Public transcript

University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral William H. McRaven

By: Texas Exes
Length: 19 min
Language: English
Text from: the video's captions
Transcribed: 27 September 2026

Read the full transcript Open on YouTube

Notes in English.

Summary

Admiral William H. McRaven, a Navy SEAL for 36 years and UT Austin graduate, delivers the 2014 commencement address. He argues that if each graduate changes the lives of just 10 people, the class of 2014 could ultimately change 800 million lives. He shares 10 lessons from basic SEAL training, from making your bed to never ringing the bell, and concludes that these lessons apply to anyone seeking to change the world for the better.

Key points

If each graduate changes the lives of 10 people, and each of those changes 10 more, the class of 2014 could change 800 million people in five generations.
McRaven shares 10 lessons from basic SEAL training that he says apply to anyone regardless of background.
Making your bed every morning gives you a sense of pride and reinforces that the little things in life matter.
The Munchkin boat crew, made up of the smallest men, outperformed everyone because nothing mattered but the will to succeed.
Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, you end up as a sugar cookie, and you must keep moving forward.
The pain of the circuses, extra calisthenics for failing standards, built inner strength and physical resiliency.
During hell week, one voice singing in the mud gave the whole class hope and helped them endure.
To quit SEAL training, all you have to do is ring the bell, and McRaven urges graduates to never, ever ring the bell.

Questions it answers

00:00Opening and the math of changing the world

How can the class of 2014 change the world?

He notes that if each of the more than 8,000 graduates changes the lives of 10 people, and each of those changes 10 more, the class of 2014 could change 800 million people in five generations, over twice the U.S. population.

One person's decisions can save generations, as McRaven saw in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it.

03:00SEAL training as a source of universal lessons

Why does McRaven think SEAL training lessons apply to everyone?

He says the lessons from basic SEAL training apply to everyone regardless of gender, background, orientation, or social status, because everyone's struggles are similar.

Basic SEAL training was six months of constant stress, chaos, failure, and hardship.
The training sought those who could lead under constant stress.

04:00Lessons one to three: bed, boat crews, and hearts

Why should you make your bed every morning?

Making your bed completes the first task of the day, gives a small sense of pride, and reinforces that the little things matter; a made bed encourages you that tomorrow will be better.

If you can't do the little things right, you'll never do the big things right.
One completed task turns into many completed tasks.

08:50Lessons four and five: sugar cookies and circuses

How should you handle unfair failure?

No matter how well you prepare or perform, sometimes you end up as a sugar cookie, and you must accept it and keep moving forward.

Students who couldn't accept that their efforts went unappreciated didn't make it through training.
Life is sometimes just unfair.

11:50Lessons six and seven: head first and sharks

What did the student who broke the obstacle course record do?

A student broke the slide-for-life record by going down head first, showing that sometimes you have to take risks to change the world.

The move was dangerous and fraught with risk, but it halved his time.
Sometimes you have to slide down the obstacles head first.

14:40Lesson eight: the darkest moment under the keel

How must you perform at the darkest moment of a mission?

Under the keel, the darkest part of the mission, a SEAL must be calm and composed, bringing all tactical skills, physical power, and inner strength to bear.

The keel is where you cannot see your hand in front of your face.
You must be your very best in the darkest moments.

15:50Lesson nine: singing in the mud

What happened in the mud flats during hell week?

During hell week, with the class stuck in freezing mud for hours, one voice began singing and soon everyone joined, making the mud seem warmer and the dawn closer; McRaven says one person can change the world by giving people hope.

The instructors said the class could leave the mud if only five men quit.
Hope is the power behind figures like Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela, and Malala.

18:00Lesson ten and closing charge

What final charge does McRaven give the graduates?

He urges them to start each day with a task completed, find someone to help them through life, respect everyone, know life is not fair, take risks, step up in the toughest times, face down bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never give up.

Ringing the bell means quitting, and he says never, ever ring it.
The class of 2014 can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.

Notes

Overview

Admiral William H. McRaven, a Navy SEAL for 36 years, delivered the 2014 commencement address at UT Austin, almost 37 years after his own graduation from the university.
He frames his speech around the university slogan "what starts here changes the world" and offers 10 lessons from basic SEAL training in Coronado, California.

The Power of Ten People

More than 8,000 students graduated that night; if each changed the lives of just 10 people, and each of those changed another 10, in five generations (125 years) the class of 2014 would have changed 800 million people, over twice the population of the United States.
He saw one person's decisions save soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, saving generations.

The 10 Lessons

Make your bed: accomplishing the first task of the day encourages more tasks; little things matter, and a made bed offers encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
Find someone to help you paddle: boat crews needed synchronized, equal effort; you can't change the world alone.
Measure people by the size of their heart: the Munchkin boat crew, none over 5'5", outpaddled, outran, and outswam everyone; SEAL training was a great equalizer.
Get over being a sugar cookie: no matter how well you prepare, sometimes you fail anyway; keep moving forward.
Don't be afraid of the circuses: everyone made the circus list; the extra two hours of calisthenics built strength and resiliency.
Slide down the obstacles head first: a student broke the slide-for-life record by risking a headfirst descent.
Don't back down from the sharks: when a shark circles, stand your ground and punch it in the snout.
Be your best in the darkest moments: under the keel of a ship, where it is darkest and most disorienting, you must be calm and composed.
Start singing when you're up to your neck in mud: during hell week's 15 hours in the mud flats, one voice singing gave the whole class hope.
Don't ever, ever ring the bell: ringing the brass bell means quitting; never give up.

Closing Charge

He tells the class of 2014 to start each day with a task completed, find someone to help through life, respect everyone, know life is not fair, take risks, step up in the toughest times, face down bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never give up.

Text from the video's own captions. Summary and notes written by AI from the transcript, so check anything important against the recording.