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A protester faces off with a sheriff deputy amid clashes with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025.
(Photo: Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)
Courage: A Letter to the Oberlin College Class of 2025
Whatever the causes, the world has gone haywire and in the years ahead all of us will need courage more than ever.
Jun 12, 2025
I don’t know much about the theory of courage. But I believe that it shows up when summoned from the depths of our loyalties and affections—doing work for which we’re willing to live and die.
Whatever the causes, the world has gone haywire and in the years ahead all of us will need courage more than ever. A few examples to make the point:
- Some tech bros—about your age—are dismantling the Federal government, painstakingly assembled over 235 years;
- Immigrants—some U.S. citizens—are being arrested and shipped to foreign prisons... without due process;
- The president says he “doesn’t know” whether he must uphold the Constitution—that he swore to “preserve, protect, and defend” 125 days ago;
- Billionaires and mega corporations are getting more tax cuts;
- People, young and old, are dying in Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan;
- Last week others died in heat and storms in the Midwest;
- During this one hour, we will release the heat equivalent from 18,000 Hiroshima-size bombs to an already overheated Earth; and
- Mendacity and oligarchy are on the march; Truth—our stock in trade—is under assault.
Future generations will think us “deranged” in Amitav Ghosh’s words. Your job—our job—is to prove them wrong and make a better future than that in prospect. So, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver)
As you think it over, know that there is work for you to do—good work... and trouble to cause, what John Lewis called “necessary trouble.” But good work and necessary trouble always come with the courage to do it. With that in mind, a few observations:
- Get a life before you select a career... have a compass, not an itinerary... know whose side you are on;
- Stand for something that matters—and there is a great deal that matters;
- Be less certain of your certainties, but more clear about your values;
- Laugh at the human predicament and yourself... otherwise you’re just not taking things seriously enough;
- Pay attention to serendipity—those small chance occurrences, once defined as God’s way to remain anonymous;
- Be grateful always: You are the beneficiary of kindnesses, known and unknown;
- Remember that you are kin to all that has ever lived, is living, and by our forbearance will live; and
- In coming years, as you learn, in Rutger Bregman’s words, to “self-diminish,” become more kind, compassionate, and wise.
As for courage... remember the Lion in The Wizard of Oz walking down that yellow brick road looking for courage... only to find that the wizard was a phony and that he had courage all along, it was all around him and It’s all around you too and will come when you most need it. You will be surprised when you discover how much you can do in the years ahead, and there is not a moment to lose.
AND Congratulations, we’re very proud of you! Godspeed!
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
David Orr
David W. Orr is Professor of Practice at Arizona State University and Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College. He is the author of numerous books, including "Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse" (Oxford, 2009). And is co-editor of "Democracy Unchained" (The New Press, 2020).
billionairesclimate emergencydepartment of government efficiencydisinformationdue processextreme weatherimmigrant rightsoligarchyauthoritarianism
I don’t know much about the theory of courage. But I believe that it shows up when summoned from the depths of our loyalties and affections—doing work for which we’re willing to live and die.
Whatever the causes, the world has gone haywire and in the years ahead all of us will need courage more than ever. A few examples to make the point:
- Some tech bros—about your age—are dismantling the Federal government, painstakingly assembled over 235 years;
- Immigrants—some U.S. citizens—are being arrested and shipped to foreign prisons... without due process;
- The president says he “doesn’t know” whether he must uphold the Constitution—that he swore to “preserve, protect, and defend” 125 days ago;
- Billionaires and mega corporations are getting more tax cuts;
- People, young and old, are dying in Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan;
- Last week others died in heat and storms in the Midwest;
- During this one hour, we will release the heat equivalent from 18,000 Hiroshima-size bombs to an already overheated Earth; and
- Mendacity and oligarchy are on the march; Truth—our stock in trade—is under assault.
Future generations will think us “deranged” in Amitav Ghosh’s words. Your job—our job—is to prove them wrong and make a better future than that in prospect. So, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver)
As you think it over, know that there is work for you to do—good work... and trouble to cause, what John Lewis called “necessary trouble.” But good work and necessary trouble always come with the courage to do it. With that in mind, a few observations:
- Get a life before you select a career... have a compass, not an itinerary... know whose side you are on;
- Stand for something that matters—and there is a great deal that matters;
- Be less certain of your certainties, but more clear about your values;
- Laugh at the human predicament and yourself... otherwise you’re just not taking things seriously enough;
- Pay attention to serendipity—those small chance occurrences, once defined as God’s way to remain anonymous;
- Be grateful always: You are the beneficiary of kindnesses, known and unknown;
- Remember that you are kin to all that has ever lived, is living, and by our forbearance will live; and
- In coming years, as you learn, in Rutger Bregman’s words, to “self-diminish,” become more kind, compassionate, and wise.
As for courage... remember the Lion in The Wizard of Oz walking down that yellow brick road looking for courage... only to find that the wizard was a phony and that he had courage all along, it was all around him and It’s all around you too and will come when you most need it. You will be surprised when you discover how much you can do in the years ahead, and there is not a moment to lose.
AND Congratulations, we’re very proud of you! Godspeed!
From Your Site Articles
- Attacks on ‘Political’ Graduation Speakers Are Craven Attacks on Intellectual Freedom ›
- Thousands Protest ICE Abduction of Tufts Student as Trump Attacks at Universities Intensify ›
- Rutgers Senate Proposes Big Ten 'Mutual Defense Compact' to Block Trump's Campus Attacks ›
- In 'Call to Duty' for 'Civic Courage,' Free Speech Champions Challenge Trump Assault on Key Rights ›
- 750+ Jewish Students Affirm Support for Pro-Palestine Campus Protests ›
- Opinion | A Year After the Summit of the Future, Future Generations Thinking Is Still the Answer | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | Trump Robs From the Futures of Young People to Pad the Futures of Billionaires | Common Dreams ›
David Orr
David W. Orr is Professor of Practice at Arizona State University and Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College. He is the author of numerous books, including "Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse" (Oxford, 2009). And is co-editor of "Democracy Unchained" (The New Press, 2020).
I don’t know much about the theory of courage. But I believe that it shows up when summoned from the depths of our loyalties and affections—doing work for which we’re willing to live and die.
Whatever the causes, the world has gone haywire and in the years ahead all of us will need courage more than ever. A few examples to make the point:
- Some tech bros—about your age—are dismantling the Federal government, painstakingly assembled over 235 years;
- Immigrants—some U.S. citizens—are being arrested and shipped to foreign prisons... without due process;
- The president says he “doesn’t know” whether he must uphold the Constitution—that he swore to “preserve, protect, and defend” 125 days ago;
- Billionaires and mega corporations are getting more tax cuts;
- People, young and old, are dying in Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan;
- Last week others died in heat and storms in the Midwest;
- During this one hour, we will release the heat equivalent from 18,000 Hiroshima-size bombs to an already overheated Earth; and
- Mendacity and oligarchy are on the march; Truth—our stock in trade—is under assault.
Future generations will think us “deranged” in Amitav Ghosh’s words. Your job—our job—is to prove them wrong and make a better future than that in prospect. So, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver)
As you think it over, know that there is work for you to do—good work... and trouble to cause, what John Lewis called “necessary trouble.” But good work and necessary trouble always come with the courage to do it. With that in mind, a few observations:
- Get a life before you select a career... have a compass, not an itinerary... know whose side you are on;
- Stand for something that matters—and there is a great deal that matters;
- Be less certain of your certainties, but more clear about your values;
- Laugh at the human predicament and yourself... otherwise you’re just not taking things seriously enough;
- Pay attention to serendipity—those small chance occurrences, once defined as God’s way to remain anonymous;
- Be grateful always: You are the beneficiary of kindnesses, known and unknown;
- Remember that you are kin to all that has ever lived, is living, and by our forbearance will live; and
- In coming years, as you learn, in Rutger Bregman’s words, to “self-diminish,” become more kind, compassionate, and wise.
As for courage... remember the Lion in The Wizard of Oz walking down that yellow brick road looking for courage... only to find that the wizard was a phony and that he had courage all along, it was all around him and It’s all around you too and will come when you most need it. You will be surprised when you discover how much you can do in the years ahead, and there is not a moment to lose.
AND Congratulations, we’re very proud of you! Godspeed!
From Your Site Articles
- Attacks on ‘Political’ Graduation Speakers Are Craven Attacks on Intellectual Freedom ›
- Thousands Protest ICE Abduction of Tufts Student as Trump Attacks at Universities Intensify ›
- Rutgers Senate Proposes Big Ten 'Mutual Defense Compact' to Block Trump's Campus Attacks ›
- In 'Call to Duty' for 'Civic Courage,' Free Speech Champions Challenge Trump Assault on Key Rights ›
- 750+ Jewish Students Affirm Support for Pro-Palestine Campus Protests ›
- Opinion | A Year After the Summit of the Future, Future Generations Thinking Is Still the Answer | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | Trump Robs From the Futures of Young People to Pad the Futures of Billionaires | Common Dreams ›
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