We hear almost daily that we have entitlements: we are exceptional; we are unique; we are special; bring America back; etc, etc, etc. But what’s different about us? Are we so narcissistic that we really believe this as we stare in the mirror. Perhaps like Narcissus our fate will be to turn into a flower. So much for exceptional-ism.
David McCullough, Jr., son of the Pulitzer Prize willing author, had his own ideas on this topic. As an English teacher at Wellesley High School in the Boston suburbs, he achieved sudden fame in 2012 with his commencement speech. He told graduating students, “you’re not special” nine times, and his speech went viral on YouTube. Yet this is a positive speech with hope and inspiration and was subsequently the title of this book.