O’Brien’s word of wisdom: Humility

Conan O’Brien.

Photo by Grace DuVal

Christina Pazzanese

Harvard Staff Writer

May 28, 2026 4 min read

‘Your real education starts now,’ comedy legend tells grads, urging them to defy ‘extreme narcissism’ of the times

Part of the Commencement 2026 series

A collection of features and graduate profiles covering Harvard’s 375th Commencement.

Conan O’Brien brought his absurdist humor to bear Thursday as the principal speaker at Harvard’s 375th Commencement, poking fun at the University’s history and culture while also urging the Class of 2026 to set their sights beyond their academic achievements.

His wish for them, he said, was that one day, their status as Harvard grads might be “the least important thing people know about you.”

“I really understand how much hard work it took for all of you to get to this point,” O’Brien, a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, told the crowd at Tercentenary Theatre. “You should feel enormous pride, just as I did on my Commencement day.”

But a Harvard degree can be double-edged, he added.

“Many people are happy to mistake the lucky poker hand for their own brilliance, and fighting that human instinct has kept me sane.”

“Your real education starts now, with friends you’ve made and friends you get to meet, with stunning successes and miserable defeats, and with a humble acceptance that your greatness comes from the mess around you, not despite it,” O’Brien said.

He was quick to note that he was speaking from deep experience, crediting his own successes to help he’s received from “an infinitely packed clown car of multitudes” — and to luck. In that spirit, he urged his audience to resist the “extreme narcissism” of the times, with pointed reference to U.S. leaders and smartphone-fueled self-absorption.

“Many people are happy to mistake the lucky poker hand for their own brilliance, and fighting that human instinct has kept me sane,” he said. “I honestly believe that community, spontaneity, and a real commitment to humility have helped me build a rich life.”

The comedy legend’s remarks included riffs on recent University news. Thanking President Alan Garber for his stewardship of the graduating class, he said: “Fantastic job, sir. Really nice. Normally, I would give you an A+, but in keeping with upcoming Harvard policy, I’m adjusting your grade to a C-. Trust me, it’s for the good of the school.”

O’Brien touched on the federal government’s ongoing legal battles with the University, joking that he too was suing Harvard for indignities he endured at the College, like the cast-iron bunk bed he slept on as a first-year (“an instrument of divine cruelty”) and his underwhelming dating life.

“I’m confident that my claims will have more merit than those filed by the president of the United States,” he said to cheers.

In his opening address, Garber struck a more solemn note about the political, legal, and academic challenges facing Harvard.

Recalling the University’s long history as a leading light for intellectual inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, he said, “Our cause is just. Our principles are worthy. And our contributions to the common good are vital. This moment demands of us ongoing vigilance and unyielding effort as we continue to defend the University and its ideals.”

He praised students’ embrace of opportunities “to disagree constructively, listen generously, and speak freely” and their finding ways to bring people together in order “to nurture pluralism, mutual respect, and empathy.”

A Brookline native, O’Brien was twice elected president of the Harvard Lampoon. He made his name as an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer for “The Simpsons ” and “Saturday Night Live” in the late 1980s before starring in NBC’s “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” which ran from 1993 to 2009.

In 2010, he launched a new show, “Conan,” that ran until 2023 on TNT network. He now hosts a popular podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” Last year, O’Brien received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The University conferred O’Brien with a doctor of arts degree, which he accepted on behalf of his late grandfather, a Worcester traffic officer who left school to help support his family in seventh grade. Other honorary degree recipients were Audra McDonald, a Tony Award-winning Broadway actor and singer; conservative political columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan; AI innovator Geoffrey Hinton; and historian Noel Malcolm.

Closing his speech, O’Brien offered students congratulations, “not for any piece of paper you received today, but because of your hard work, determination, humanity, and the boundless community that you have and will create.”