In his closing remarks, Clinton offered what he considered the deepest truth about legacy. After recounting how every great American leader was mocked and dismissed in their time, he observed that history has no memory for critics — only for those who built something. And even the builders themselves eventually fade from memory; what persists are the ripples their work created in other people's lives. It was both a humbling and liberating message: you don't have to be remembered to matter. What matters is the positive change you set in motion. He urged the Yale graduates to go out with happy hearts, live with confidence in the face of change, and help others find that same courage.