be a great leader
In this incredibly inspirational speech, Torres describes 25 years of observing great leaders at work and then shares ways to learn how to lead .
6. Bill Clinton: 2008 Speech to the Democratic National Convention
If you’re looking for an example of fantastic communication skills, look no further than this former US President . This speech shows how great content, teamed with exceptional delivery, can really bring the house down.
7. J.K. Rowling: Harvard Commencement
Commencement addresses are always very inspirational speeches and this is no exception. Rowling immediately gets her audience on side, inspiring and delighting as she goes.
8. John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding
As the coach of UCLA basketball team, John Wooden led his team to record wins that remain unbeaten. In this speech, he redefines success with incredible simplicity.
9. Richard St. John: 8 secrets of success
In this amazing TED Talk, Richard St. John delivers an incredibly motivational speech asking why people are successful. Is it because they’re clever, or lucky ?
10. Nelson Mandela: Inauguration speech
When you’re thinking about leadership speeches, Nelson Mandela’s inauguration speech in 1994 must be on the list. Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He led his country through the end of apartheid and into a united history they had never seen before.
These 10 examples of leadership speeches show you just how powerful the spoken word can be. These speakers are all experts in their field and captivate their audiences to give incredible, motivational speeches, which lift and inspire .
Want more inspiration? Get motivated by other brilliant famous team leaders here .
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8 Best Motivational Speeches of All Time for Entrepreneurs
The first steps of any new venture are the hardest. From opening your doors to signing your first client, building your team to hiring your first marketing agency — every choice you make has substantial consequences for your business.
Some choices could propel your business forward while others could set you back years or force you to close your doors.
Making these pivotal decisions is tough; that’s why entrepreneurs like yourself need to find motivation where you can.
Seek out advice and guidance from those that have come before you. Start by watching some of the best motivational speeches that we’ve ever seen.
#1: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Speech that Broke the Internet
“I went to college. I went and worked out 5 hours a day. And I was working in construction. Because in those days in bodybuilding, there was no money. I didn’t have the money for food supplements or anything. So, I had to go to work. So, I worked in construction. I went to college and worked out in a gym. And at night from 8 o’clock at night to 12 midnight, I went to acting class 4 times a week. I did all that. There was not one single minute that I wasted.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech was published on the Milligan Brothers YouTube channel on May 2, 2019. At the time this post was written, the video had already gotten more than three million views.
#2: J. K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Speech
“Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.”
J.K. Rowling is a well-known name in almost every household, but there was a time when that was not the case. Before she achieved success with her Harry Potter books, she was rejected by several publishers and was in a bad state financially.
Facing bankruptcy and constant rejection, it would have been easier for her to give up, but she carried on. She didn’t let her failures stop her. She used them to push her closer to success.
You can find the text of her speech published in the Harvard Gazette.
#3: Will Smith in Pursuit of Happyness
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something—not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.”
In this moving scene from the movie “Pursuit of Happyness,” Will Smith tells his son he can do anything. Smith plays a real-life character, a single father who is struggling to take care of his son throughout overwhelming adversity.
While playing basketball, Chris—played by Will Smith—finds himself doling out some harsh criticism to his son, but he quickly recovers. After seeing the discouraged look on his son’s face, he used his harsh words to deliver a motivational speech to his son that included admitting he was wrong for what he had previously said.
#4: Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech
“And 17 years later, I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was, spending all the money my parents had saved their entire life. So, I decided to drop out and trust that it was all going to work out ok. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.”
Steve Jobs gave this speech in 2005 during the Stanford Commencement Address. He goes on to discuss how he fell in love with calligraphy by dropping in on a class teaching it. That one class is what later inspired him to develop typography and incorporate it into the Mac.
#5: Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday
“I don’t know what to say really. Three minutes till the biggest battle in our professional lives, and it all comes down to today. Either we heal, as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen—believe me. And, we can stay here and get the s_____ kicked out of us, or, we can fight our way back.”
Al Pacino delivers this inspiration speech in the movie “Any Given Sunday.” In this movie, the main character DAmato—played by Al Pacino—is trying to motivate the players on his football team to work together to win their game after they had suffered from three back-to-back losses.
#6: Sheryl Sandberg at Harvard University
“It used to be that in order to reach more people than you could talk to in a day, you had to be rich and famous and powerful, be a celebrity, a politician, a CEO, but that’s not true today.
Now ordinary people have a voice, not just those of us lucky to go to HBS, but anyone with access to Facebook, Twitter , a mobile phone. This is disrupting traditional power structures and leveling traditional hierarchy.
Voice and power are shifting from institutions to individuals, from the historically powerful to the historically powerless, and all of this is happening so much faster than I could have imagined when I was sitting where you are today, and Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old.”
Sheryl Sandberg speaks to the Harvard graduating class of 2012 and tells her story of how she struggled to get on track with her career in the Silicon Valley back in 2001.
She explains how the timing was terrible because the bubble had crashed, and companies were laying people off. Sheryl goes on to explain how she overcame the challenges to get to where she is today.
#7: Richard St. John’s Motivation TED Talk
“And it all started one day on a plane, on my way to TED, seven years ago. And in the seat next to me was a high school student, a teenager, and she came from a really poor family. And she wanted to make something of her life, and she asked me a simple little question. She said, “What leads to success?” And I felt really badly because I couldn’t give her a good answer. So, I get off the plane and I come to TED, and I think, “Jeez, I’m in the middle of a room of successful people, so why don’t I ask them what helped them succeed, and pass it on to kids?”
Richard St. John delivered this speech as his TED talk. The video was published to TED’s YouTube channel on January 6, 2007, and it’s gotten over 2.5 million views. In this video, he provides his secrets of success in 8 words, in 3 minutes.
#8: Gary Vaynerchuck’s Hustle
“So, first of all, it’s different for everyone, but this whole notion of like, “where’s the time?” I just think people are loaded with excuses. I think that the vainer nation thinks they’re hustling, and straight to your face, I think 99.9% of you are not. Everybody has time, stop watching f_____ Lost…”
Gary Vaynerchuck’s Video “The Most Important Word Ever” stresses how important it is to utilize every single minute of your day to reach your goals by keeping up the hustle and never giving up.
Are You Feeling Motivated and Inspired Yet?
I hope you found these speeches as motivating as I did and that you’re ready to start your new venture with a renewed sense of energy and focus.
Just know that going forward, anything is possible when you set your mind on something, and you go after it with no excuses and a determination to succeed.
Don’t let failures hold you back. Failures help to propel you forward and put you on the right path by showing you the wrong one.
At Sparkitive, we know just how important having a well-thought-out and proven plan is to the success of your new service-based business.
That’s why we created a free guide that gives you the gift of a step-by-step plan you can follow to generate new leads and turn them into long-term, loyal clients.
Get your free copy of our guide now: Fast Track Your Business: The 5-Step Marketing Plan for Professional Services Firms .
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The 5 Most Popular TED Talks of All Time They don't call them "ideas worth spreading" for nothing. These five TED Talks are the best of the best.
By Kim Lachance Shandrow Nov 12, 2014
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Happiness, vulnerability and orgasms . These are few of the TED Talks themes that people love most.
Add to that viral mix soul-stirring speeches about education, inspiration, and revelation, and you have the stuff of the most-watched TED speeches of all time, the cream of the presentation crop with millions upon millions of views and growing.
Related: 5 TED Talks That May Change Your View on Life Whether you're looking for outstanding orators to emulate for an upcoming speaking engagement, or whether you're in the mood for Crossfit crunches for your brain just because, here are the top five TED Talks of all time. Feast your mind.
Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity
Children are naturally creative, right up until we educate the raw spark of wonder out of them. In his witty, 18-minute takedown of the talent-squandering treadmill that is the traditional public education system, Sir Kenneth Robinson challenges us to "radically rethink" the way we teach our children. He invites educators to encourage kids to dance, experiment and make mistakes .
Related: 7 Public Speaking Tips From One of the Most-Watched TED Speakers
Business leaders can apply Robinson's outlier theories to inspire their teams in much the same way. Start by allowing your employees to make mistakes. They're not bad. They're gateways to innovation .
Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
If you're a habitual arm crosser, watching Amy Cuddy's body language 101 might convince you to drop the habit -- and your arms -- right away. The social scientist, who kicks off her speech with a "free no-tech life hack" that will probably turn your frown upside down, says our body language speaks loud and clear to those around us. And it might just have a lot to do with our success. One thing's for sure: You'll walk a little taller and sit up a little straighter after you take Cuddy's 20-minute "power posing" crash course. Remember, "Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes."
Related: Inspiring TED Talks Every Entrepreneur Should Watch
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Extolling the trailblazing, renegade spirit of iconic historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Wright brothers, ethnographer Simon Sinek dares people be rebels, to "think, act and communicate" in ways that are "the complete opposite of everyone else." In his talk, the author of the motivational classic Start With Why (Portfolio Trade, 2011) describes what he calls the "golden circle." It's a means of communicating "from the outside in," a way to passionately talk about what you care about and believe. He says Apple does it -- obviously to great success -- and your company can, too.
Related: Why TED Talks Are Impossible to Resist
Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
Humiliation, embarrassment and shame are the fields of study that Bren? Brown specializes in. Not many people talk openly about those kinds of feelings, let alone in front of thousands. In her touching, often funny speech, the University of Houston research professor and author of five bestselling self-empowerment books , reminds us to be true to ourselves. How? By embracing our imperfections, something society pressures us not to do, at home and at work. Instead, Brown asks you to be you, to be real and really vulnerable. When you are, you're kinder to yourself and to others. It's not easy, but once you accept who you are -- not who you think should be -- flaws and all, Brown says you'll connect with others in deeper, more meaningful ways. And P.S. -- Stop beating yourself up already. You are enough.
Related: An Oft Unspoken Key to Success: Put Aside Your Ego and Be Vulnerable
Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight
When Harvard-trained brain researcher Dr. Jill Bolte says she had a stroke of insight, she means it literally. One morning, at the age of 37, she suffered a devastating cerebrovascular accident. A blood vessel in her brain suddenly burst. She could only speak "like a Golden Retriever" when calling for help. Her right arm "went totally paralyzed" and her world came crashing down.
You won't believe Taylor's first thoughts upon realizing she was suffering a stroke: "Wow! This is so cool! How many brain scientists have the opportunity to study their own brain from the inside out?" Amazing, right?
In her deeply personal talk, Taylor pulls us into her eight-year recovery journey. She describes learning to walk, talk and think again -- from scratch. And, of course, she also reveals her biggest "stroke of insight" as a brain hemorrhage survivor. It's simple but so complex: our right minds can be gateways to nirvana, but only if we choose to step out of them.
Related: 4 Motivating TED Talks to Help You Bounce Back From Failure
Related: 3 TED Talks That Will Convince You to Get More Sleep
Former West Coast Editor
Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times . She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow . You can also follow her on Facebook here .
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Top 20 Motivational Speeches to Supercharge Your Spirit
Last Updated on February 22, 2024
Table of Contents
Building a business venture from the ground up isn’t a walk in the park. It requires the combination of an undying spirit of enterprise, sheer resilience, and passion for your trade. That explains why numerous startups take off on a high note, only to begin soaring into financial headwinds barely weeks after their establishment. One of the best ways to keep growing in the world of entrepreneurship is to have a collection of speeches from renowned entrepreneurs that you can always turn to for inspiration. Motivational speeches on entrepreneurship will be instrumental throughout the growth of your business venture. Using these speeches, you’ll be able to determine whether your business is on the right path or not. The quotes will also help you to understand the various challenges that entrepreneurs all over the world go through, as well as develop capacity and resilience to overcome those challenges. We’ve prepared a collection of the best motivational speeches on entrepreneurship from people who have been there and done that. The speeches were collated from industry leaders across various domains, from managers of global tech giants to retail moguls. As you shall find, most of these inspirational speeches for entrepreneurs are more than a couple of minutes long. Therefore, we’ve included short snippets about each one of them, accompanied by YouTube videos that you watch.
1. Pursuit of Happiness by Will Smith
Theme of Speech: Excelling despite your background If you’ve already watched the 2006’s sensational film titled The Pursuit of Happyness by Will Smith , then you’re already fairly acquainted with the underlying lesson from this speech. The speech attempts to challenge entrepreneurs to pursue their full measure of happiness and success, despite their background. What makes Pursuit of Happiness one of the best motivational speeches for entrepreneurs is that the scenes are acted out by father and son, which lends more credence to their pieces of advice.
2. Any Given Sunday by Al Pacino
Theme of Speech: The importance of leveraging competitive advantage, however subtle it may seem This motivational speech for entrepreneurs is all about capitalizing on any competitive advantage that your business gains, however insignificant it may seem. Those seemingly insignificant milestones can make a world of difference in terms of outpacing competition.
3. Why We Do What We Do (TedX Speech) by Tony Robbins
Theme of Speech: Invisible forces that drive our actions Do you understand why you do what you do? Have you ever asked yourself why you keep implementing the same old business strategies, despite those strategies having proven to be economically unviable in the past? It all has to do with certain invisible forces within you. This speech by Tony Robins might help you understand those forces.
4. It’s Not OVER Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible by Les Brown
Theme of Speech: Overcoming challenges Les Brown adds more life to the good old saying that ‘failure is not an option.’ But he doesn’t just stop there. In this sobering and spellbinding speech on entrepreneurship, the motivational speaker addresses what you should do to overcome challenges, so that you don’t lose sight of your dreams.
5. The Most Motivational Talk EVER! by David Goggins
Theme of Speech: Success and discipline Self-discipline plays a crucial role in spurring entrepreneurial success, and nobody understands that better than David Goggins . Goggins enjoys a career as a decorated Navy Seal and army ranger, as well as an ultra-marathon runner. He also holds the record for the most pull-ups in 24 hours (4,030). It definitely takes self-discipline to accomplish these feats.
6. Tulane University 2009 Commencement Speech by Ellen DeGeneres
Theme of Speech: Overcoming adversity while remaining true to your ideals Ellen DeGeneres is proudly gay. DeGeneres is also an accomplished entrepreneur and media personality. By virtue of her sexual orientation and impressive career achievements, she’s better placed to advise entrepreneurs on the need to overcome adversity without compromising their principles and ideals.
7. Harvard Business School 2012 Class Day Speech by Sheryl Sandberg
Theme of Speech: Finding your niche According to this speech by Sheryl Sandberg, success lies in finding a career where you can create maximum impact. Her speech underscores the importance of venturing into an industry that you feel so passionate about.
8. How to Live Before You Die: 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech by Steve Jobs
Theme of Speech: Career and failure If the millions of views on YouTube and other platforms are anything to go by, then it’s safe to admit that this speech by Steve Jobs struck the right chords. In the speech, Jobs explains how his journey to the top as one of the world’s most celebrated tech innovators was a long and arduous one. He also touches on how you can leverage failure to bounce back.
9. The Puzzle of Motivation: 2009 TED Talk by Dan Pink
Theme of Speech: The need to discover and explore intrinsic motivation Many entrepreneurs are motivated by incentives like profits and bonuses. While there’s nothing wrong with these, Dan Pink argues that the greatest motivators of entrepreneurial success lie within us. But these aren’t just his own hypotheses, Dan Pink actually backs up his claims by numerous sociological studies.
10. University of Houston Commencement Speech by Matthew McConaughey
Theme of Speech: Pursuing success on your own terms Success means different things to different people. Some entrepreneurs define success in terms of how many global destinations their businesses cover. Others define success by the number of competitors they can outpace within their regions. Matthew McConaughey believes that every businessperson must have their own idea of success and work towards it.
11. The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination: 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech by J.K Rowling
Theme of Speech: Failure and imagination In the world of entrepreneurship, failure is inevitable. However, failure shouldn’t stifle your progress, neither should it dampen your resolve to succeed. Instead, it should awaken your imagination and help you discover where your true passions and talents are. These, and more, are some of the vital lessons on entrepreneurship you’ll learn from this speech.
12. Rocky Balboa “Believe in Yourself “by Sylvester Stallone
Theme of Speech: Self-confidence The world is a tough and mean place. It doesn’t matter how qualified an entrepreneur you are. It doesn’t even matter how much money you’re ready and willing to invest in a startup. Without believing that you can make it, all of your other efforts will be purely in vain.
13. Gym Motivation by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Theme of Speech: Being passionate about your career At first, glance, this motivational speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be intended exclusively for fitness freaks. However, the speech contains fundamental lessons that entrepreneurs can borrow. It’s all about starting small and using your passion to soar to greater heights.
14. This Is Water: 2005 Kenyon College Commencement Speech by David Foster Wallace
Theme of Speech: The perils of close-mindedness David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College attempts to address the dangers of being close-minded. Wallace argues that numerous entrepreneurs fail due to their inability to approach the business landscape with a broad and open mind.
15. 8 Secrets of Success by Richard St. John
Theme of Speech: Passion and perseverance 8 Secrets of Success by Richard St. John may be one of the shortest motivational speeches for entrepreneurs on this list. But it contains some fundamentally impactful lessons that every businessperson can put into practice. The speech, which is a condensed version of years of research, focuses on throwing your full weight behind a business idea that you’re passionate about.
16. I Can, I Will, I Must by Eric Thomas
Theme of Speech: Sharpening your resolve to succeed This motivational speech by Eric Thomas takes a rather unique approach to entrepreneurship. It seeks to challenge us to focus on the people we love the most as our main source of inspiration whenever we feel like giving up. Thomas argues that thinking about those special people in our lives every day can positively shape our business decisions.
17. Secret to Self-motivation by Mel Robbins
Theme of Speech: Self-motivation
Self-motivation is a critical component of success, particularly in the corporate world. However, many entrepreneurs are constantly bogged down by nagging doubts and constant fears, which ultimately drain their positive energies and impede their progress. If you’re one such businessperson, here’s your golden chance to uncover the top secrets to self-motivation.
18. New Year, New You by Tony Robbins
Theme of Speech: Reinventing yourself Every year comes with its fair share of blessings and challenges. In this motivational speech, Tony Robbins highlights the importance of making lasting changes in your life and career. Robbins challenges entrepreneurs to desist from focusing on abstract goals and resolutions, and instead focus on what truly matters.
19. Fall Forward: 2011 UPenn Commencement Speech by Denzel Washington
Theme of Speech: Failure Denzel Washington highlights the significance of embracing failure in our quests for success. First, he argues that failure is not unique to the uneducated or inexperienced, as anyone can fail. He also adds that the lack of failure is a sign that you aren’t making any meaningful progress. Most importantly, Washington reminds us that failure will help you to identify the strategies that won’t work.
20. Live2Lead by Simon Sinek
Theme of Speech: Leadership Simon Sinek advances a very interesting aspect of corporate leadership – that true leaders don’t delight in taking credit, but taking responsibility. Sinek also opines that many ventures collapse due to their owners’ obsession with their competitors, instead of focusing on growing their own brands.
No business can magic itself into success. The process of building any business empire is both a capital- and time-intensive affair. As a businessman, you should arm yourself with all the requisite resources to get your venture from one point to another.
Motivational speeches for entrepreneurs are some of these necessary resources. We hope you can bookmark the above collection of motivational speeches on entrepreneurship and invoke them from time to time as you endeavor to scale your business to new heights.
Posted by: Igor Ovsyannnykov
Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams. When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.
The most popular TED Talks of all time
Are schools killing creativity? What makes a great leader? How can I find happiness? These 25 talks are the ones that you and your fellow TED fans just can't stop sharing. (Updated January 2024)
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Uncategorized
40 famous persuasive speeches you need to hear.
Written by Kai Xin Koh
Across eras of calamity and peace in our world’s history, a great many leaders, writers, politicians, theorists, scientists, activists and other revolutionaries have unveiled powerful rousing speeches in their bids for change. In reviewing the plethora of orators across tides of social, political and economic change, we found some truly rousing speeches that brought the world to their feet or to a startling, necessary halt. We’ve chosen 40 of the most impactful speeches we managed to find from agents of change all over the world – a diversity of political campaigns, genders, positionalities and periods of history. You’re sure to find at least a few speeches in this list which will capture you with the sheer power of their words and meaning!
1. I have a dream by MLK
“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”
Unsurprisingly, Martin Luther King’s speech comes up top as the most inspiring speech of all time, especially given the harrowing conditions of African Americans in America at the time. In the post-abolition era when slavery was outlawed constitutionally, African Americans experienced an intense period of backlash from white supremacists who supported slavery where various institutional means were sought to subordinate African American people to positions similar to that of the slavery era. This later came to be known as the times of Jim Crow and segregation, which Martin Luther King powerfully voiced his vision for a day when racial discrimination would be a mere figment, where equality would reign.
2. Tilbury Speech by Queen Elizabeth I
“My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”
While at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I was most renowned for her noble speech rallying the English troops against their comparatively formidable opponent. Using brilliant rhetorical devices like metonymy, meronymy, and other potent metaphors, she voiced her deeply-held commitment as a leader to the battle against the Spanish Armada – convincing the English army to keep holding their ground and upholding the sacrifice of war for the good of their people. Eventually against all odds, she led England to victory despite their underdog status in the conflict with her confident and masterful oratory.
3. Woodrow Wilson, address to Congress (April 2, 1917)
“The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for. … It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity toward a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible government which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck. We are, let me say again, the sincere friends of the German people, and shall desire nothing so much as the early reestablishment of intimate relations of mutual advantage between us—however hard it may be for them, for the time being, to believe that this is spoken from our hearts. We have borne with their present government through all these bitter months because of that friendship—exercising a patience and forbearance which would otherwise have been impossible. We shall, happily, still have an opportunity to prove that friendship in our daily attitude and actions toward the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy who live among us and share our life, and we shall be proud to prove it toward all who are in fact loyal to their neighbors and to the government in the hour of test. They are, most of them, as true and loyal Americans as if they had never known any other fealty or allegiance. They will be prompt to stand with us in rebuking and restraining the few who may be of a different mind and purpose. If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealt with with a firm hand of stern repression; but, if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there and without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few. It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.”
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the USA delivered his address to Congress, calling for declaration of war against what was at the time, a belligerent and aggressive Germany in WWI. Despite his isolationism and anti-war position earlier in his tenure as president, he convinced Congress that America had a moral duty to the world to step out of their neutral observer status into an active role of world leadership and stewardship in order to liberate attacked nations from their German aggressors. The idealistic values he preached in his speech left an indelible imprint upon the American spirit and self-conception, forming the moral basis for the country’s people and aspirational visions to this very day.
4. Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth
“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman? … If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”
Hailing from a background of slavery and oppression, Sojourner Truth was one of the most revolutionary advocates for women’s human rights in the 1800s. In spite of the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827, her slavemaster refused to free her. As such, she fled, became an itinerant preacher and leading figure in the anti-slavery movement. By the 1850s, she became involved in the women’s rights movement as well. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, she delivered her illuminating, forceful speech against discrimination of women and African Americans in the post-Civil War era, entrenching her status as one of the most revolutionary abolitionists and women’s rights activists across history.
5. The Gettsyburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
President Abraham Lincoln had left the most lasting legacy upon American history for good reason, as one of the presidents with the moral courage to denounce slavery for the national atrocity it was. However, more difficult than standing up for the anti-slavery cause was the task of unifying the country post-abolition despite the looming shadows of a time when white Americans could own and subjugate slaves with impunity over the thousands of Americans who stood for liberation of African Americans from discrimination. He urged Americans to remember their common roots, heritage and the importance of “charity for all”, to ensure a “just and lasting peace” among within the country despite throes of racial division and self-determination.
6. Woman’s Rights to the Suffrage by Susan B Anthony
“For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is to pass a bill of attainder, or an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are for ever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household–which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion into every home of the nation. Webster, Worcester and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against Negroes.”
Susan B. Anthony was a pivotal leader in the women’s suffrage movement who helped to found the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and fight for the constitutional right for women to vote. She courageously and relentlessly advocated for women’s rights, giving speeches all over the USA to convince people of women’s human rights to choice and the ballot. She is most well known for her act of righteous rebellion in 1872 when she voted in the presidential election illegally, for which she was arrested and tried unsuccessfully. She refused to pay the $100 fine in a bid to reject the demands of the American system she denounced as a ‘hateful oligarchy of sex’, sparking change with her righteous oratory and inspiring many others in the women’s suffrage movement within and beyond America.
7. Vladimir Lenin’s Speech at an International Meeting in Berne, February 8, 1916
“It may sound incredible, especially to Swiss comrades, but it is nevertheless true that in Russia, also, not only bloody tsarism, not only the capitalists, but also a section of the so-called or ex-Socialists say that Russia is fighting a “war of defence,” that Russia is only fighting against German invasion. The whole world knows, however, that for decades tsarism has been oppressing more than a hundred million people belonging to other nationalities in Russia; that for decades Russia has been pursuing a predatory policy towards China, Persia, Armenia and Galicia. Neither Russia, nor Germany, nor any other Great Power has the right to claim that it is waging a “war of defence”; all the Great Powers are waging an imperialist, capitalist war, a predatory war, a war for the oppression of small and foreign nations, a war for the sake of the profits of the capitalists, who are coining golden profits amounting to billions out of the appalling sufferings of the masses, out of the blood of the proletariat. … This again shows you, comrades, that in all countries of the world real preparations are being made to rally the forces of the working class. The horrors of war and the sufferings of the people are incredible. But we must not, and we have no reason whatever, to view the future with despair. The millions of victims who will fall in the war, and as a consequence of the war, will not fall in vain. The millions who are starving, the millions who are sacrificing their lives in the trenches, are not only suffering, they are also gathering strength, are pondering over the real cause of the war, are becoming more determined and are acquiring a clearer revolutionary understanding. Rising discontent of the masses, growing ferment, strikes, demonstrations, protests against the war—all this is taking place in all countries of the world. And this is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism”
Vladimir Lenin remains to this day one of the most lauded communist revolutionaries in the world who brought the dangers of imperialism and capitalism to light with his rousing speeches condemning capitalist structures of power which inevitably enslave people to lives of misery and class stratification. In his genuine passion for the rights of the working class, he urged fellow comrades to turn the “imperialist war” into a “civil” or class war of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. He encouraged the development of new revolutionary socialist organisations, solidarity across places in society so people could unite against their capitalist overlords, and criticised nationalism for its divisive effect on the socialist movement. In this speech especially, he lambasts “bloody Tsarism” for its oppression of millions of people of other nationalities in Russia, calling for the working class people to revolt against the Tsarist authority for the proletariat revolution to succeed and liberate them from class oppression.
8. I Have A Dream Speech by Mary Wollstonecraft
“If, I say, for I would not impress by declamation when Reason offers her sober light, if they be really capable of acting like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; or, like the brutes who are dependent on the reason of man, when they associate with him; but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime curb of principle, and let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God. Teach them, in common with man, to submit to necessity, instead of giving, to render them more pleasing, a sex to morals. Further, should experience prove that they cannot attain the same degree of strength of mind, perseverance, and fortitude, let their virtues be the same in kind, though they may vainly struggle for the same degree; and the superiority of man will be equally clear, if not clearer; and truth, as it is a simple principle, which admits of no modification, would be common to both. Nay, the order of society as it is at present regulated would not be inverted, for woman would then only have the rank that reason assigned her, and arts could not be practised to bring the balance even, much less to turn it.”
In her vindication of the rights of women, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement back in 1792 who not only theorised and advocated revolutionarily, but gave speeches that voiced these challenges against a dominantly sexist society intent on classifying women as irrational less-than-human creatures to be enslaved as they were. In this landmark speech, she pronounces her ‘dream’ of a day when women would be treated as the rational, deserving humans they are, who are equal to man in strength and capability. With this speech setting an effective precedent for her call to equalize women before the law, she also went on to champion the provision of equal educational opportunities to women and girls, and persuasively argued against the patriarchal gender norms which prevented women from finding their own lot in life through their being locked into traditional institutions of marriage and motherhood against their will.
9. First Inaugural Speech by Franklin D Roosevelt
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. … More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly. … I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken Nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption. But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis — broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.”
Roosevelt’s famous inaugural speech was delivered in the midst of a period of immense tension and strain under the Great Depression, where he highlighted the need for ‘quick action’ by Congress to prepare for government expansion in his pursuit of reforms to lift the American people out of devastating poverty. In a landslide victory, he certainly consolidated the hopes and will of the American people through this compelling speech.
10. The Hypocrisy of American Slavery by Frederick Douglass
“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”
On 4 July 1852, Frederick Douglass gave this speech in Rochester, New York, highlighting the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while slavery continues. He exposed the ‘revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy’ of slavery which had gone unabolished amidst the comparatively obscene celebration of independence and liberty with his potent speech and passion for the anti-abolition cause. After escaping from slavery, he went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York with his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. To this day, his fierce activism and devotion to exposing virulent racism for what it was has left a lasting legacy upon pro-Black social movements and the overall sociopolitical landscape of America.
11. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.”
With her iconic poem Still I Rise , Maya Angelou is well-known for uplifting fellow African American women through her empowering novels and poetry and her work as a civil rights activist. Every bit as lyrical on the page, her recitation of Still I Rise continues to give poetry audiences shivers all over the world, inspiring women of colour everywhere to keep the good faith in striving for equality and peace, while radically believing in and empowering themselves to be agents of change. A dramatic reading of the poem will easily showcase the self-belief, strength and punch that it packs in the last stanza on the power of resisting marginalization.
12. Their Finest Hour by Winston Churchill
“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.””
In the darkest shadows cast by war, few leaders have been able to step up to the mantle and effectively unify millions of citizens for truly sacrificial causes. Winston Churchill was the extraordinary exception – lifting 1940 Britain out of the darkness with his hopeful, convicted rhetoric to galvanise the English amidst bleak, dreary days of war and loss. Through Britain’s standalone position in WWII against the Nazis, he left his legacy by unifying the nation under shared sacrifices of the army and commemorating their courage.
13. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
“Life for both sexes – and I looked at them (through a restaurant window while waiting for my lunch to be served), shouldering their way along the pavement – is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as we are, it calls for confidence in oneself. Without self-confidence we are babes in the cradle. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly? By thinking that other people are inferior to oneself. By feeling that one has some innate superiority – it may be wealth, or rank, a straight nose, or the portrait of a grandfather by Romney – for there is no end to the pathetic devices of the human imagination – over other people. Hence the enormous importance to a patriarch who has to conquer, who has to rule, of feeling that great numbers of people, half the human race indeed, are by nature inferior to himself. It must indeed be one of the great sources of his power….Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Without that power probably the earth would still be swamp and jungle. The glories of all our wars would be on the remains of mutton bones and bartering flints for sheepskins or whatever simple ornament took our unsophisticated taste. Supermen and Fingers of Destiny would never have existed. The Czar and the Kaiser would never have worn their crowns or lost them. Whatever may be their use in civilised societies, mirrors are essential to all violent and heroic action. That is why Napoleon and Mussolini both insist so emphatically upon the inferiority of women, for if they were not inferior, they would cease to enlarge. That serves to explain in part the necessity that women so often are to men. And it serves to explain how restless they are under her criticism; how impossible it is for her to say to them this book is bad, this picture is feeble, or whatever it may be, without giving far more pain and rousing far more anger than a man would do who gave the same criticism. For if she begins to tell the truth, the figure in the looking-glass shrinks; his fitness in life is diminished. How is he to go on giving judgment, civilising natives, making laws, writing books, dressing up and speechifying at banquets, unless he can see himself at breakfast and at dinner at least twice the size he really is?”
In this transformational speech , Virginia Woolf pronounces her vision that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. She calls out the years in which women have been deprived of their own space for individual development through being chained to traditional arrangements or men’s prescriptions – demanding ‘gigantic courage’ and ‘confidence in oneself’ to brave through the onerous struggle of creating change for women’s rights. With her steadfast, stolid rhetoric and radical theorization, she paved the way for many women’s rights activists and writers to forge their own paths against patriarchal authority.
14. Inaugural Address by John F Kennedy
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
For what is probably the most historically groundbreaking use of parallelism in speech across American history, President JFK placed the weighty task of ‘asking what one can do for their country’ onto the shoulders of each American citizen. Using an air of firmness in his rhetoric by declaring his commitment to his countrymen, he urges each American to do the same for the broader, noble ideal of freedom for all. With his crucial interrogation of a citizen’s moral duty to his nation, President JFK truly made history.
15. Atoms for Peace Speech by Dwight Eisenhower
“To pause there would be to confirm the hopeless finality of a belief that two atomic colossi are doomed malevolently to eye each other indefinitely across a trembling world. To stop there would be to accept helplessly the probability of civilization destroyed, the annihilation of the irreplaceable heritage of mankind handed down to us from generation to generation, and the condemnation of mankind to begin all over again the age-old struggle upward from savagery towards decency, and right, and justice. Surely no sane member of the human race could discover victory in such desolation. Could anyone wish his name to be coupled by history with such human degradation and destruction?Occasional pages of history do record the faces of the “great destroyers”, but the whole book of history reveals mankind’s never-ending quest for peace and mankind’s God-given capacity to build. It is with the book of history, and not with isolated pages, that the United States will ever wish to be identified. My country wants to be constructive,not destructive. It wants agreements, not wars, among nations. It wants itself to live in freedom and in the confidence that the peoples of every other nation enjoy equally the right of choosing their own way of life. So my country’s purpose is to help us to move out of the dark chamber of horrors into the light, to find a way by which the minds of men, the hopes of men, the souls of men everywhere, can move forward towards peace and happiness and well-being.”
On a possibility as frightful and tense as nuclear war, President Eisenhower managed to convey the gravity of the world’s plight in his measured and persuasive speech centred on the greater good of mankind. Using rhetorical devices such as the three-part paratactical syntax which most world leaders are fond of for ingraining their words in the minds of their audience, he centers the discourse of the atomic bomb on those affected by such a world-changing decision in ‘the minds, hopes and souls of men everywhere’ – effectively putting the vivid image of millions of people’s fates at stake in the minds of his audience. Being able to make a topic as heavy and fraught with moral conflict as this as eloquent as he did, Eisenhower definitely ranks among some of the most skilled orators to date.
16. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde
“I was going to die, if not sooner then later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences. What are the words you do not have yet? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? Perhaps for some of you here today, I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am a woman, because I am black, because I am myself, a black woman warrior poet doing my work, come to ask you, are you doing yours?”
Revolutionary writer, feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde first delivered this phenomenal speech at Lesbian and Literature panel of the Modern Language Association’s December 28, 1977 meeting, which went on to feature permanently in her writings for its sheer wisdom and truth. Her powerful writing and speech about living on the margins of society has enlightened millions of people discriminated across various intersections, confronting them with the reality that they must speak – since their ‘silence will not protect’ them from further marginalization. Through her illuminating words and oratory, she has reminded marginalized persons of the importance of their selfhood and the radical capacity for change they have in a world blighted by prejudice and division.
17. 1965 Cambridge Union Hall Speech by James Baldwin
“What is dangerous here is the turning away from – the turning away from – anything any white American says. The reason for the political hesitation, in spite of the Johnson landslide is that one has been betrayed by American politicians for so long. And I am a grown man and perhaps I can be reasoned with. I certainly hope I can be. But I don’t know, and neither does Martin Luther King, none of us know how to deal with those other people whom the white world has so long ignored, who don’t believe anything the white world says and don’t entirely believe anything I or Martin is saying. And one can’t blame them. You watch what has happened to them in less than twenty years.”
Baldwin’s invitation to the Cambridge Union Hall is best remembered for foregrounding the unflinching differences in white and African Americans’ ‘system of reality’ in everyday life. Raising uncomfortable truths about the insidious nature of racism post-civil war, he provides several nuggets of thought-provoking wisdom on the state of relations between the oppressed and their oppressors, and what is necessary to mediate such relations and destroy the exploitative thread of racist hatred. With great frankness, he admits to not having all the answers but provides hard-hitting wisdom on engagement to guide activists through confounding times nonetheless.
18. I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela
“Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs as it certainly must, it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Apartheid is still considered one of these most devastating events of world history, and it would not have ended without the crucial effort and words of Nelson Mandela during his courageous political leadership. In this heartbreaking speech , he voices his utter devotion to the fight against institutionalised racism in African society – an ideal for which he was ‘prepared to die for’. Mandela continues to remind us today of his moral conviction in leading, wherein the world would likely to be a better place if all politicians had the same resolve and genuine commitment to human rights and the abolition of oppression as he did.
19. Critique on British Imperialism by General Aung San
“Do they form their observations by seeing the attendances at not very many cinemas and theatres of Rangoon? Do they judge this question of money circulation by paying a stray visit to a local bazaar? Do they know that cinemas and theatres are not true indicators, at least in Burma, of the people’s conditions? Do they know that there are many in this country who cannot think of going to these places by having to struggle for their bare existence from day to day? Do they know that those who nowadays patronise or frequent cinemas and theatres which exist only in Rangoon and a few big towns, belong generally to middle and upper classes and the very few of the many poor who can attend at all are doing so as a desperate form of relaxation just to make them forget their unsupportable existences for the while whatever may be the tomorrow that awaits them?”
Under British colonial rule, one of the most legendary nationalist leaders emerged from the ranks of the thousands of Burmese to boldly lead them towards independence, out of the exploitation and control under the British. General Aung San’s speech criticising British social, political and economic control of Burma continues to be scathing, articulate, and relevant – especially given his necessary goal of uniting the Burmese natives against their common oppressor. He successfully galvanised his people against the British, taking endless risks through nationalist speeches and demonstrations which gradually bore fruit in Burma’s independence.
20. Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa
“I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the Body Of Christ 24 hours. We have 24 hours in this presence, and so you and I. You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our family don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy to bring peace–just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world. There is so much suffering, so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty–how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”
In contemporary culture, most people understand Mother Teresa to be the epitome of compassion and kindness. However, if one were to look closer at her speeches from the past, one would discover not merely her altruistic contributions, but her keen heart for social justice and the downtrodden. She wisely and gracefully remarks that ‘love begins at home’ from the individual actions of each person within their private lives, which accumulate into a life of goodness and charity. For this, her speeches served not just consolatory value or momentary relevance, as they still inform the present on how we can live lives worth living.
21. June 9 Speech to Martial Law Units by Deng Xiaoping
“This army still maintains the traditions of our old Red Army. What they crossed this time was in the true sense of the expression a political barrier, a threshold of life and death. This was not easy. This shows that the People’s Army is truly a great wall of iron and steel of the party and state. This shows that no matter how heavy our losses, the army, under the leadership of the party, will always remain the defender of the country, the defender of socialism, and the defender of the public interest. They are a most lovable people. At the same time, we should never forget how cruel our enemies are. We should have not one bit of forgiveness for them. The fact that this incident broke out as it did is very worthy of our pondering. It prompts us cool-headedly to consider the past and the future. Perhaps this bad thing will enable us to go ahead with reform and the open policy at a steadier and better — even a faster — pace, more speedily correct our mistakes, and better develop our strong points.”
Mere days before the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping sat with six party elders (senior officials) and the three remaining members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the paramount decision-making body in China’s government. The meeting was organised to discuss the best course of action for restoring social and political order to China, given the sweeping economic reforms that had taken place in the past decade that inevitably resulted in some social resistance from the populace. Deng then gave this astute and well-regarded speech, outlining the political complexities in shutting down student protests given the context of reforms encouraging economic liberalization already taking place, as aligned with the students’ desires. It may not be the most rousing or inflammatory of speeches, but it was certainly persuasive in voicing the importance of taking a strong stand for the economic reforms Deng was implementing to benefit Chinese citizens in the long run. Today, China is an economic superpower, far from its war-torn developing country status before Deng’s leadership – thanks to his foresight in ensuring political stability would allow China to enjoy the fruits of the massive changes they adapted to.
22. Freedom or Death by Emmeline Pankhurst
“You won your freedom in America when you had the revolution, by bloodshed, by sacrificing human life. You won the civil war by the sacrifice of human life when you decided to emancipate the negro. You have left it to women in your land, the men of all civilised countries have left it to women, to work out their own salvation. That is the way in which we women of England are doing. Human life for us is sacred, but we say if any life is to be sacrificed it shall be ours; we won’t do it ourselves, but we will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death. Now whether you approve of us or whether you do not, you must see that we have brought the question of women’s suffrage into a position where it is of first rate importance, where it can be ignored no longer. Even the most hardened politician will hesitate to take upon himself directly the responsibility of sacrificing the lives of women of undoubted honour, of undoubted earnestness of purpose. That is the political situation as I lay it before you today.”
In 1913 after Suffragette Emily Davison stepped in front of King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby and suffered fatal injuries, Emmeline Pankhurst delivered her speech to Connecticut as a call to action for people to support the suffragette movement. Her fortitude in delivering such a sobering speech on the state of women’s rights is worth remembering for its invaluable impact and contributions to the rights we enjoy in today’s world.
23. Quit India by Mahatma Gandhi
“We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with an inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery. Let that be your pledge. Keep jails out of your consideration. If the Government keep me free, I will not put on the Government the strain of maintaining a large number of prisoners at a time, when it is in trouble. Let every man and woman live every moment of his or her life hereafter in the consciousness that he or she eats or lives for achieving freedom and will die, if need be, to attain that goal. Take a pledge, with God and your own conscience as witness, that you will no longer rest till freedom is achieved and will be prepared to lay down your lives in the attempt to achieve it. He who loses his life will gain it; he who will seek to save it shall lose it. Freedom is not for the coward or the faint-hearted.”
Naturally, the revolutionary activist Gandhi had to appear in this list for his impassioned anti-colonial speeches which rallied Indians towards independence. Famous for leading non-violent demonstrations, his speeches were a key element in gathering Indians of all backgrounds together for the common cause of eliminating their colonial masters. His speeches were resolute, eloquent, and courageous, inspiring the hope and admiration of many not just within India, but around the world.
24. 1974 National Book Award Speech by Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde
“The statement I am going to read was prepared by three of the women nominated for the National Book Award for poetry, with the agreement that it would be read by whichever of us, if any, was chosen.We, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Alice Walker, together accept this award in the name of all the women whose voices have gone and still go unheard in a patriarchal world, and in the name of those who, like us, have been tolerated as token women in this culture, often at great cost and in great pain. We believe that we can enrich ourselves more in supporting and giving to each other than by competing against each other; and that poetry—if it is poetry—exists in a realm beyond ranking and comparison. We symbolically join together here in refusing the terms of patriarchal competition and declaring that we will share this prize among us, to be used as best we can for women. We appreciate the good faith of the judges for this award, but none of us could accept this money for herself, nor could she let go unquestioned the terms on which poets are given or denied honor and livelihood in this world, especially when they are women. We dedicate this occasion to the struggle for self-determination of all women, of every color, identification, or derived class: the poet, the housewife, the lesbian, the mathematician, the mother, the dishwasher, the pregnant teen-ager, the teacher, the grandmother, the prostitute, the philosopher, the waitress, the women who will understand what we are doing here and those who will not understand yet; the silent women whose voices have been denied us, the articulate women who have given us strength to do our work.”
Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and Alice Walker wrote this joint speech to be delivered by Adrienne Rich at the 1974 National Book Awards, based on their suspicions that the first few African American lesbian women to be nominated for the awards would be snubbed in favour of a white woman nominee. Their suspicions were confirmed, and Adrienne Rich delivered this socially significant speech in solidarity with her fellow nominees, upholding the voices of the ‘silent women whose voices have been denied’.
25. Speech to 20th Congress of the CPSU by Nikita Khruschev
“Considering the question of the cult of an individual, we must first of all show everyone what harm this caused to the interests of our Party. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin had always stressed the Party’s role and significance in the direction of the socialist government of workers and peasants; he saw in this the chief precondition for a successful building of socialism in our country. Pointing to the great responsibility of the Bolshevik Party, as ruling Party of the Soviet state, Lenin called for the most meticulous observance of all norms of Party life; he called for the realization of the principles of collegiality in the direction of the Party and the state. Collegiality of leadership flows from the very nature of our Party, a Party built on the principles of democratic centralism. “This means,” said Lenin, “that all Party matters are accomplished by all Party members – directly or through representatives – who, without any exceptions, are subject to the same rules; in addition, all administrative members, all directing collegia, all holders of Party positions are elective, they must account for their activities and are recallable.””
This speech is possibly the most famed Russian speech for its status as a ‘secret’ speech delivered only to the CPSU at the time, which was eventually revealed to the public. Given the unchallenged political legacy and cult of personality which Stalin left in the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev’s speech condemning the authoritarian means Stalin had resorted to to consolidate power as un-socialist was an important mark in Russian history.
26. The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt
“It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism — the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for three thousand years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come. The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action. No one race and on one people can claim to have done all the work to achieve greater dignity for human beings and great freedom to develop human personality. In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”
Eleanor Roosevelt has been among the most well-loved First Ladies for good reason – her eloquence and gravitas in delivering every speech convinced everyone of her suitability for the oval office. In this determined and articulate speech , she outlines the fundamental values that form the bedrock of democracy, urging the rest of the world to uphold human rights regardless of national ideology and interests.
27. The Ballot or The Bullet by Malcolm X
“And in this manner, the organizations will increase in number and in quantity and in quality, and by August, it is then our intention to have a black nationalist convention which will consist of delegates from all over the country who are interested in the political, economic and social philosophy of black nationalism. After these delegates convene, we will hold a seminar; we will hold discussions; we will listen to everyone. We want to hear new ideas and new solutions and new answers. And at that time, if we see fit then to form a black nationalist party, we’ll form a black nationalist party. If it’s necessary to form a black nationalist army, we’ll form a black nationalist army. It’ll be the ballot or the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death.”
Inarguably, the revolutionary impact Malcolm X’s fearless oratory had was substantial in his time as a radical anti-racist civil rights activist. His speeches’ emancipatory potential put forth his ‘theory of rhetorical action’ where he urges Black Americans to employ both the ballot and the bullet, strategically without being dependent on the other should the conditions of oppression change. A crucial leader in the fight for civil rights, he opened the eyes of thousands of Black Americans, politicising and convincing them of the necessity of fighting for their democratic rights against white supremacists.
28. Living the Revolution by Gloria Steinem
“The challenge to all of us, and to you men and women who are graduating today, is to live a revolution, not to die for one. There has been too much killing, and the weapons are now far too terrible. This revolution has to change consciousness, to upset the injustice of our current hierarchy by refusing to honor it, and to live a life that enforces a new social justice. Because the truth is none of us can be liberated if other groups are not.”
In an unexpected commencement speech delivered at Vassar College in 1970, Gloria Steinem boldly makes a call to action on behalf of marginalized groups in need of liberation to newly graduated students. She proclaimed it the year of Women’s Liberation and forcefully highlighted the need for a social revolution to ‘upset the injustice of the current hierarchy’ in favour of human rights – echoing the hard-hitting motto on social justice, ‘until all of us are free, none of us are free’.
29. The Last Words of Harvey Milk by Harvey Milk
“I cannot prevent some people from feeling angry and frustrated and mad in response to my death, but I hope they will take the frustration and madness and instead of demonstrating or anything of that type, I would hope that they would take the power and I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out, stand up and let the world know. That would do more to end prejudice overnight than anybody could imagine. I urge them to do that, urge them to come out. Only that way will we start to achieve our rights. … All I ask is for the movement to continue, and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door…”
As the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, Harvey Milk’s entire political candidature was in itself a radical statement against the homophobic status quo at the time. Given the dangerous times he was in as an openly gay man, he anticipated that he would be assassinated eventually in his political career. As such, these are some of his last words which show the utter devotion he had to campaigning against homophobia while representing the American people, voicing his heartbreaking wish for the bullet that would eventually kill him to ‘destroy every closet door’.
30. Black Power Address at UC Berkeley by Stokely Carmichael
“Now we are now engaged in a psychological struggle in this country, and that is whether or not black people will have the right to use the words they want to use without white people giving their sanction to it; and that we maintain, whether they like it or not, we gonna use the word “Black Power” — and let them address themselves to that; but that we are not going to wait for white people to sanction Black Power. We’re tired waiting; every time black people move in this country, they’re forced to defend their position before they move. It’s time that the people who are supposed to be defending their position do that. That’s white people. They ought to start defending themselves as to why they have oppressed and exploited us.”
A forceful and impressive orator, Stokely Carmichael was among those at the forefront of the civil rights movement, who was a vigorous socialist organizer as well. He led the Black Power movement wherein he gave this urgent, influential speech that propelled Black Americans forward in their fight for constitutional rights in the 1960s.
31. Speech on Vietnam by Lyndon Johnson
“The true peace-keepers are those men who stand out there on the DMZ at this very hour, taking the worst that the enemy can give. The true peace-keepers are the soldiers who are breaking the terrorist’s grip around the villages of Vietnam—the civilians who are bringing medical care and food and education to people who have already suffered a generation of war. And so I report to you that we are going to continue to press forward. Two things we must do. Two things we shall do. First, we must not mislead the enemy. Let him not think that debate and dissent will produce wavering and withdrawal. For I can assure you they won’t. Let him not think that protests will produce surrender. Because they won’t. Let him not think that he will wait us out. For he won’t. Second, we will provide all that our brave men require to do the job that must be done. And that job is going to be done. These gallant men have our prayers-have our thanks—have our heart-felt praise—and our deepest gratitude. Let the world know that the keepers of peace will endure through every trial—and that with the full backing of their countrymen, they are going to prevail.”
During some of the most harrowing periods of human history, the Vietnam War, American soldiers were getting soundly defeated by the Vietnamese in guerrilla warfare. President Lyndon Johnson then issued this dignified, consolatory speech to encourage patriotism and support for the soldiers putting their lives on the line for the nation.
32. A Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher
“We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks. Are you human? And this is the right question. Are you human? Because people with HIV have not entered some alien state of being. They are human. They have not earned cruelty, and they do not deserve meanness. They don’t benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts. Each of them is exactly what God made: a person; not evil, deserving of our judgment; not victims, longing for our pity people, ready for support and worthy of compassion. We must be consistent if we are to be believed. We cannot love justice and ignore prejudice, love our children and fear to teach them. Whatever our role as parent or policymaker, we must act as eloquently as we speak else we have no integrity. My call to the nation is a plea for awareness. If you believe you are safe, you are in danger. Because I was not hemophiliac, I was not at risk. Because I was not gay, I was not at risk. Because I did not inject drugs, I was not at risk. The lesson history teaches is this: If you believe you are safe, you are at risk. If you do not see this killer stalking your children, look again. There is no family or community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe. Until we genuinely embrace this message, we are a nation at risk.”
Back when AIDS research was still undeveloped, the stigma of contracting HIV was even more immense than it is today. A celebrated artist, author and speaker, Mary Fisher became an outspoken activist for those with HIV/AIDS, persuading people to extend compassion to the population with HIV instead of stigmatizing them – as injustice has a way of coming around to people eventually. Her bold act of speaking out for the community regardless of the way they contracted the disease, their sexual orientation or social group, was an influential move in advancing the human rights of those with HIV and spreading awareness on the discrimination they face.
33. Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi
“The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation’s development. A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration. It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear. Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”
Famous for her resoluteness and fortitude in campaigning for democracy in Burma despite being put under house arrest by the military government, Aung San Suu Kyi’s speeches have been widely touted as inspirational. In this renowned speech of hers, she delivers a potent message to Burmese to ‘liberate their minds from apathy and fear’ in the struggle for freedom and human rights in the country. To this day, she continues to tirelessly champion the welfare and freedom of Burmese in a state still overcome by vestiges of authoritarian rule.
34. This Is Water by David Foster Wallace
“Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the centre of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving…. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day. That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”
Esteemed writer David Foster Wallace gave a remarkably casual yet wise commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005 on the importance of learning to think beyond attaining a formal education. He encouraged hundreds of students to develop freedom of thought, a heart of sacrificial care for those in need of justice, and a consciousness that would serve them in discerning the right choices to make within a status quo that is easy to fall in line with. His captivating speech on what it meant to truly be ‘educated’ tugged at the hearts of many young and critical minds striving to achieve their dreams and change the world.
35. Questioning the Universe by Stephen Hawking
“This brings me to the last of the big questions: the future of the human race. If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy, we should make sure we survive and continue. But we are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history. Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million. Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward-looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space. The answers to these big questions show that we have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space. That is why I am in favor of manned — or should I say, personned — space flight.”
Extraordinary theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking was a considerable influence upon modern physics and scientific research at large, inspiring people regardless of physical ability to aspire towards expanding knowledge in the world. In his speech on Questioning the Universe, he speaks of the emerging currents and issues in the scientific world like that of outer space, raising and answering big questions that have stumped great thinkers for years.
36. 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech by Michelle Obama
“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history — knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country: People who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight, and head out for the night shift — without disappointment, without regret — that goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they’re working for. The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table. The servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it. The young people across America serving our communities — teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day. People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters — and sons — can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher. People like Joe Biden, who’s never forgotten where he came from and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again. All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack’s journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.”
Ever the favourite modern First Lady of America, Michelle Obama has delivered an abundance of iconic speeches in her political capacity, never forgetting to foreground the indomitable human spirit embodied in American citizens’ everyday lives and efforts towards a better world. The Obamas might just have been the most articulate couple of rhetoricians of their time, making waves as the first African American president and First Lady while introducing important policies in their period of governance.
37. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
“I’m not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope — Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.”
Now published into a book, Barack Obama’s heart-capturing personal story of transformational hope was first delivered as a speech on the merits of patriotic optimism and determination put to the mission of concrete change. He has come to be known as one of the most favoured and inspiring presidents in American history, and arguably the most skilled orators ever.
38. “Be Your Own Story” by Toni Morrison
“But I’m not going to talk anymore about the future because I’m hesitant to describe or predict because I’m not even certain that it exists. That is to say, I’m not certain that somehow, perhaps, a burgeoning ménage a trois of political interests, corporate interests and military interests will not prevail and literally annihilate an inhabitable, humane future. Because I don’t think we can any longer rely on separation of powers, free speech, religious tolerance or unchallengeable civil liberties as a matter of course. That is, not while finite humans in the flux of time make decisions of infinite damage. Not while finite humans make infinite claims of virtue and unassailable power that are beyond their competence, if not their reach. So, no happy talk about the future. … Because the past is already in debt to the mismanaged present. And besides, contrary to what you may have heard or learned, the past is not done and it is not over, it’s still in process, which is another way of saying that when it’s critiqued, analyzed, it yields new information about itself. The past is already changing as it is being reexamined, as it is being listened to for deeper resonances. Actually it can be more liberating than any imagined future if you are willing to identify its evasions, its distortions, its lies, and are willing to unleash its secrets.”
Venerated author and professor Toni Morrison delivered an impressively articulate speech at Wellesley College in 2004 to new graduates, bucking the trend by discussing the importance of the past in informing current and future ways of living. With her brilliance and eloquence, she blew the crowd away and renewed in them the capacity for reflection upon using the past as a talisman to guide oneself along the journey of life.
39. Nobel Speech by Malala Yousafzai
“Dear brothers and sisters, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call “strong” are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult? As we are living in the modern age, the 21st century and we all believe that nothing is impossible. We can reach the moon and maybe soon will land on Mars. Then, in this, the 21st century, we must be determined that our dream of quality education for all will also come true. So let us bring equality, justice and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty. So we must work … and not wait. I call upon my fellow children to stand up around the world. Dear sisters and brothers, let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. The empty classrooms, the lost childhoods, wasted potential-let these things end with us.”
At a mere 16 years of age, Malala Yousafzai gave a speech on the severity of the state of human rights across the world, and wowed the world with her passion for justice at her tender age. She displayed tenacity and fearlessness speaking about her survival of an assassination attempt for her activism for gender equality in the field of education. A model of courage to us all, her speech remains an essential one in the fight for human rights in the 21st century.
40. Final Commencement Speech by Michelle Obama
“If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that’s why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh — these religions are teaching our young people about justice, and compassion, and honesty. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, our glorious diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds — that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are. So the young people here and the young people out there: Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are. But I also want to be very clear: This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day. You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms. … It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe they, too, will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.”
Finally, we have yet another speech by Michelle Obama given in her final remarks as First Lady – a tear-inducing event for many Americans and even people around the world. In this emotional end to her political tenure, she gives an empowering, hopeful, expressive speech to young Americans, exhorting them to take hold of its future in all their diversity and work hard at being their best possible selves.
Amidst the bleak era of our current time with Trump as president of the USA, not only Michelle Obama, but all 40 of these amazing speeches can serve as sources of inspiration and hope to everyone – regardless of their identity or ambitions. After hearing these speeches, which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh
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10 uplifting speeches from history that will inspire you in times of crisis
Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history. Those speeches still inspire us today.
Famous speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address still resonate today.
Lesser-known speeches like Hillary Clinton's "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" and Nora Ephron's commencement address are considered inspirational.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .
While history is no stranger to crises, there are always leaders who come forward to help usher in more hopeful times by crafting and delivering impactful speeches.
Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Maya Angelou have all delivered speeches that inspired millions — and some even changed the course of history.
Take a look back at some of the most famous speeches from history that still move us today.
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863 reminds people to honor those we have lost.
President Abraham Lincoln gave a relatively short speech at the deadliest battle site during the Civil War on November 19, 1863. Although it wasn't meant to be monumental, some call it the best speech in history. In it, Lincoln tells his people that they must remember each and every person who fought and died on the battlefield, especially because every human is created equal.
"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," Lincoln says in the address. "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
In 1938, Lou Gehrig gave his "Luckiest Man" that celebrated the beauty of life.
On July 4, 1938, Lou Gehrig delivered a speech at Yankee Stadium after it was revealed that the baseball player had ALS. Although he was delivering devastating news to his fans in the speech, he instead focused on everything life has to offer.
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," he said in the speech. "I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
Winston Churchill delivered the "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech in 1940, showing the strength of the human spirit.
On June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Parliament during a particularly difficult time in World War II. Smithsonian Magazine called it "one of the most rousing and iconic addresses" of the era. In the speech, the prime minister told his people that they would fight together and use all their strength to defeat their enemies.
"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender," Churchill says in the famous speech .
In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave his "Quit India" speech, which encouraged peaceful protests.
The day before the Quit India movement started, Mahatma Gandhi delivered an inspiring speech, on August 8, 1942 . In the speech, he told his people to resist the British government but to do so in a peaceful, organized manner. He focused on the benefits of a nonviolent uprising, which became the cornerstone of his beliefs.
The most famous line from the speech is: "I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours."
John F. Kennedy delivered "The Decision to Go to The Moon" speech in 1961, proving humans know no bounds.
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to Congress and the world that the US was committed to sending an American to the moon. In the inspiring speech , the president explains the ambitious goal as one of necessity.
"Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, 'Because it is there,'" Kennedy said in his speech. "Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."
Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in 1963 reminds people there is always something better on the horizon.
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered what is arguably the most famous and most inspiring speech in American history. Before the historic March on Washington, King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the 250,000 attendees, calling for the end of discrimination and racism by dreaming about a brighter future.
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," he said in the speech. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."
In 1993, Maya Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration in an attempt to bring the global community together.
On the morning of President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, poet Maya Angelou delivered a moving speech when she read out her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning." It was the first time a poem had been recited at the ceremony since 1961 . In it, Angelou touched upon topics of equality and inclusion, and she attempted to inspire the world to unite under these principles.
Part of the poem reads:
"The river sings and sings on. There is a true yearning to respond to The singing river and the wise rock. So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, The African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear The speaking of the tree."
Hillary Clinton delivered the "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" speech in 1995, saying those who are suppressed also have a voice.
As the first lady, Hillary Clinton attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She was pressured to water down her message, but instead, she delivered a moving speech that still resonates today. In it, she said women who are held back by sexist governments should be set free and heard.
"If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all," Clinton said in the speech. "Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard."
Nora Ephron encouraged people to break the rules in her commencement address to Wellesley College in 1996.
While Nora Ephron is known for penning some of the most famous films in the '80s and '90s, she also made a legendary speech at the 1996 Wellesley College graduation ceremony . In it, she inspired women to break free of the mold placed on them.
"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there," Ephron said in the speech. "And I also hope you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."
She also said, "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."
In 1977, Harvey Milk gave his "Give Them Hope" speech, urging people to celebrate their differences and to hold on to messages of hope.
When he was running for local office in California, Harvey Milk delivered his "Give Them Hope" remarks as a stump speech . It was meant to rally supporters behind him, but it quickly became a speech of hope and celebration for the LGBT community.
"And the young gay people in Altoona, Pennsylvanias, and the Richmond, Minnesotas, who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant on television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope," Milk said in his speech . "Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only are the gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the 'us-es.' The 'us-es' will give up."
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in: Character , Featured , Knowledge of Men
Brett & Kate McKay • August 24, 2020 • Last updated: August 25, 2021
The 35 Greatest Speeches in History
These famous speeches lifted hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters of men, inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary, honored the dead, and changed the course of history.
How did we compile this list?
Great oratory has three components: style, substance, and impact.
Style: A great speech must be masterfully constructed. The best orators are masters of both the written and spoken word, and use words to create texts that are beautiful to both hear and read.
Substance: A speech may be flowery and charismatically presented, and yet lack any true substance at all. Great oratory must center on a worthy theme; it must appeal to and inspire the audience’s finest values and ideals.
Impact: Great oratory always seeks to persuade the audience of some fact or idea. The very best speeches change hearts and minds and seem as revelatory several decades or centuries removed as when they were first given.
And now for the speeches.
Contents [ hide ]
1. Theodore Roosevelt, "Duties of American Citizenship"
2. Winston Churchill, "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"
3. Lou Gehrig, "Farewell to Baseball Address"
4. Demosthenes, "The Third Philippic"
5. Chief Joseph, "Surrender Speech"
6. John F. Kennedy, "Inauguration Address"
7. Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Challenger"
8. "speech of alexander the great", 9. william wilberforce, "abolition speech", 10. theodore roosevelt, "the man with the muck-rake", 11. franklin delano roosevelt, "first inaugural address", 12. charles de gaulle, "the appeal of 18 june", 13. socrates, "apology", 14. george washington, "resignation speech", 15. mahatma gandhi, "quit india", 16. winston churchill, "their finest hour", 17. william faulkner, "nobel prize acceptance speech", 18. dwight d. eisenhower, "farewell address", 19. marcus tullius cicero, "the first oration against catiline", 20. ronald reagan, "remarks at the brandenburg gate", 21. pericles, "funeral oration", 22. general douglas macarthur, "farewell address to congress", 23. theodore roosevelt, "strength and decency", 24. abraham lincoln, "2nd inaugural address", 25. patrick henry, "give me liberty or give me death", 26. ronald reagan, "40th anniversary of d-day".
27. John F. Kennedy, "The Decision to Go to the Moon"
28. Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
29. general douglas macarthur, "duty, honor, country", 30. theodore roosevelt, "citizenship in a republic", 31. winston churchill, "blood, sweat, and tears", 32. franklin delano roosevelt, "pearl harbor address to the nation", 33. jesus christ, "the sermon on the mount", 34. martin luther king jr., "i have a dream", 35. abraham lincoln, "the gettysburg address", 1. theodore roosevelt, “duties of american citizenship”.
January 26, 1883; Buffalo , New York
Given while serving as a New York assemblyman, TR's address on the "Duties of American Citizenship" delved into both the theoretical reasons why every man should be involved in politics and the practical means of serving in that capacity. Roosevelt chided those who excused themselves from politics because they were too busy; it was every man's duty to devote some time to maintaining good government.
Worthy Excerpt:
Of course, in one sense, the first essential for a man's being a good citizen is his possession of the home virtues of which we think when we call a man by the emphatic adjective of manly. No man can be a good citizen who is not a good husband and a good father, who is not honest in his dealings with other men and women, faithful to his friends and fearless in the presence of his foes, who has not got a sound heart, a sound mind, and a sound body; exactly as no amount of attention to civil duties will save a nation if the domestic life is undermined, or there is lack of the rude military virtues which alone can assure a country's position in the world. In a free republic the ideal citizen must be one willing and able to take arms for the defense of the flag, exactly as the ideal citizen must be the father of many healthy children. A race must be strong and vigorous; it must be a race of good fighters and good breeders, else its wisdom will come to naught and its virtue be ineffective; and no sweetness and delicacy, no love for and appreciation of beauty in art or literature, no capacity for building up material prosperity can possibly atone for the lack of the great virile virtues. But this is aside from my subject, for what I wish to talk of is the attitude of the American citizen in civic life. It ought to be axiomatic in this country that every man must devote a reasonable share of his time to doing his duty in the Political life of the community. No man has a right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small cleans it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common--in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle for life. In so far as the community grows to think rightly, it will likewise grow to regard the young man of means who shirks his duty to the State in time of peace as being only one degree worse than the man who thus shirks it in time of war. A great many of our men in business, or of our young men who are bent on enjoying life (as they have a perfect right to do if only they do not sacrifice other things to enjoyment), rather plume themselves upon being good citizens if they even vote; yet voting is the very least of their duties, Nothing worth gaining is ever gained without effort. You can no more have freedom without striving and suffering for it than you can win success as a banker or a lawyer without labor and effort, without self-denial in youth and the display of a ready and alert intelligence in middle age. The people who say that they have not time to attend to politics are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community.
Read full text of speech here .
2. Winston Churchill, “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”
June 4, 1940 ; House of Commons, London
Winston Churchill, one of the greatest orators of the 20th century, was interestingly enough, like Demosthenes and other great orators before him, born with a speech impediment which he worked on until it no longer hindered him. One would never guess this from hearing Churchill's strong and reassuring voice, a voice that would buoy up Britain during some of her darkest hours.
During the Battle of France, Allied Forces became cut off from troops south of the German penetration and perilously trapped at the Dunkirk bridgehead. On May 26, a wholesale evacuation of these troops, dubbed "Operation Dynamo," began. The evacuation was an amazing effort-the RAF kept the Luftwaffe at bay while thousands of ships, from military destroyers to small fishing boats, were used to ferry 338,000 French and British troops to safety, far more than anyone had thought possible. On June 4, Churchill spoke before the House of Commons, giving a report which celebrated the "miraculous deliverance" at Dunkirk, while also seeking to temper a too rosy of view of what was on the whole a "colossal military disaster."
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.
Check out my podcast with Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts .
3. Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”
July 4, 1939; Yankee Stadium
It seemed as if the luminous career of Lou Gehrig would go on forever. The Yankee's first baseman and prodigious slugger was nicknamed the Iron Horse for his durability and commitment to the game. Sadly, his record for suiting up for 2,130 consecutive games came to an end when at age 36, Gehrig was stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name. On July 4, 1939, the Yankees held a ceremony to honor their teammate and friend. They retired Gehrig's number, spoke of his greatness, and presented him with various gifts, plaques, and trophies. When Gehrig finally addressed the crowd, he did not use the opportunity to wallow in pity. Instead, he spoke of the things he was grateful for and what a lucky guy he was.
Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert - also the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow - to have spent the next nine years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins - then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology - the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy! Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that's something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break - but I have an awful lot to live for!
4. Demosthenes, “The Third Philippic”
342 B.C.; Athens, Greece
Demosthenes, master statesman and orator, loved his city-state of Athens. He cherished its way of life and abundant freedoms. And he believed in standing strong against anyone who might attempt to infringe on these privileges. This passion, unfortunately, was seldom shared by his fellow Athenians. While Philip the II of Macedon made bolder and bolder incursions into the Greek peninsula, the Athenian people seemed stuck in an apathetic stupor. For years, Demosthenes employed his powerful oratorical skills in attempts to awaken his fellow citizens from sleep to the realization of the imminent danger Philip posed. When Philip advanced on Thrace, the Athenians called an assembly to debate whether or not to finally heed the great orator's advice. Demosthenes was sick of his brethren taking liberty and the Athenian way of life for granted and he boldly called upon them to rise up and take action. After his rousing speech, the assembly all cried out, "To arms! To arms!"
It is this fate, I solemnly assure you, that I dread for you, when the time comes that you make your reckoning, and realize that there is no longer anything that can be done. May you never find yourselves, men of Athens, in such a position! Yet in any case, it were better to die ten thousand deaths, than to do anything out of servility towards Philip [or to sacrifice any of those who speak for your good]. A noble recompense did the people in Oreus receive, for entrusting themselves to Philip's friends, and thrusting Euphraeus aside! And a noble recompense the democracy of Eretria, for driving away your envoys, and surrendering to Cleitarchus! They are slaves, scourged and butchered! A noble clemency did he show to the Olynthians, who elected Lasthenes to command the cavalry, and banished Apollonides! It is folly, and it is cowardice, to cherish hopes like these, to give way to evil counsels, to refuse to do anything that you should do, to listen to the advocates of the enemy's cause, and to fancy that you dwell in so great a city that, whatever happens, you will not suffer any harm.
5. Chief Joseph, “Surrender Speech”
October 5, 1877; Montana Territory
In 1877, the military announced that the Chief Joseph and his tribe of Nez Perce had to move onto a reservation in Idaho or face retribution. Desiring to avoid violence, Chief Joseph advocated peace and cooperation. But fellow tribesmen dissented and killed four white men. Knowing a swift backlash was coming, Joseph and his people began to make their way to Canada, hoping to find amnesty there. The tribe traveled 1700 miles, fighting the pursuing US army along the way. In dire conditions, and after a five day battle, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles on Oct. 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana Territory, a mere 40 miles from the Canadian border. The Chief knew he was the last of a dying breed, and the moment of surrender was heartbreaking.
Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.
6. John F. Kennedy, “Inauguration Address”
January 20, 1961; Washington, D.C.
Young, handsome, with a glamorous family in tow, John F. Kennedy embodied the fresh optimism that had marked the post-war decade. On January 20, 1961, Kennedy took the oath of office as the 35th President of the United States. The youngest president in United States history, he was the first man born in the 20th century to hold that office. Listening to his inaugural address, the nation felt that a new era and a "new frontier" were being ushered in.
Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Listen to the speech.
January 28, 1986; Washington, D.C.
On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans, many of them schoolchildren watching from their classroom desks, tuned in to see 7 Americans, including Christa McAuliffe, a 37 year old schoolteacher and the first ever "civilian astronaut," lift off in the space shuttle Challenger. Just 73 seconds later, the shuttle was consumed in a fireball. All seven aboard perished. These were the first deaths of American astronauts while in flight, and the nation was shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy. Just a few hours after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan took to the radio and airwaves, honoring these "pioneers" and offering comfort and assurance to a rattled people.
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers. And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...... The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'
Check out our podcast with Ronald Regan biographer Bob Sptiz.
326 B.C.; Hydaspes River, India
In 335 B.C., Alexander the Great began his campaign to recapture former Greek cities and to expand his empire. After ten years of undefeated battles, Alexander controlled an empire that included Greece, Egypt, and what had been the massive Persian Empire.
That wasn't enough for Xander. He decided to continue his conquest into India. But after ten years of fighting and being away from home, his men lacked the will to take part in another battle, especially against an opponent like King Porus and his army. Alexander used the talent for oration he had developed while studying under Aristotle to infuse his men with the motivation they needed to continue on, to fight and to win.
I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labour and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all. The conquered territory belongs to you; from your ranks the governors of it are chosen; already the greater part of its treasure passes into your hands, and when all Asia is overrun, then indeed I will go further than the mere satisfaction of our ambitions: the utmost hopes of riches or power which each one of you cherishes will be far surpassed, and whoever wishes to return home will be allowed to go, either with me or without me. I will make those who stay the envy of those who return.
Check out the AoM podcast about the life of Alexander the Great.
May 12, 1789; House of Commons, London
When William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, converted to Christianity, he began to earnestly seek to reform the evils he found within himself and the world around him. One of the glaring moral issues of the day was slavery, and after reading up on the subject and meeting with anti-slavery activists, Wilberforce became convinced that God was calling him to be an abolitionist. Wilberforce decided to concentrate on ending the slave trade rather than slavery itself, reasoning that the abolition of one would logically lead to the demise of the other. On May 12, 1789, Wilberforce made his first speech on the abolition of the slave trade before the House of Commons. He passionately made his case for why the trade was reprehensible and needed to cease. Wilberforce introduced a bill to abolish the trade, but it failed, a result he would become quite familiar with in the ensuing years. Yet Wilberforce never gave up, reintroducing the bill year after year, and the Slave Trade Act was finally passed in 1807.
When I consider the magnitude of the subject which I am to bring before the House-a subject, in which the interests, not of this country, nor of Europe alone, but of the whole world, and of posterity, are involved: and when I think, at the same time, on the weakness of the advocate who has undertaken this great cause-when these reflections press upon my mind, it is impossible for me not to feel both terrified and concerned at my own inadequacy to such a task. But when I reflect, however, on the encouragement which I have had, through the whole course of a long and laborious examination of this question, and how much candour I have experienced, and how conviction has increased within my own mind, in proportion as I have advanced in my labours;-when I reflect, especially, that however averse any gentleman may now be, yet we shall all be of one opinion in the end;-when I turn myself to these thoughts, I take courage-I determine to forget all my other fears, and I march forward with a firmer step in the full assurance that my cause will bear me out, and that I shall be able to justify upon the clearest principles, every resolution in my hand, the avowed end of which is, the total abolition of the slave trade.
April 14, 1906; Washington, D.C.
Theodore Roosevelt was president during the Progressive Era, a time of great enthusiasm for reform in government, the economy, and society. TR himself held many progressive ideals, but he also called for moderation, not extremism. The "Man with a Muck-rake" in Pilgrim's Progress never looked heavenward but instead constantly raked the filth at his feet. TR thus dubbed the journalists and activists of the day who were intent on exposing the corruption in society as "muckrakers." He felt that they did a tremendous amount of good, but needed to mitigate their constant pessimism and alarmist tone. He worried that the sensationalism with which these exposes were often presented would make citizens overly cynical and too prone to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
To assail the great and admitted evils of our political and industrial life with such crude and sweeping generalizations as to include decent men in the general condemnation means the searing of the public conscience. There results a general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. Either attitude is fraught with untold damage to the country as a whole. The fool who has not sense to discriminate between what is good and what is bad is well-nigh as dangerous as the man who does discriminate and yet chooses the bad. There is nothing more distressing to every good patriot, to every good American, than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause for laughter. Such laughter is worse than the crackling of thorns under a pot, for it denotes not merely the vacant mind, but the heart in which high emotions have been choked before they could grow to fruition.
March 4, 1933; Washington, D.C.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt handily beat incumbent Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election. The country was deep into the Great Depression, and the public felt that Hoover did not fully sympathize with their plight and was not doing enough to alleviate it. No one was quite clear on what FDR's plan was, but as in today's election season, "change" was enough of an idea to power a campaign. In his First Inaugural Address, Roosevelt sought to buoy up the injured psyche of the American people and present his case for why he would need broad executive powers to tackle the Depression.
I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.
Read the full text here .
June 18, 1940; London
In June of 1940, it was clear that France was losing their country to the German invasion. Refusing to sign an armistice, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud was forced to resign. He was succeeded by Marshal Philippe Petain who made clear his intention to seek an accommodation with Germany. Disgusted with this decision, General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, escaped to England on June 15. De Gaulle asked for, and obtained permission from Winston Churchill to make a speech on BBC radio. De Gaulle exhorted the French to not give up hope and to continue the fight against the German occupation and the Vichy Regime.
But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No! Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States. This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a worldwide war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.
399 B.C.; Athens
Socrates is perhaps the greatest teacher in the history of the Western world. He wandered around Athens engaging in dialogues with his fellow citizens that focused on discovering the truth of all things . He taught his pupils that the "unexamined life is not worth living."
The Athenians saw Socrates as a threat, especially to the Athenian youth. Socrates acquired quite a following among the young men of Athens. He taught these impressionable minds to question everything, even Athenian authority. Eventually, Socrates was arrested and put on trial for corrupting the youth, not believing the gods, and creating new deities.
The "Apology" is Socrates' defense to these charges. Instead of crying and pleading for mercy, Socrates accepts his charges and attempts to persuade the jury with reason. He argued that it was his calling from the gods to seek knowledge and that it was through his questions he uncovered truth. To not fulfill his calling would be blasphemy. In the end, Socrates lost and was sentenced to death by hemlock. Socrates accepted this fate willingly and without grudge against his condemners, thus dying as a martyr for free thinking.
Some one will say: Yes, Socrates, but cannot you hold your tongue, and then you may go into a foreign city, and no one will interfere with you? Now I have great difficulty in making you understand my answer to this. For if I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.
Check out our article on the philosophy of Plato .
December 23, 1784; Annapolis, Maryland
As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, there was much speculation that George Washington, then Major General and Commander-in-Chief, would follow in the footsteps of former world leaders by making a grab for supreme power. Some even wished he would do so, hoping he would become the king of a new nation. Yet Washington knew that such a move would wither the fragile beginnings of the new republic. Looking to the Roman general Cincinnatus an exemplar, Washington rejected the temptations of power and resigned his position as Commander-in-Chief. Choosing the right is almost never easy, and as Washington read his speech in front of the Continental Congress, the great statesman trembled so much that he had to hold the parchment with two hands to keep it steady. "The spectators all wept, and there was hardly a member of Congress who did not drop tears. His voice faltered and sunk, and the whole house felt his agitations." When finished, Washington bolted from the door of the Annapolis State House, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the sunset.
While I repeat my obligations to the Army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge in this place the peculiar Services and distinguished merits of the Gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the War. It was impossible the choice of confidential Officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me Sir, to recommend in particular those, who have continued in Service to the present moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress. I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commending the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.
Check out my podcast about the self-education of George Washington.
August 8, 1942; India
While the battle for freedom and democracy raged across the world, the people of India were engaged in their own fight for liberty. For almost a century, India had been under the direct rule of the British crown, and many Indians had had enough. Mahatma Gandhi and the National Indian Congress pushed for a completely non-violent movement aimed at forcing Britain to "Quit India." Gandhi, pioneer of the tactics of non-violent civil disobedience, called for their use on August 8, 1942 with the passing of the Quit India Resolution demanding complete independence from British rule.
I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyle's French Resolution while I was in prison, and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.
June 18, 1940; House of Commons, London
On May 10, 1940, the Germans began their invasion of France. On June 14 Paris fell. In a matter of days, France would surrender and England would stand as Europe's lone bulwark against the twin evils of Fascism and Nazism. At this critical moment, Churchill gave his third and final speech during the Battle of France, once again imparting words meant to bring hope in this dark hour.
What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'
Check out my podcast about how Churchill led during the Blitz.
December 10, 1950; Stockholm, Sweden
A true master of the written word, William Faulkner did not often make public his gift for the spoken variety. So there was some interest as to what he would say when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for his "powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel." The year was 1950, the Soviet Union had tapped the potential of the atomic bomb, and the atmosphere in the the United States crackled with the fear of them using it. Faulkner challenged poets, authors, and all mankind to think beyond the questions of "When will I be blown up?" and instead continue to "create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before."
I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.
January 17, 1961; Washington, D.C.
The 1950's were a time of ever increasing military spending, as the United States sought to fight communism abroad and prevent it at home. As President Dwight D. Eisenhower left office, more than half of the federal budget was allocated for defense purposes. Eisenhower, former General of the Army, was certainly not opposed to the use of military power to keep the peace. Still, he saw fit to use his "Farewell Address" to warn the nation of the dangers posed by the "military-industrial complex," referring to the relationship between the armed forces, the government, and the suppliers of war materials. Eisenhower was wary of the large role defense spending played in the economy, and understood the political and corporate corruption that could result if the public was not vigilant in checking it.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex . The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
63 BC; Rome
Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline to his friends) was a very jealous man. Having once run against Cicero for the position of consul and lost, he became determined to win the next election by any devious method necessary. Plan A was to bribe people to vote for him, and when that didn't work, he decided to go for bust and simply knock Cicero off on election day. This plan was ferreted out by the ever vigilant Cicero, the election was postponed, and the Senate established marital law. When the election finally was held, the murderer-cum-candidate was surprisingly trounced at the polls. Now it was time for Catiline's Plan C: raise an army of co-conspirators, create insurrection throughout Italy, overthrow the government, and slice and dice as many Senators as they could get their coo -ky hands on. But Cicero was again one step ahead and discovered the plan. He called the Senate together for a meeting at the Temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, an orifice only used in times of great crisis. Catiline, who seriously didn't know when he was not welcome, decided to crash the party. With his archenemy in attendance, Cicero began his Catiline Orations, a series of speeches covering how he saved Rome from rebellion, the guilt of Catiline, and the need to whack he and his cronies.
I wish, O conscript fathers, to be merciful; I wish not to appear negligent amid such danger to the state; but I do now accuse myself of remissness and culpable inactivity. A camp is pitched in Italy, at the entrance of Etruria, in hostility to the republic; the number of the enemy increases every day; and yet the general of that camp, the leader of those enemies, we see within the walls-aye, and even in the senate-planning every day some internal injury to the republic. If, O Catiline, I should now order you to be arrested, to be put to death, I should, I suppose, have to fear lest all good men should say that I had acted tardily, rather than that any one should affirm that I acted cruelly. But yet this, which ought to have been done long since, I have good reason for not doing as yet; I will put you to death, then, when there shall be not one person possible to be found so wicked, so abandoned, so like yourself, as not to allow that it has been rightly done. As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic; many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, tho you shall not perceive them.
June 12, 1987; Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
Since the end of World War II, Germany had been a divided country, the West free and democratic, the East under authoritarian communist control. When President Reagan took office, he was committed not only to uniting that country, but to bringing down the entire "Evil Empire." While the importance of Reagan's role in successfully doing so is endlessly debated, it beyond dispute that he exerted some influence in bringing the Cold War to an end. There is no more memorable and symbolic moment of this influence then when Reagan stood at the Berlin wall, the most visible symbol of the "Iron Curtain," and challenged Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!"
We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Listen to speech.
431 BC; Athens
Pericles, master statesman, orator, and general, was truly, as Thuciydies dubbed him, "the first citizen of Athens." Pericles was a product of the Sophists and had been personally tutored by the great philosopher Anaxagoras. His study with the Sophists made Pericles a highly persuasive orator. Through his speeches, he galvanized Athenians to undertake an enormous public works project that created hundreds of temples, including the Pantheon.
Pericles' gift of oration was put to the test during the epic battles of the Peloponnesian War, a civil war between Athens and Sparta. His speeches inspired Athenians to fight to become the number one power in Greece. In February of 431 B.C., Athens had their annual public funeral to honor all those who died in war. Pericles was asked to give the traditional funeral oration. Rather than focus his speech on enumerating the conquests of Athens' fallen heroes, Pericles instead used his funeral oration to laud the glory of Athens itself and inspire the living to make sure the soldiers had not died in vain.
Over 2,000 years later, Pericles' funeral oration inspired Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Like Pericles, Lincoln was a leader during a time of civil war. Like Pericles, Lincoln focused on exhorting the living to live their lives in a way that would make the sacrifice of fallen warriors worthwhile.
So died these men as became Athenians. You, their survivors, must determine to have as unfaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a happier issue. And not contented with ideas derived only from words of the advantages which are bound up with the defense of your country, though these would furnish a valuable text to a speaker even before an audience so alive to them as the present, you must yourselves realize the power of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her from day to day, till love of her fills your hearts; and then, when all her greatness shall break upon you, you must reflect that it was by courage, sense of duty, and a keen feeling of honor in action that men were enabled to win all this, and that no personal failure in an enterprise could make them consent to deprive their country of their valor, but they laid it at her feet as the most glorious contribution that they could offer.
April 19, 1951, Washington; D.C.
During the Korean War, General MacArthur and President Truman clashed over the threat posed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army and their incursion into Korea. MacArthur continually pressed Truman for permission to bomb bases in Manchuria, believing the war needed to be extended in area and scope. Truman refused the General's requests, arguing that directly drawing China into the war would arouse the Soviet Union to action. MacArthur continued to press his case, and Truman, accusing the General of insubordination, made the decision to relieve MacArthur of his command. After serving for 52 years and in three wars, the General's military career was over. MacArthur returned to the United States and gave this farewell address to Congress.
I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on theplain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away." And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good Bye.
Roosevelt was an advocate of having many children and making sure the next generation would continue to uphold the great virtues of civilization. He was always concerned that young men not be coddled or cowardly, and grow up to live rugged, strenuous, and thoroughly manly lives. But he also strongly believed that being ruggedly manly and being refined in mind and spirit were not incompatible and should in fact go hand and hand. In this speech, he exhorts young men to pursue virtuous manliness. Amen, brother, amen.
It is peculiarly incumbent upon you who have strength to set a right example to others. I ask you to remember that you cannot retain your self-respect if you are loose and foul of tongue, that a man who is to lead a clean and honorable life must inevitably suffer if his speech likewise is not clean and honorable. Every man here knows the temptations that beset all of us in this world. At times any man will slip. I do not expect perfection, but I do expect genuine and sincere effort toward being decent and cleanly in thought, in word, and in deed. As I said at the outset, I hail the work of this society as typifying one of those forces which tend to the betterment and uplifting of our social system. Our whole effort should be toward securing a combination of the strong qualities with those qualities which we term virtues. I expect you to be strong. I would not respect you if you were not. I do not want to see Christianity professed only by weaklings; I want to see it a moving spirit among men of strength. I do not expect you to lose one particle of your strength or courage by being decent. On the contrary, I should hope to see each man who is a member of this society, from his membership in it become all the fitter to do the rough work of the world; all the fitter to work in time of peace; and if, which may Heaven forfend, war should come, all the fitter to fight in time of war. I desire to see in this country the decent men strong and the strong men decent, and until we get that combination in pretty good shape we are not going to be by any means as successful as we should be. There is always a tendency among very young men and among boys who are not quite young men as yet to think that to be wicked is rather smart; to think it shows that they are men. Oh, how often you see some young fellow who boasts that he is going to "see life," meaning by that that he is going to see that part of life which it is a thousandfold better should remain unseen!
March 4, 1865; Washington, D.C.
The Union's victory was but a month away as Abraham Lincoln began his second term as president of a bitterly ruptured United States. Like the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln keeps this speech only as long as needful. While there are those who still debate whether the Civil War was truly fought over slavery or not, Lincoln certainly believed so. To him, slavery was a great national sin, and the blood shed during the war was the atoning sacrifice for that evil.
He does not relish the prospect of coming victory; instead, he appeals to his countrymen to remember that the war was truly fought between brothers. When the war was over and the Confederacy forced to return to the Union, Lincoln was prepared to treat the South with relative leniency. He did not believe secession was truly possible, and thus the South had never truly left the Union. Reconstruction would not mean vengeance, but the return home of a terribly errant son.
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
March 23, 1775; Richmond , VA
For a decade, revolutionary sentiments had been brewing in Virginia and Patrick Henry had always been in the thick of it, stirring the pot. Henry became particularly enflamed by the Stamp Act of 1764, which prompted him to give his so-called "treason speech," spurring the Burgesses to pass the Virginia Resolves banning the act. Tensions between the colonies and the Crown continued to build, and in 1775, Massachusetts patriots began making preparations for war. Henry believed that Virginia should follow suit. At a meeting held in St. John's Church in Richmond, Henry presented resolutions to make ready Virginia's defenses. Seeking to persuade his fellow delegates of the urgency of his message, he gave a rousing and memorable speech, climaxing is that now famous line, "Give me liberty of give me death!"
The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come! It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
June 6, 1984; Pointe du Hoc, France
What the Army Rangers did on D-Day at Pointe Du Hoc is a tale every man worth his salt should be familiar with. Pointe du Hoc was a sheer 100 foot cliff located in-between Omaha and Utah beaches. Perched atop the cliff sat six casemates capable of being manned, armed, and taking out the men on the beaches. As the Germans fired upon them, the Rangers scaled the cliff using ropes and ladders, found the guns (which had been moved from the casemates) and destroyed them. Without reinforcements for two days, the Rangers alone held their position and fended off German counterattacks. These skirmishes proved deadly; only 90 of the original 225 Ranger landing force survived.
On the 40 th anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan gave a moving tribute to these men, many of whom were present at the occasion.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your 'lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor'... Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was loyalty and love. The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.
27. John F. Kennedy, " The Decision to Go to the Moon"
May 25, 1961; Houston, TX
On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched the first man into space. Khrushchev used this triumph as prime evidence of communism's superiority over decadent capitalism. Embarrassed, the United States feared it was falling behind the Soviet Union and losing the "space race." After consulting with political and NASA officials, Kennedy decided it was time for America to boldly go where no man had gone before by putting a man on the moon. The feat would not only catapult the nation over the Soviet Union, but also allow man to more fully explore the mysteries of space. And this mission would be accomplished by the end of the 1960's. When was the last time a president had the cajones to publicly issue a straightforward, ambitious goal and set a timeline for its success?
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
July 5, 1852; Rochester, NY
Frederick Douglass, former slave, abolitionist, and engineer on the underground railroad, was a popular speaker on the anti-slavery circuit. He traveled thousands of miles each year, giving hundreds of speeches. Yet the money he earned from lecturing was not enough to become financially comfortable, and he and his family struggled. Douglass was disillusioned by the repercussions of the Fugitive Slave Act, and his abolitionist leanings grew more strident and bold. If the citizens of Rochester, New York had expected to be flattered by Douglass when they asked him to speak on the Fourth, they were soon disavowed of that idea. Douglass took the opportunity to defiantly point out the ripe hypocrisy of a nation celebrating their ideals of freedom and equality while simultaneously mired in the evil of slavery. While the speech surely made even the most liberal audience members squirm; nonetheless, the crowed let loose in "universal applause" when Douglass finished.
I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. Youmay rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?
Read what books had the biggest influence on Frederick Douglass.
May 12, 1962; West Point, New York
General Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army and a man who fought in three wars, knew something of "Duty, Honor, Country." In 1962, MacArthur was in the twilight of his life and came to West Point to accept the Sylvanus Thayer Award and participate in his final cadet roll call. His address reflects upon and celebrates the brave and courageous men who came before, men he personally led, men who embodied "Duty, Honor, Country."
There are many great speeches in this list, but I hope you will pause to read the entirety of this one. Picking an excerpt was quite difficult, as so many of the passages are inspiring. A must read for all men.
You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country . This does not mean that you are war mongers. On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country .
April 23, 1910; Paris , France
At the end of Theodore Roosevelt's second term in office, he set out to tour Africa and Europe, hoping to allow his successor, President Taft, to step into the enormous shoes TR had left and become his own man. After a safari in Africa, he traveled throughout Europe. While in France, he was invited to speak at the historic University of Paris. Roosevelt used the opportunity to deliver a powerful address on the requirements of citizenship, the characteristics which would keep democracies like France and the United States robust and strong. This speech is famous for the "man in the arena" quote, but the entire speech is an absolute must read.
Let the man of learning, the man of lettered leisure, beware of that queer and cheap temptation to pose to himself and to others as a cynic, as the man who has outgrown emotions and beliefs, the man to whom good and evil are as one. The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities - all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The rôle is easy; there is none easier, save only the rôle of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
May 13, 1940; House of Commons, London
Winston Churchill's first speech to the House of Commons as Britain's new Prime Minister got off to an auspicious start. His welcome to that assembly was quite tepid, while outgoing PM Neville Chamberlain was enthusiastically applauded (the world did not yet know just how disastrous his appeasement policies would prove and did not trust Churchill). But Churchill's first speech, the first of three powerful oratories he gave during the Battle of France, would prove that England was in more than capable hands. A seemingly unstoppable Hitler was advancing rapidly across Europe, and Churchill wasted no time in calling his people to arms. While TR had actually been the first to utter the phrase, "blood, sweat and tears," it was Churchill's use of these words that would leave an inedible and inspiring impression upon the world's mind.
Worthy Excerpt
I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.
December 8, 1941; Washington, D.C.
The attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, shocked the United States to its core, outraging a nation that had hoped to stay out of the mounting turmoil in Asia and Europe. Overnight, the country united in desire to enter the war. The day after the attacks, FDR addressed the nation in a brief, but electrifying speech, declaring war on Japan and giving assurance that the United States would attain victory.
Be sure to listen to the audio of the speech. Imagine every American family, rattled and worried, listening around the radio to what their president would say. They knew their whole world was about to change forever. Listen to the reaction of Congress as they applaud and cheer FDR's words. The emotion is so very real and palatable; it truly transports you back to that critical moment in time.
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date which will live in infamy -the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan..... But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people-we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God.
33 A.D.; Jerusalem
Whether one believes that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God or simply a wise teacher, it is impossible to deny the impact of perhaps the world's most famous speech: The Sermon on the Mount. No speech has been more pondered, more influential, or more quoted. It introduced a prayer now familiar the world over and uttered in trenches, churches, and bedsides around the globe. It introduced a code of conduct billions of believers have adopted as their lofty, if not not always attainable, goal. While much of the sermon has roots in Jewish law, the advice given in the Beatitudes represented a dramatic and radical departure from the eye for an eye system of justice known in the ancient world. The standards of behavior outlined in the sermon have given believers and non-believers alike plenty to contemplate and discuss in the two thousand years since it was given.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
See Matthew Chapter 5-7 for full text.
August 28, 1963; Washington, D.C.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" is hands down one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pieces of oratory in American history. King's charisma, skills in rhetoric, and passion, place him in a league of his own. A century after slavery ended, a century after African-Americans were promised full equality, black children were being hosed down in the streets, spat upon, bused to separate schools, turned away from restaurants, and denied treatment as full human beings. In this midst of this egregious track record, Dr. King voiced a clear, compelling message of hope, a dream that things would not always be as they were, and that a new day was coming.
Many people have seen excerpts of the speech, but a surprisingly number of adults my age I have never sat down and watched the speech in its entirety. I challenge you to do just that. It is just as electrifying and moving today as it was in 1963.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
Listen to the speech here .
November 19, 1863; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
272 words. 3 minutes long. Yet, the Gettysburg Address is unarguably one of the greatest pieces of rhetoric in American history. Dr. J Rufus Fears (one of the great modern orators) argues that the Gettysburg Address, along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, form the three founding documents of American freedom. And I have to agree.
The Battle of Gettysburg left 8,000 men dead. The bodies were too numerous to bury properly and many were at first placed in shallow graves. Weeks after the battle, heads and arms were sticking up through the ground and the smell of rotting flesh was sickening.
Money was raised for a proper reburial, and it was decided that the new cemetery should be dedicated, to sweeten the air of Gettysburg, to solemnize this place of death. As was traditional, a great orator, in this case, Edward Everett, was asked to give a solemn and grand speech as a memorial to the fallen men. Lincoln was asked 2 months later, almost as a causal afterthought. He was to add a few remarks to Everett's, a function much like the man with the ceremonial scissors who cuts the ribbon. Legends has it that Lincoln's remarks were the product of pure inspiration, penned on the back of an envelope on the train chugging its way to the soon-to-be hallowed grounds of Gettysburg.
On the day of the dedication, Everett kept the crowd enthralled for a full two hours. Lincoln got up, gave his speech, and sat down even before the photographer had finished setting up for a picture. There was a long pause before anyone applauded, and then the applause was scattered and polite.
Not everyone immediately realized the magnificence of Lincoln's address. But some did. In a letter to Lincoln, Everett praised the President for his eloquent and concise speech, saying, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."
And of course, in time, we have come to fully appreciate the genius and beauty of the words spoken that day. Dr. Fears argues that Lincoln's address did more than memorialize the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg; it accomplished nothing short of transforming the entire meaning of the Civil War. There were no details of the battle mentioned in the speech, no mentioning of soldier's names, of Gettysburg itself, of the South nor the Union, states rights nor secession. Rather, Lincoln meant the speech to be something far larger, a discourse on the experiment testing whether government can maintain the proposition of equality. At Gettysburg, the Constitution experienced a transformation. The first birth has been tainted by slavery. The men, of both North and South, lying in the graves at Gettysburg had made an atoning sacrifice for this great evil. And the Constitution would be reborn, this time living up to its promises of freedom and equality for all.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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10 Motivational Speeches That Will Inspire You to Take Action Today
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Whether you’re looking to increase team productivity or turn your daydreams into a reality, motivation is key. But, in the day-to-day of working life, it’s easy to lose sight of end goals and become distracted. Thankfully, the wise words of entrepreneurs, writers, and fictional characters can offer a reinvigorating perspective. The following motivational speeches may give you the push you need to reach your full potential.
1. Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die (2005)
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
In this commencement address, the CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc. shared one of the keys to his success: love. His love for the work he did kept him excited about going to work every day and working toward new goals. Often, there is a big difference between what you want versus what other people want for you . Discovering what you’re passionate about, and working toward it with achievable goals , will lead you to success and satisfaction. This is why it is our staff’s number one pick for motivational speeches that will inspire you to take action today.
2. Ellie (Jodie Foster) Meets An Alien In Contact (1997)
“You’re an interesting species, an interesting mix. You are capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone. Only you’re not. See, in all our searching, the only thing that we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable… is each other.”
While this Sci-Fi classic might seem removed from reality, it offers uplifting advice for the workplace and beyond. In this scene, Ellie finally makes contact with an alien who offers insight into the human condition and the larger universe. To apply the alien’s words to the workplace, think of the power of teamwork. Establishing a diverse and talented team can improve employee happiness and performance. For example, burnout is a common problem at companies. Sharing the workload, and knowing you can rely on team members and managers for support, can re-motivate employees. When the going gets tough, it’s a comfort to know you’re not alone.
3. Timo’s (Rick Gonzales) Answer In Coach Carter (2005)
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
In this scene, Timo, a member of the basketball team central to the movie, responds to the question the coach asks throughout the movie: “What is your greatest fear?” Timo’s words touch on the importance of self-efficacy. By believing in yourself, you can deepen your interest and commitment to a given task, and recover faster from setbacks . If you lead a team or company, others will soon be influenced by your can-do attitude. So, stop fearing your own power and shine.
4. Chris (Will Smith) Gives His Son Advice In the Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
“Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.”
In a world full of naysayers, it’s easy to become discouraged. In this scene from the heart-warming film, Chris offers his son priceless advice: to pursue his dreams mercilessly, without letting other peoples’ ideas of him get in the way. While this motivational speech is noble and beautiful, you might find it challenging to apply to your own life. Here’s where building a strategic plan — with short- and long-term goals— can make pursuing your dreams concrete. With a clear and concise vision for the future, you can put these words into action.
5. Rosalinde Torres: What it Takes to be a Great Leader
“So what makes a great leader in the 21st century? I’ve met many, and they stand out. They are women and men who are preparing themselves not for the comfortable predictability of yesterday but also for the realities of today and all of those unknown possibilities of tomorrow.”
Rosalinde Torres asserts that exceptional leaders are attuned to the world around them. They pay attention to the latest trends in their field and aren’t afraid to abandon tried and true practices for ones that are the future. Basically, she’s advising the opposite of that popular saying, “Keep your head down.” Because, if you do that, you’ll end up reacting to the future instead of making it. Further, you won’t benefit from a broadened perspective that includes different cultures, industries, and readings. Ask yourself, “When is the last time I looked around me and toward the future?” This is the start of great leadership.
6. John Keating’s (Robin Williams) Motivational Speech About Seizing the Day From Dead Poets Society (1989)
” Because you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? – – Carpe – – hear it? – – Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”
John Keating motivates his students with a simple sentiment— seize the day. It might seem like a cliché, but it’s a useful sentiment for those stuck in careers they don’t like or struggling to achieve their next milestone. Most working people will spend around 8 hours a day at the office; that’s a lot of time to spend on something you dislike. So, if you’re feeling uninspired or sick of your career, take Mr. Keating’s advice and don’t waste any more time. What are your strengths and weaknesses and how can your harness them into a fulfilling career?
7. Jim Carrey: Commencement Motivational Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)
“When I was about 28, after a decade as a professional comedian, I realized one night in LA that the purpose of my life had always been to free people from concern, just like my dad. And when I realized this, I dubbed my new devotion the Church of Freedom From Concern, the Church of FFC. And I dedicated myself to that ministry. What’s yours? How will you serve the world? What did they need that your talent can provide? That’s all you have to figure out.”
The comedian’s advice for a successful and rewarding life is simple: find how you want to serve the world, and pursue it. While it may take years of exploring to find your talent, sometimes it can be as simple as stepping back and reflecting on those moments when you felt yourself excelling and having an impact on others. Finding your calling might seem overwhelming, but asking yourself what the world needs that you can provide will surely set things in motion.
8. Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) Motivational Speech to His Son In Rocky Balboa (2006)
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
Rocky’s motivational speech is all about not letting failure define you. This is good advice, no matter your industry. In 2019, 90% of startups failed . But, many successful business people, including Bill Gates and Walt Disney, failed before they succeeded. So, even if the odds are against your, it doesn’t helo to fixate on the negative. In fact, a positive attitude can improve mental and physical health , which will improve your performance in the workplace.
9. Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation (2009)
“There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. Here is what science knows. One: Those 20th century rewards, those motivators we think are a natural part of business, do work, but only in a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances. Two: Those if-then rewards often destroy creativity. Three: The secret to high performance isn’t rewards and punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive– the drive to do things for their own sake. The drive to do things cause they matter.”
There is an outdated belief that rewards and punishments are vital to improving employee performance. Pink argues that intrinsic drive— doing things because of internal satisfaction as opposed to external factors—is the real secret to high performance. So, whether you’re a manager or a new employee, consider why your work matters. Aside from your salary, what gets you to work every day? If these questions are hard to answer, you might need to incorporate or seek out a more creative approach. Pink gives the example of companies giving employees flexible schedules, where they can use their time as they want to accomplish set tasks. The schedule allows for more creativity and independence, and thus improves employee performance.
10. Coach Tony D’Amato’s (Al Pacino) Motivational Speech In Any Given Sunday (1999)
“I’ll tell you this, in any fight it’s the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I’m gonna have any life anymore it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that’s what living is, the six inches in front of your face. Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think you going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. Your gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it your gonna do the same for him.”
This emotional scene drives home an important point: There is no “i” in team. Both entrepreneurs and executives who work their way up the corporate ladder know that they won’t achieve success all on their own. Attracting and retaining exceptional team members is the foundation of any lasting business. So, think about the skills you’re looking for in an employee and implement a process that’ll allow you to root out those people who will go the extra inch for you. If you’re not in a leadership position, think about the skills that will make you an invaluable hire.
The Bottom Line on Motivational Speeches
No matter what industry you’re in, you can harness the wisdom of real and fictional characters to achieve your wildest dreams. So, get out there, explore your interests, make connections, and create a fulfilling career.
Related Readings on Motivation
Four Basic Motivations of Employees
Extrinsic Motivation in the Office
The Value of Intrinsic Motivation on Employees
25 Powerful Leadership Quotes That Will Motivate You
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Personal Development and Growth
10 "best motivational speeches of all time" that will inspire you to achieve greatness.
Inspiring millions, these 10 iconic motivational speeches will ignite your passion, fuel your ambition, and transform your life forever.
Key Takeaways
Steve Jobs' iconic Stanford Commencement Address showcases the transformative power of inner strength and determination to pursue dreams.
Al Pacino's passionate plea in "Any Given Sunday" urges listeners to push themselves to the limit to achieve victory and excellence.
Nelson Mandela's fight against apartheid inspires individuals to stand up against injustices and fight for equal rights and justice.
Les Brown's motivational speeches empower individuals to break free from self-doubt and tap into their inner potential to achieve greatness.
J.K. Rowling's triumph over adversity serves as a testament to the importance of resilience, determination, and perseverance in overcoming obstacles to achieve success.
Unleashing Inner Strength With Steve Jobs
Al Pacino's Passionate Plea
The significance of every minute and second in overcoming obstacles
The importance of pushing through challenges to achieve success
The value of small margins for error in the pursuit of victory
J.K. Rowling's Triumph Over Adversity
Overcoming Rejection and Failure
Embracing failure as a stepping stone to success : Rowling emphasizes that failure is an essential part of the journey to success, and that it's how we respond to failure that matters.
The importance of resilience : Rowling's personal struggles with poverty and rejection serve as a proof of the power of resilience in overcoming adversity.
Learning from setbacks : By sharing her own experiences, Rowling encourages individuals to persist in the face of rejection and failure, and to learn valuable lessons from their setbacks.
Rising From Rock Bottom
Bill gates' call to action.
Take action and explore opportunities for growth and development
Embrace innovation and creativity to drive positive change
Make a meaningful impact on society, using their skills and knowledge to improve the world
Jim Carrey's Quest for Authenticity
Finding Inner Truth
Embracing authenticity and overcoming fear allows individuals to tap into their true potential.
Pursuing personal growth and staying true to oneself is essential for finding inner truth.
Choosing love over fear is a transformative power that can shape one's life journey.
Embracing Vulnerability Fully
Breaking free naturally.
Getting to know oneself is essential in breaking free from fear and embracing one's true path.
Embracing love over fear allows individuals to tap into their full potential and live a life true to themselves.
By choosing to follow their dreams, individuals can break free from the constraints of societal expectations and forge their own paths to greatness.
Will Smith's Pursuit of Happiness
Sheryl Sandberg's Empowering Message
Embrace the jungle gym : Sandberg encourages graduates to view their career as a jungle gym, where they can climb, jump, and explore different opportunities, rather than a traditional corporate ladder.
Communicate honestly : She emphasizes the importance of honest communication in all aspects of life, whether personal or professional.
Embrace change and learning : Sandberg inspires individuals to push boundaries, embrace career changes, and find innovative ways to approach challenges, advocating for a mindset of continuous learning and adapting to new opportunities.
Nelson Mandela's Fight Against Apartheid
Defying Racial Segregation Laws
Refusing to accept the unjust laws that segregated South Africans based on their race
Organizing peaceful protests and demonstrations to raise awareness about the injustices of apartheid
Advocating for the rights of non-white citizens, who were denied basic human rights and dignity
Leading the Anti-Apartheid Fight
Eric thomas' hip-hop preacher.
Hard work and perseverance are key : Eric Thomas emphasizes the importance of putting in the effort required to achieve success, and persevering through challenges and setbacks.
Believe in yourself : Eric Thomas' messages often focus on the importance of self-belief and confidence in overcoming obstacles and achieving greatness.
Make sense of your struggles : Eric Thomas encourages his audience to make sense of their struggles and use them as opportunities for growth and learning.
Les Brown's It's Possible Mentality
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most inspiring speech of all time?, who is the world's best motivational speaker?, what are some examples of inspirational speech?, how do you achieve success in life motivational speech?.
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AI Speakers: The Future of Motivational Speaking
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Social media alters human interaction, leading to decreased face-to-face interactions and increased loneliness and isolation.
The pursuit of validation through likes and followers creates unrealistic expectations, triggering anxiety and low self-esteem.
Social media platforms exploit psychological vulnerabilities, using dopamine-driven feedback loops and biased algorithms to perpetuate addictive behaviors.
Exposure to curated perfection on social media triggers feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and depression, particularly among teenagers.
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Dopamine-driven feedback loop : The constant stream of likes, comments, and shares triggers a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, making you crave more.
Infinite scrolling : The endless feed is designed to keep you scrolling, with no clear endpoint, making it difficult to stop.
Notifications galore : Push notifications, badges, and alerts are designed to grab your attention, making you feel the need to constantly check your phone.
The Dark Side of Algorithms
Bias in the Code
Echo chambers : Social media algorithms can show you content that aligns with your existing beliefs and preferences, limiting your exposure to diverse viewpoints.
Discriminatory outcomes : Biased algorithms can lead to racial profiling in predictive policing software or favor certain groups in recruitment tools, as seen in Amazon's case.
Lack of transparency : The opacity of algorithmic decision-making makes it challenging to identify and address biases in digital platforms.
Social Networks Gone Wrong
Cyberbullying : Around 13% of teen social media users experience bullying, leading to negative psychological impacts.
Unrealistic expectations : Exposure to perfect relationships and beauty standards on social media can hinder genuine connections and intimacy in real-life relationships.
Validation obsession : The relentless pursuit of likes and comparisons on social media can contribute to low self-esteem and depression.
Digital Footprints and Privacy
Rethinking the Online Experience
Social isolation : Social media use has been linked to increased feelings of loneliness and decreased in-person social interactions among teens.
Toxic interactions : Cyberbullying affects around 13% of teen social media users, highlighting the negative impact of online interactions.
Unrealistic expectations : Exposure to unrealistic relationship expectations on social media can hinder genuine connections and intimacy.
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How social media has impacted humans?, what is the impact of social media on human behavior?, what is the impact of social media on our lives?, the rise of powerful "female speakers" and how they're changing the game.
Hear the voices that are shattering stereotypes, challenging biases, and redefining leadership, sparking a revolution in public speaking.
Female speakers are reshaping the public speaking landscape by challenging stereotypes, biases, and norms, driving positive transformations and action.
Authentic storytelling and leadership inspire emotional connections, redefine leadership, and empower audiences to overcome challenges and achieve success.
Marginalized voices are amplified, and inclusivity is promoted, creating a ripple effect of empowerment and motivation that inspires future generations.
Women's voices are being heard across sectors, challenging stereotypes, and promoting a culture of equality, representation, and diversity.
By sharing personal experiences, female speakers are sparking a chain reaction of empowerment, inspiring a new generation of diverse voices and leaders.
Breaking Down Traditional Barriers
Amplifying Diverse Voices Worldwide
Breaking Cultural Barriers
Empowering marginalized voices, global representation matters, empowering others through storytelling.
Sharing Personal Experiences
Breaking silence barriers, redefining leadership and influence.
Challenging Stereotypes and Norms
Inspiring Action and Driving Change
Authentic storytelling
Increased confidence
Valuable insights and experiences
Improved self-awareness
Roadmaps to success
Enhanced personal growth
Paving the Way for Future Generations
Who Is the Best Female Motivational Speaker?
Who is the best female motivational speaker in india?, the most inspiring "top motivational speakers in the world" that will change your life.
Spark transformation in your life by discovering the world's most inspiring motivational speakers who will empower you to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.
Top motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, Molly Bloom, and James Clear inspire millions globally through speeches, books, and personal stories.
They empower individuals for personal growth and positive change, helping people develop resilience, build confidence, and transform their lives.
Compelling storytelling techniques and emotional connection strategies are key elements of their transformative speaking styles, inspiring personal growth and motivation.
By sharing their personal stories of overcoming challenges, motivational speakers demonstrate that obstacles can be turned into catalysts for growth and success.
They offer guidance on revealing one's potential, overcoming challenges, and adopting a growth mindset, providing practical strategies for personal growth and fulfillment.
Top Motivational Speakers Today
Inspiring lives through words.
Transformative Speaking Styles
Compelling Storytelling Techniques
Emotional appeals : Using personal experiences to evoke emotions and create a connection with the audience.
Engaging narratives : Crafting vivid stories that capture the audience's attention and imagination.
Authentic delivery : Sharing inspiring narratives in a genuine and sincere manner to build trust with the audience.
Relatable experiences : Using everyday examples that resonate with the audience, making the message more accessible and impactful.
Emotional Connection Strategies
Strategy
Description
Impact
Storytelling
Sharing personal anecdotes to connect with the audience
Creates empathy and understanding
Vulnerability
Sharing fears, doubts, and weaknesses to show authenticity
Builds trust and rapport
Authenticity
Being genuine and true to oneself
Inspires audience to be their true selves
Overcoming Challenges Together
By sharing their stories of resilience and determination, they inspire you to face your fears and push past limitations.
They demonstrate that it's possible to overcome adversity and achieve greatness, instilling a sense of hope and empowerment.
You'll learn to approach challenges with courage and tenacity, turning obstacles into stepping stones for success.
Through their powerful messages, you'll gain the confidence to pursue your dreams and overcome challenges that once held you back.
Path to Personal Growth
Revealing Potential
Discover your strengths and weaknesses to maximize your abilities
Overcoming Challenges
Learn practical strategies to overcome obstacles and stay focused
Mindset Shifts
Adopt a growth mindset to achieve personal growth and success
Developing Habits
Form positive habits that drive personal growth and fulfillment
Self-Discovery
Explore your values, passions, and goals to live a fulfilling life
Empowering Audiences Worldwide
Overcoming challenges : They encourage you to break free from limitations and push beyond your comfort zone.
Achieving personal growth : They inspire you to set ambitious goals and work towards achieving them.
Inspiring positivity : They promote a positive mindset, helping you focus on the good and overcome obstacles.
Fostering resilience : They teach you to bounce back from setbacks, developing your resilience and determination.
Who Is World No. 1 Motivational Speaker?
Who was the greatest motivational speaker of all time?, who is your best motivational speaker?, who is the most sought after motivational speaker?.
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15 Most Inspirational Speeches of All Time
There is something about a great speech that can move us to tears, make our hearts race, and leave us feeling inspired. Whether it’s a politician rallying their supporters, a celebrity speaking out about a cause they believe in, or just an everyday person sharing their story, speeches have the power to touch us in ways that other forms of communication can’t.
In this article, we will take a look at 15 of the most inspiring speeches of all time. We’ll explore what makes these speeches so special and learn some important lessons about public speaking along the way.
Top 15 motivational speeches of all time
1. “i have a dream” – martin luther king jr..
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” is undoubtedly one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. Delivered in 1963 at the March on Washington, it spoke to the heart of America, putting a powerful call to action against racial inequality and discrimination into words that still ring true today.
King didn’t just give voice to a movement, he united people across social and economic boundaries to create an unimaginable understanding and togetherness. Nearly 60 years on, this speech still holds the same force, reminding us all just how much can be achieved through collective power.
2. “The Man in the Arena” – Theodore Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech is just as inspiring now as it was when it was first delivered over a century ago. He encourages us to take risks and not be afraid of failure, reminding us that what matters most is our willingness to show up and try.
Success requires bravery, ambition, and resilience – no matter how many times we may fall down along the way, it;s about moving forward. Listening to this inspiring speech will give you a renewed sense of determination to conquer your goals with courage and fortitude.
3. “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” – Steve Jobs
The most inspirational speech of all time has to be Steve Jobs’ “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” speech at Stanford University in 2005. When he said those words, they resonated in a way that few other speeches have—even today. Using his own life and experiences as examples, Jobs beautifully delivered a message that was both aspirational and pragmatic.
He reminded us to look for meaning, passion and purpose beyond our day-to-day routines, encouraging a sense of courage, fun and adventure in life. Jobs himself credited this speech with changing the direction of his life’s work—and it’s easy to see why: this life lesson still has a potent impact in inspiring people around the world to follow their passions and take risks no matter what.
4. “The Power of Vulnerability” – Brené Brown
Her message about the value of admitting our struggles and imperfections was a source of much-needed motivation in a society that values seeming perfection and power at all costs. The way she spoke about freeing ourselves from the grip of shame and fear resonated deeply with millions of people who have been inspired to strive for a more honest and fulfilling life. This passionate insight coupled with Brown’s conversational narration makes it a great speech to listen to.
5. “The Strangest Secret” – Earl Nightingale
It’s no surprise that “The Strangest Secret,” by Earl Nightingale, is one of the most inspiring speeches ever. It encourages us to take matters into our own hands and use positive thinking to achieve our goals.
Through his speech, Nightingale reminds us that life is too short to not believe in ourselves and grow toward bigger and better things. He motivates us to set clear objectives and directs us down a path towards success; a path he calls “the strangest secret,” though we may find out what it is if we are brave enough to dream. All these years later, these words remain incredibly powerful–you can’t help but be inspired by this speech!
6. “Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up” – Jim Valvano
Despite being incredibly ill and having been told he had a few months to live, in 1993 Jim gave a powerful address at the ESPY Awards encouraging people to fight for their dreams and never give up hope. His words were poignant and evocative, his message relevant and timeless.
Today, almost three decades later, his speech still has the power to move people and reignite that spark of inspiration that we sometimes need in our lives. We definitely could all benefit from taking some deep life lessons from coaching greats like Jim Vavano; earnestly striving for our own hopes and dreams and never giving up no matter how impossible the obstacles we face may seem.
7. “Harvard Commencement Speech” – J.K Rowling
J.K. Rowling uses her own experiences to emphasize the fact that failure is essential to success, and encourages the students to never stop believing in their own imagination and power.
With her affinity for storytelling and her hearts-on-sleeves delivery, this speech conveys a powerful message of resilience and hope – something that everyone needs a reminder of sometimes. You’ll leave this speech feeling recharged, energized, and ready to take on any obstacle that life throws your way.
8. “Inch by Inch” – Al Pacino
Along with a powerful delivery, Pacino conveys the message that anything can be achieved when you put your efforts into it and never give up. His words invoke courage and strength in the face of adversity, making it empowering and motivating. The words he speaks certainly stay with you long after you hear them, encouraging us to take every inch we can on our own journey towards success.
9. “How Bad Do You Want It?” – Eric Thomas
Eric Thomas truly hit a home run with his 2012 speech, “How Bad Do You Want It?”. His story of the protagonist who was determined to do whatever it takes to achieve his dream deeply resonated with us all. The message behind this inspiring speech is one we should all live by: never give up and always strive to be the best. Thomas’s empowering words remind us that no matter how challenging something may seem, we can always push ourselves and rise above our limitations in order to find success.
10. “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”- Winston Churchill
Although it was delivered back in World War II, the inspirational message of Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech is still relevant to listeners today. His words focus on the importance of courage and determination when things seem insurmountable, validating our desire to push through hardships. These are valuable life lessons applicable to any time and age.
Combining a passionate tone with powerful imagery, Churchill encourages us all to never give up no matter how difficult the challenges we face may be. To this day, this heartfelt address motivates its audience time and time again.
11. “Make Your Bed” – Admiral William H. McRaven
Admiral William H. McRaven’s “Make Your Bed” (2014) is one of the most inspirational speeches of all time, and for good reason. McRaven delivered the speech to the graduating class at the University of Texas with natural poise, wisdom and charming wit. The message presented was an echo from his time as a Navy SEAL: no matter how small an achievement may seem, it is still a success that brings pride in oneself.
His inspiring words of encouragement examine the power of little deeds and how they can have profound effects on our lives. His speech taught us that by doing something seemingly mundane first thing in the morning like making your bed, you can give yourself a sense of accomplishment and pride that will boost you through the rest of your day.
12. “Fall Forward” – Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington gets real with the graduates in this speech, telling them straight up that failing is going happen. It’s part of the deal. But the thing is that those stumbles are actually stepping stones to success, not roadblocks.
Washington even shares a story from his own acting days where he bombed an audition (because, hey, he couldn’t sing). But that didn’t stop him. He brushed himself off and kept chasing his dream. The key takeaway? Don’t let setbacks define you. Learn from them, pick yourself up, and keep moving towards your goals.
My apologies for misunderstanding your request. Here are specific speeches by David Foster Wallace, Jim Carrey, and a movie clip featuring Rocky Balboa’s speech, each with a section written in the style of your article:
13. “This is Water” – David Foster Wallace
Wallace uses humor and personal anecdotes to challenge graduates to reconsider how they approach everyday life. He argues that most of the unhappiness in the world comes from a self-centered way of thinking. The key to finding meaning and happiness, according to Wallace, is to have a more considerate and compassionate perspective.
He highlights the fact that most of us go through life on autopilot, unaware of the subtle choices we make and how they impact ourselves and those around us. Wallace suggests we can find a deeper sense of purpose and connection in the world, and our efforts paid off.
14. “Commencement Speech” – Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey’s commencement speech at Maharishi University is a dose of pure inspiration wrapped in his signature humor. Carrey encourages graduates to embrace their own path and never give up on their dreams. He shares his own story of overcoming rejection and self-doubt to achieve success in Hollywood.
Carrey talks about visualizing your goals and holding onto a childlike sense of wonder. He tells the graduates that their “fear is a liar” and that they have the power to create their own reality. This speech can help in staying motivated as it shares to never let anyone dim your light.
15. “Speech to Son” – Rocky Balboa
In a heartfelt moment from the movie Rocky Balboa, the aging boxer delivers a speech to his son about overcoming challenges. Drawing from his own experiences, Rocky emphasizes that life will knock you down, but it’s the getting back up that truly matters.
He uses the metaphor of boxing to illustrate the importance of perseverance. This speech tells us that the road to success is rarely smooth, but with grit and determination, anything is possible. It’s not about winning or losing, Rocky tells his son, it’s about giving your all and never giving up on yourself or your dreams.
6 Factors that make a speech great
Delivering an inspirational motivational speech is no easy feat. It takes passion, emotion, and authenticity to captivate an audience. But what is it that sets those best motivational speeches apart, the ones that resonate with us long after they’ve been spoken?
Let’s look at some elements of inspirational speeches and explore how you too can hone these powerful techniques to touch the lives of others.
1. Passion and conviction
At the core of any great speech lies deep passion and conviction. The speaker’s genuine belief in their message shines through their words. Make sure to choose a topic that you care about deeply, and your audience will catch your enthusiasm. Speak with confidence, and don’t be afraid to show your emotions. Your passion for the topic will be infectious and inspire others to share your beliefs.
2. Human connection
The greatest Inspirational speeches don’t just inform—they connect on a deeper, emotional level. Great speakers empathize with their audience, sharing their own experiences and emotions to build common ground. Add personal stories and engage the audience with relatable anecdote., Speakers not only capture the attention of their listeners but encourage them to feel a sense of unity and understanding. To inspire, seek to create a bond with your audience by showing your own vulnerability and openness.
3. Good storytelling
Inspirational speeches use the art of storytelling to convey complex ideas and evoke strong emotional responses in a digestible and engaging manner. By structuring your speech like a story, complete with a relatable protagonist (often the speaker themselves), rising action, conflict, and resolution, you’ll keep your audience on the edge of their seats.
4. Visual and verbal imagery
Inspirational speeches don’t just tell us how to feel—they show us. By painting vivid pictures through language and evocative imagery. A speaker can take their audience to another world. This experience not only keeps the audience engaged but helps to drive home the message in their minds. Be mindful of your word choice and use powerful, memorable phrases that will stick with your listeners long after the speech has ended.
5. A call to action
A crucial part of any inspirational speech is a clear and compelling call to action. This is the point where inspiration turns to motivation, and the audience feels compelled to take action to bring change. This call to action should be clear and tangible, inspiring the listeners to believe in their own ability to effect meaningful change, whether that be in their personal lives or on a broader societal scale.
6. Valuable life lessons
When you offer relatable stories, you connect with the audience on a deeper level, making the message inspiring and applicable to their lives. This makes it easier for them to see how your story applies to their own life.
Motivational speech wrap up
Creating an inspirational speech is a complex and nuanced process that requires vulnerability, empathy, and the ability to communicate powerful ideas through relatable storytelling. By showing passion and conviction in your message, establishing a heartfelt human connection, weaving a captivating story, utilizing vivid imagery, and providing a compelling call to action, you can leave your audience with an unforgettable experience that inspires change.
Embrace these key elements the next time you have the opportunity to speak before an audience, and you may find yourself crafting an unforgettable speech that leaves a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of your listeners.
How to Motivate Yourself and Others: 5 Key Motivational Drivers
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The Most Inspiring Commencement Speeches of All Time
Explore speeches that have left a lasting impact..
( Sharkshock / Shutterstock.com)
As the ceremonial cap-tossing moment approaches, graduates find themselves on the threshold of a new chapter, filled with anticipation and uncertainty. It is in this pivotal moment that commencement speeches make their most profound impact. The best speeches transcend mere words, offering a blend of guidance, wisdom, and inspiration that resonates deeply. They serve as beacons of hope and motivation, illuminating the path for young minds about to embark on their journeys into the wider world. These addresses have the power to stir hearts, provoke thought, and inspire action, leaving an indelible mark on both graduates and all who hear them.
The greatest commencement speeches tap into universal truths, reminding us of the potential within each individual to achieve greatness, confront challenges head-on, and contribute meaningfully to society. They encapsulate a moment of transformation, offering not just advice, but a call to action that echoes long after the applause has faded. For graduates poised on the brink of the unknown, these words provide both a mirror and a map, reflecting their potential and guiding their steps forward. In these moments, speakers imbue their messages with a sense of purpose and possibility, inspiring all who listen to dream bigger and strive harder.
2005 Stanford University
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
J.K. Rowling
Author 2008 Harvard University
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.”
Sheryl Sandberg
COO of Facebook and Founder of Lean In 2011 Barnard College
“…remember this: You are awesome. I’m not suggesting you be boastful. No one likes that in men or women. But I am suggesting that believing in yourself is the first necessary step to coming even close to achieving your potential.”
Naval Adm. William H. McRaven
Ninth commander of U.S.Special Operations Command 2014 University of Texas, Austin
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. “If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.”
OPRAH WINFREY
TV Host and Actress 2008 Stanford University
“So, I say to you, forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart and success will come to you.”
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32 Most Inspiring Speeches In Film History
There's nothing better to fire you up than an inspiring speech.
A lot of great speeches come from sports movies, but that's not the only genre that can make us want to run through walls. Some speeches are so good it has us rooting for the bad guys. Most are by the good guys though, and we'll follow those good guys anywhere. Here is our list of the most inspiring speeches in film history.
Independence Day - President Witmore
President Thomas J. Whitmore's ( Bill Pullman ) speech in Independence Day has become one of the most iconic film moments of the last 50 years. While the movie can be polarizing, some people can't get enough of it, others hope to never see it again. Still, it's hard to find anyone who truly hates the speech and that moment in the film. If you ever find yourself fighting against annihilation by a bunch of E.T.s, this is the speech for you.
The Hunt For Red October - Captain Ramius
If you thought you could never get fired up about the Soviet Union picking a fight on the United States during the Cold War, check it out. When Captain Marko Ramius ( Sean Connery ) tells his crew that the salad days of the Cold War are not behind them, and the United States will "tremble again - at the sound of our silence," it makes you want to stand up and fight for communism. At least for a brief moment.
Any Given Sunday (Coach D'Amato)
It's used at almost every professional football game in America, almost every Sunday, because in Any Given Sunday , Coach D'Amato implores his team and the rest of us to claw for every inch we can. It might not be Pacino's most award-winning role, but that scene... that scene is some of his finest and most enduring work.
Gladiator (Maximus)
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius." If those words don't immediately fire you up, it's time to check for a pulse. Audiences spend most of Gladiator waiting for Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) to finally get his revenge on that conniving Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ) and finally we get it. Maximus will have his vengeance, in this life or the next.
Friday Night Lights (Coach Gaines)
In Friday Night Lights , Coach Gaines ( Billy Bob Thornton ) tells us how to be perfect. It has nothing to do with the final score, or winning. It's about how we treat each other and ourselves. It's about telling the truth and not letting anyone down. Live in the moment, "with joy in your heart." That's what makes us perfect. The swelling music by Explosions in the Sky only adds to the drama of the moment.
While he doesn't say "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose," (that comes from the TV show), he does mention his clear eyes and his full heart and afterward, none of us lose.
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Henry V (Henry V)
It's not just one of the most inspiring speeches in film history, it's one of the most famous speeches in human history. When William Shakespeare wrote the words to the famous St. Crispin's Day Speech in Henry V , he could not have known that it would be used for centuries afterward to inspire men. For we few, we lucky few, we can watch the speech brilliantly delivered by Kenneth Branagh in one of his finest roles , in his film version from 1989.
Animal House (Bluto)
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" Of course it wasn't! Bluto (John Belushi) does a lot to inspire the brothers of the Delta house in Animal House but nothing more so than his speech after "Wormer dropped the big one" and suspended the fraternity. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the men of Delta are inspired to have the best time of their lives, and Wormer? He's a dead man! Marmalard? Dead! Niedermeyer...
Gone With The Wind (Scarlett O'Hara)
Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is not the most sympathetic movie character of all time. In fact, she ranks close to the bottom in that category, but you can't deny the power of her speech just before the end of the first part of the movie. Her family's plantation, Tara, is in shambles, her mother is dead, and her father has lost his mind. When all hope is lost, she promises herself she will fix it, and she will "never be hungry again."
Barbie (Gloria)
It's truly a show-stopping moment in Barbie when Gloria ( America Ferrera ) lays out what it's like to be a woman in today's world. The entire essence of the movie's message is summed up in that brilliant speech. It makes everyone want to jump up on their feet and applaud. It's a moment that will forever live in cinema history.
Good Will Hunting (Sean Maguire)
It's not just the words that matter. It takes a special actor to deliver a speech like Sean Maguire's in Good Will Hunting . Thankfully there was the great Robin Williams. In a speech that is meant to devastate and inspire Will (Matt Damon), Williams tells him everything he is doing wrong but manages to show him how he can fix it, and open up an entirely new world for himself. It's cutting and loving. And brilliant. "Your move, chief."
Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (Aragorn)
Like so many other battle scenes in movies, Aragorn's (Viggo Mortensen) speech at the Black Gates in Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King has us willing to fight to the death with our fellow soldiers. There is nothing like a leader riding back and forth on horse inspiring his troops.
Braveheart (William Wallace)
Always remember, that no matter how badly you are treated by a tyrannical English king, he can never take your freedom! William Wallace (Mel Gibson) brilliantly reminds us of that in Braveheart . While it's easy to mock the poor history telling in the movie (and we argue if it was really one of the best movies of 1995 ), you can never say that the speech Wallace gives before the biggest battle in the movie won't have you ready to take on the entire British Empire.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Elizabeth)
Speeches made by leaders to inspire men in battle aren't unique in movies. What makes the speech unique in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is that the speech is made by a woman. Elizabeth's (Keira Knightly) speech isn't a lot different than a lot of its ilk, but it's more inspiring to hear it from a woman because we've never heard that before. So hoist the colors!
Stripes (John Winger)
John Winger (Bill Murray) is the biggest misfit in a platoon filled with them in Stripes . He's the least likely to inspire the rest with a razzle-dazzle speech firing them up, yet that's exactly what he does before their graduation from boot camp. Bill Murray has some of the best lines in movie history, and this speech is near the top of them.
Miracle (Herb Brooks)
"Great moments are born from great opportunity." That is something we can all stand to remember. In Miracle , Herb Brooks inspires his rag-tag team of college kids to defeat maybe the greatest hockey team ever assembled in the Soviet National Team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The movie is based on a true story and while it's impossible to know exactly with the real Brooks said, if it was anywhere close to what Russell delivers, it's no surprise we all believe in miracles today.
Rocky IV (Rocky Balboa)
The Cold War inspired a lot of movies, even sports movies like Rocky IV . Early in the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) wasn't a man of many words, but at the end of Rocky IV , he finds some of the most inspiring words of the whole series, imploring all of us to get along, despite our differences.
Swingers (Trent)
What's a good friend if not someone to pep you up when you're feeling low? That's exactly who Trent (Vince Vaughn) is to Mike (Jon Favreau) in Swingers . Not only does he take him to Vegas for a night of fun, on the way home, after the trip doesn't pep Mike up as much as it should, Trent explains exactly why Mike is so money, and he doesn't even know it.
Network (Howard Beale)
It's scary just how much a movie like Network , released almost 50 years ago is still so relevant. We don't need Howard Beale (Peter Finch) to tell us just how bad things are, we just need to him to inspire us to go to the window, open the window and yell to the world that we're not going to take it anymore!
The Goonies (Mikey)
"The Goonies never say die!" When all seems lost in the Goonies quest to rescue their neighborhood from developers, Mikey (Sean Astin) reminds them all exactly how far they've come in the quest for One-Eyed Willie's gold. We don't get a lot of inspirational speeches from kids, but when we do, we love them.
Clueless (Cher)
When Cher (Alicia Silverstone) compares her garden party to a refugee crisis, your inclination is to think she's an airhead. But like so many before and after her, there is kind of a subtle brilliance to her thought process. She takes what she knows and uses that to find the emotion we should all feel for her side of the argument.
Milk (Harvey Milk)
Milk , based on the true story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), is inspiring in and of itself, but Milk's speech on the steps of San Fransisco City Hall at the Gay Pride Rally is a masterpiece.
Troy (Achilles)
In another classic example of a military leader inspiring his troops, Achilles' (Brad Pitt) speech reminding his men that they are lions, is enough to get anyone to storm the beaches of Troy. There's a reason the story has been told for thousands of years.
Norma Rae (Norma Rae)
The best thing about Norma Rae's (Sally Field, in one of her best roles ) speech in Norma Rae is that the most important word isn't spoken at all. She simply holds up a sign that says "Union" in the middle of her sweatshop. That's all she needs to "say" to get everyone in the textile mill to agree. It's brilliant.
We Are Marshall (Jack Lengyel)
We Are Marshall tells the tragic and heroic story of the 1971 Marshall University football team. At the end of the 1970 season, a plane carrying most of the team and its coaches crashed in North Carolina. Before the start of the next season, the new coach, Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) makes a speech at a memorial for some of the lost players and what he says about never forgetting the past but looking to the future will bring a tear to anyone's eyes.
Legally Blonde (Elle Woods)
More than 20 years after the first Legally Blonde movie was released Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) continues to inspire us. With an address like the one she makes at the end of the movie, as she's graduating, it's easy to see why. "You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."
Avengers: Endgame (Captain America)
In a room full of superheroes, leave it to Captain America to make the hype speech. In Avengers: Endgame , that's exactly when Cap (Chris Evans) psyches the cadre up for their mission to reverse the Snap. "Whatever it takes."
Hoosiers (Norman Dale)
When tiny Hickman High School makes it to the Indiana State Basketball Finals, they are facing a huge school, in a huge arena. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) takes only a minute or so to lay out what will make them successful, and a minute is all he needs. It's why Hoosiers one of the best sports movies ever made.
Rudy (Rudy)
The speech in Rudy is a little different. Rudy really has no audience, save for one person, but that doesn't stop him from delivering a first-rate speech that any Notre Dame alum gets goosebumps when they hear it, including the parts he lifted from the great Knute Rockne.
Juno (Mac MacGuff)
When Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) is wondering what her future holds, her father Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) explains simply and succinctly, "The best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Stand And Deliver (Jaime Escalante)
Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) is a no-nonsense math teacher who is determined to get the most from his students. He decides he needs to raise the level of expectations inside and outside of the classroom and he starts by breaking down when he is going to be so hard on his students, to get the most out of them. All they need is ganas – motivation.
Rocky Balboa (Rocky)
Leave it to Rocky to make a speech in 2006's Rocky Balboa meant to inspire his son to inspire all of us together. It's pure Rocky, leave it all out, don't accept things you don't like, and never make excuses, no matter how hard it is. And it seems like this was advice he took to heart when it became a struggle to make the film .
300 (Dilios)
Dilios (David Wenham) fires up the Spartans like no other person could. It's truly one of the great hype speeches in film history. It's exactly what you would expect from a civilization of warriors. Whether it really happened or not is irrelevant. The message is the same, "Remember us."
From sports to war, love to education, and beyond, a great speech raises goosebumps like nothing else in film can. These examples are some of the best speeches we've used to inspire us.
Hugh Scott is the Syndication Editor for CinemaBlend. Before CinemaBlend, he was the managing editor for Suggest.com and Gossipcop.com, covering celebrity news and debunking false gossip. He has been in the publishing industry for almost two decades, covering pop culture – movies and TV shows, especially – with a keen interest and love for Gen X culture, the older influences on it, and what it has since inspired. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science but cured himself of the desire to be a politician almost immediately after graduation.
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The 24 Worst Business Buzzwords of 2024
Mean what you say and say what you mean, or you may find your staff lost in a sea of jargon..
"Act your wage" (No. 1) while keeping your "balls in the air" (No. 2), and you'll likely set off the "spidey sense" (No. 10) of everyone in the room so badly that you won't be able to complete the "deliverables" (No. 6) on your "mission critical" (No. 8) project.
If the above sentence made you want to turn into a " lazy girl " (didn't make the list but totally should have) who takes "quiet vacations" (a.k.a. hush trips ), or maybe just makes you want to get some " burnout coaching ," relax. You're normal. A survey of 3,000 people conducted by Careerminds identified many of these terms as the most annoying business buzzwords of 2024.
So, if you find yourself saying any of these, it might be a good idea to conduct a "paradigm shift" (No. 18) of your in-office vocabulary.
The most irritating buzzwords
Here's the full list of buzzwords from careerminds:.
Act your wage
Balls in the air
Push the envelope
Effective accelerationism
Change agent
Deliverables
Bleeding edge
Mission critical
Idea harvesting
Spidey sense
PIP (performance improvement plan)
RTO (return to office)
Offboarding
Hero culture
Leading via influence
Paradigm shift
Actionable insights
Inflection point
Portfolio agility
Proximity bias
Prompt engineering
Feedforward
I'm definitely guilty of using many of these, though I will not stop using the term "PIP" (No. 13): A PIP is a powerful tool.
And surely, the alternatives to "PIP" would be worse. To confirm my hunch, I asked ChatGPT for substitutes, and it suggested the following:
"Growth acceleration blueprint -- This name emphasizes the plan's role in accelerating personal and professional growth, making it sound more dynamic and positive."
"Success enhancement program -- This title conveys an intent to enhance success, which can be more encouraging for employees."
"Career advancement pathway -- Focusing on career progression, this name helps position the plan as a tool for career development."
"Performance optimization strategy -- This alternative emphasizes refining and optimizing performance, rather than just improving it, suggesting a more strategic approach."
"Talent amplification guide -- This name highlights the goal of amplifying an employee's existing talents and capabilities, making it sound empowering."
I mean, really -- your employees would probably find being put on a GAB (growth acceleration blueprint) much more annoying and condescending than a performance improvement plan.
Why we use jargon
Jargon isn't bad--it's a shortcut phrase that helps everyone know what you mean without giving a long explanation. When a co-worker says, "We need to figure out the client's pain points," you know what they mean. You don't have to go into a long explanation of what it means to identify the areas that are causing the most difficulty for the client.
Ellen Jovin, an executive communications consultant and author of Rebel With a Clause: Tales and Tips From a Roving Grammarian , explains, "Experts need specialized vocabulary to communicate with one another efficiently about specialized topics involving specialized knowledge. That's true in science, in business, in the arts. And there's nothing wrong with that, assuming you use your industry jargon wisely. If you're a financial expert talking about esoteric financial products to fellow financial experts, you can use insider vocabulary to add precision and expedite communication."
But once you're not speaking to the in-group, you'll need to vary your vocabulary. And as a manager or business owner, you'll need to teach any new hires the industry buzzwords and jargon they need to be successful.
When jargon is bad
If you're using jargon that annoys your co-workers, stop. If you're using it to be condescending or snotty, stop. If you're using it to communicate clearly in a way that everyone understands, as described above, then perfect. That's how you should use jargon.
Jargon, like all language, evolves, and what is annoying today will fade away shortly. New phrases will take these buzzwords' place. For example, I strongly dislike the word quiet being used to soften what is happening in the workplace today -- "quiet quitting" is slacking off, and "quiet vacationing" is lying to your boss. Changing the language doesn't change the behavior. But I also know that these terms will eventually fade from popularity.
Choose your words carefully to ensure you mean what you say, and you say what you mean. If not, you may find yourself in an "offboarding" (No. 15) meeting. Or your employees wishing they were in one. Annoying jargon is extra annoying when it comes from the boss.
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Any article featuring inspirational speeches must include this ground-breaking speech. On 28th August 1963, Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of over 250,000. In it, he calls for an end to racism and equality for all. In 1999, this speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. 2.
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Either we heal, as a team, or we're gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen—believe me. And, we can stay here and get the s_____ kicked out of us, or, we can fight our way back.". Al Pacino delivers this inspiration speech in the movie "Any Given Sunday.".
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Famous Speeches and Great Talks. This list is organized by presenter name and then speech topic. Click the links below to jump to a specific speech. On each page, you'll find a full transcript of the speech as well as some additional background information. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, "The Danger of a Single Story"
It's a short motivational speech, but it's one of the best motivational speeches of all time, in our opinion. Al Pacino - Any Given Sunday. ... Sheryl Sandberg - Harvard Business School Motivational Speech. Sheryl Sandberg, the American entrepreneur, tech executive, author, and current COO of Facebook, is the next addition to our list ...
We selected 24 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and other fields to help you stay motivated no matter what your work throws at you. Watch these videos if you want to feel inspired by a project. ... The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time 1. Elon Musk: "The Importance of Never Giving Up" (2020)
These inspiring speeches from world-renowned CEOs including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's Bill Gates highlight a wide range of strategies implemented within their own brands, which helped them achieve the high levels of success witnessed today. Trend Hunter's founder and CEO Jeremy Gutsche discusses what can ...
Cutts also shares personal experiences on the impact of completing a 30-day challenge, which include improved confidence and energy. This talk will make you want to start your own 30-day experiment--and it can make a real difference in your life. Advertisement. 4. Business TED Talks on Strategy. Business strategy refers to the way that you ...
But, the most important thing isn't necessarily winning or losing. It's about getting out there and giving it everything you've got. That's why this is one of our favorite motivational ...
Any article featuring inspirational speeches must include this ground-breaking speech. On 28th August 1963, Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of over 250,000. In it, he calls for an end to racism and equality for all. In 1999, this speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. 2.
Either we heal, as a team, or we're gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen—believe me. And, we can stay here and get the s_____ kicked out of us, or, we can fight our way back.". Al Pacino delivers this inspiration speech in the movie "Any Given Sunday.".
The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time. 1) J.K. Rowling on Failure at "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination" (2008) We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. 2) David Foster Wallace on Life & Career at "This Is ...
Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight. When Harvard-trained brain researcher Dr. Jill Bolte says she had a stroke of insight, she means it literally. One morning, at the age of 37, she suffered ...
Full text and audio database of Top 100 American Speeches by Rank Order : MAIN LINKS: Home Page: Speech Bank: Top 100 Speeches: Great New Speeches : Obama Speeches: GWB Speeches: Movie Speeches ... A Time to Break Silence: Off-Site.mp3 : 44: William Jennings Bryan: Against Imperialism: mp3-Excerpt: PDF: 45: Barbara Pierce Bush: Wellesley ...
Without believing that you can make it, all of your other efforts will be purely in vain. 13. Gym Motivation by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Theme of Speech: Being passionate about your career At first, glance, this motivational speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be intended exclusively for fitness freaks.
As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life. 08:23. Bill Gates.
Unsurprisingly, Martin Luther King's speech comes up top as the most inspiring speech of all time, especially given the harrowing conditions of African Americans in America at the time. In the post-abolition era when slavery was outlawed constitutionally, African Americans experienced an intense period of backlash from white supremacists who ...
All of these great people helped me. I worked really hard.'. Ask a man and he'll say or think, 'What a dumb question. I'm awesome.'. So women need to take a page from men and own their ...
Jan 8, 2021, 1:03 PM PST. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches can still inspire today. AP. Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history ...
10. Theodore Roosevelt, "The Man with the Muck-rake". April 14, 1906; Washington, D.C. Theodore Roosevelt was president during the Progressive Era, a time of great enthusiasm for reform in government, the economy, and society.
Top 10 Greatest Speeches. As the political season heats up, TIME takes a tour of history's best rhetoric
Rocky's motivational speech is all about not letting failure define you. This is good advice, no matter your industry. In 2019, 90% of startups failed. But, many successful business people, including Bill Gates and Walt Disney, failed before they succeeded. So, even if the odds are against your, it doesn't helo to fixate on the negative.
If you do your best, then you're likely get the best back in return - so think about what doing your best really takes, and strive to do that in your business endeavours. 3. Remember that it gets easier. Think about how hard it was when you started to learn how to do something.
From Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Address to Nelson Mandela's anti-apartheid advocacy, these 10 iconic motivational speeches have motivated millions to pursue greatness.Al Pacino's passionate plea, J.K. Rowling's triumph over adversity, and Bill Gates' call to action are just a few examples of how influential figures have empowered audiences worldwide.
Top 15 motivational speeches of all time. 1. "I Have a Dream" - Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963. Watch on. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" is undoubtedly one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. Delivered in 1963 at the March on Washington, it spoke to the ...
After escaping slavery, Sojourner Truth was invited to speak at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, on May 29, 1851, where she passionately and eloquently called out the inferior treatment of women, and of black women especially. Another historic speech that makes it one of the best speeches by women.
As the ceremonial cap-tossing moment approaches, graduates find themselves on the threshold of a new chapter, filled with anticipation and uncertainty. It is in this pivotal moment that commencement speeches make their most profound impact. The best speeches transcend mere words, offering a blend of guidance, wisdom, and inspiration that resonates deeply.
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox) Independence Day - President Witmore. President Thomas J. Whitmore's (Bill Pullman) speech in Independence Day has become one of the most iconic film moments of ...
The Best Graduation Speech of 2024 Is Absolutely Obvious, and It All Comes Down to Just 1 Word Oprah Winfrey Said Lifelong Success, Happiness, and Fulfillment Come Down to Just 5 Words
Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site. DCA License Search Use this online search tool to verify a license issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for the professions listed under license type.