In the final section of her speech, Portman spoke about the experiences that had been most fulfilling in her life — and none of them were acting roles or awards ceremonies. They were human interactions: visiting microfinance programs in developing countries, trekking with guerrilla conservationists in Rwanda, and simply being present for people in her life. She acknowledged that 'it's a cliché because it's true' — but the admission of cliché didn't diminish the truth. The act of caring about someone else's problems temporarily breaks the gravitational pull of your own ego. And in 'the ways we are generous or not,' she told the graduates, 'we can change the course of someone's life' — including our own.