Use your fear. Harness it. Let them underestimate you. In the end, don't vanquish your critics — prove them wrong.
Brad Meltzer
University of Michigan Commencement 2024, 2024
Video starts at 8:52 — the moment this quote was spoken
The Story Behind This Quote
Meltzer's second magic trick is about making something disappear — and he challenges the assumption that you should make fear disappear. He tells the story of working at Häagen-Dazs in high school when a woman screamed at him that he'd be working in that miserable ice cream store for the rest of his miserable life. For decades he laughed it off, but admits it terrified him — his dad struggled financially, and the fear of that same fate fueled him. He connects it to Michigan's football team: when they lost their coach and everyone said they were finished, that doubt became rocket fuel, carrying them to beating Ohio State and winning the national championship.