The Beauty of Disappointment
Let it drive your personal improvement.
The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.
“The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.” — Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien provided this quotable during a Dartmouth College commencement speech in 2011. You can easily find footage of it online. If you have a spare 24 minutes, it is worth the listen.
He masterfully uses ethos and pathos in his presentation. Conan established credibility with the crowd by assuring them he was once in their uncertain position. He also adeptly used humor and a connection with the students, faculty, and parents in attendance to deliver a point — disappointment and change will happen no matter what, so embrace them rather than allowing them to overwhelm you.
But this rant is not just my inner Toastmaster gushing over Conan for delivering a primo speech. It is my appreciation of him testifying about how failure can beget glory. To better understand the impact of this message, consider the context of what happened to him before that graduation address.
Conan showed strength in this speech by being vulnerable. He drew from his personal experiences with…