Speeches Worth Memorizing

Great speeches that distill complex ideas into moments of clarity

  1. Steve Jobs – “You’ve Got to Find What You Love” (Stanford Commencement, 2005) Where Jobs shares three pivotal stories from his life: on connecting the dots, love and loss, and facing mortality. His message: follow curiosity, embrace failure, and trust that seemingly disconnected experiences will ultimately make sense.
  2. David Foster Wallace – “This Is Water” (Kenyon College Commencement, 2005) Wallace’s reflection on awareness, default thinking, and the conscious effort required to see beyond our own limited perspective. He urges us to live with intention and recognise the “invisible” realities shaping our day-to-day lives.
  3. Charlie Munger – “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment” (Harvard, 1995) Munger dissects cognitive biases that distort decision-making, offering one of the most insightful breakdowns of human behavior and rational thought. Essential listening for anyone in design, business, or leadership.
  4. Bob Dylan 2016 Nobel Lecture in Literature A mix of history and as a way to understand the literary influences behind Dylan’s music, from Buddy Holly to Moby Dick, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Odyssey.
  5. John Cleese – Creativity in Management
  6. Charles Eames – The definition of design
  7. Bret Victor – Inventing on Principle
  8. Randy Pausch – Achieving Your Childhood Dreams