Ariana Baio
May 18, 2022
Video
On Wednesday, Taylor Swift addressed graduates from New York University in a commencement speech and advised them to "learn to live alongside cringe".
Swift, 32, took to the stage at Yankee Stadium and seemingly drew upon her own life experience to advise the class of '22.
Shortly after accepting her honorary doctorate, the singer-songwriter gave a mixture of light-hearted and sincere advice from learning to release grudges and ill-will, to living with cringe.
"No matter how hard you try to avoid being cringe you will look back on your life and cringe retrospectively," Swift said with a slight smile.
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The evermore singer knows all too well what it's like to look back on your life in cringe. Having grown up in the spotlight since she was a teenager, Swift has had to deal with heartbreak, awkward dancing, and celebrity feuds publicly.
"Learn to live alongside cringe." Taylor Swift gives a commencement speech after receiving an honorary doctorate from NYU.\n\nFull story: https://apne.ws/ZnHMcdP\u00a0pic.twitter.com/jSrVbSfwLF— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1652899279
"I promise you, you’re probably doing or wearing something right now that you will look back on later and find revolting and hilarious," Swift said.
"You can’t avoid it, so don’t try to. For example, I had a phase where, for the entirety of 2012, I dressed like a 1950s housewife. But you know what? I was having fun. Trends and phases are fun. Looking back and laughing is fun."
Swift encouraged graduates to keep their enthusiasm and enjoy everything in life, regardless of how trendy it may be.
Dr Taylor Swift's life hacks:\n1. life can be heavy especially when you have to hold it all at once\n2. learn to live alongside cringe\n3. we are all writers, literary chameleons\n4. breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep and breathe out\n#22GraduatesVersion— cooper \ud83c\udf42 more moots please (@cooper \ud83c\udf42 more moots please) 1652892160
Of course, the skilled songwriter couldn't help but reference two of her own songs which coincidently fit the NYU class of '22.
"Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you," Swift said at the beginning of her 20-minute speech.
To end her commencement speech, she gave an ode to her song 22, "So let’s just keep dancing like we’re… the class of ’22."
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