After spending most of his speech tearing down the cult of specialness, McCullough delivered his beautiful twist ending. The speech that began with 'You are not special' concluded with the revelation that not being special is actually the gateway to the sweetest joys of life. McCullough urged graduates to climb mountains not to plant flags but to embrace the challenge and behold the view, to go to Paris to be in Paris rather than to cross it off a list, and to exercise free will not for personal satisfaction but for the good of others. The final two words — 'Because everyone is' — transformed the entire speech from what seemed like a takedown into a profound affirmation of universal human dignity and worth.