Meltzer's third magic trick is about empathy — switching places with someone else. He tells the story of his neighbor Mercee (which as a kid he always heard as "Mercy") who gave up her own apartment so Meltzer's family of six could have space when they were crammed into a tiny one-bedroom after his dad lost his job. He contrasts that mercy with the cruelty and venom that's become sport in modern culture, arguing that cruelty isn't proof of strength — it's a sign of weakness and petty insecurity. He urges graduates to resist shutting down in the face of bad news, reminding them that every person they encounter is battling something invisible. The line is his call to arms: that radical, even naïve kindness is an idea worth fighting for.