In one of the most unexpected commencement speeches of its era, Stephen King devoted the bulk of his Vassar address not to writing advice but to the moral imperative of generosity. He argued that charitable giving shouldn't be deferred until retirement or until you feel you have 'enough' — because that day never truly arrives. King shared specific details about his own giving, noting that he and his wife Tabitha had donated millions to libraries, schools, and community organizations in Maine. He urged the graduates to start giving immediately, even if the amounts were small, because the habit of generosity is more important than the size of the gift. The discipline of giving, he argued, reshapes how you see the world and your place in it.