Gawande warned graduates about two traps of the 'real world': defining your purpose by an enemy rather than building something positive, and narrowing down to focus only on your own material success. He acknowledged that both are seductive — victories are easier when you're knocking others down, and it's simpler to withdraw into a private realm. But he argued that simply existing will eventually feel unfulfilling, because humans have an intrinsic need to pursue purposes larger than themselves, purposes worth making sacrifices for.