“As a society, we find ourselves in a time of deep polarization. Our empathy for others is not just in decline – it’s
in free fall. Compromise is a lost art. Constructive dialogue—real, human interaction—feels increasingly rare.
Too many of us have retreated into our own political and cultural silos. We surround ourselves only with the
voices that echo our own, and we tune out the rest.”
“Your liberal arts education hasn’t prepared you to master just one subject. It’s done something far more
powerful. It’s taught you how to work with people, irrespective of the topic at hand. It’s shown you how to understand
perspectives that are different from your own. It’s trained you not to rush to a solution, but to see the full human
complexity behind the problem.”
See more from the 2025 Ohio Wesleyan University Commencement.
Ohio Wesleyan University Commencement was one of seventy campuses participating in From Campus to Community a new national campaign to champion civil discourse and democratic engagement in this year’s commencement season. More from President Matthew vandenBerg.
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