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Keating: No grades
at stake, gentlemen. Just
take a stroll. There it is.
Keating: I don't know, but I've been told-
Boys: I don't know, but I've been told-
Keating: Doing poetry is old-
Boys: Doing poetry is old-
Keating: Left, left, left-right-left. Left, left,
left-right-left. Left, halt! Thank you, gentlemen. If you
noticed, everyone started off with their own
stride, their own
pace. Mr. Pitts, taking his time
. He knew he'll get there one day. Mr. Cameron, you could see
him thinking, "Is this right? It might be right. It might be
right. I know that. Maybe not. I don't know." Mr. Overstreet,
driven by deeper force. Yes. We know that. All right. Now, I
didn't bring them up here to
ridicule them. I brought them up
here to illustrate the point of conformity: the difficulty in
maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others. Now, those
of you -- I see the look in your eyes like, "I would've walked
differently." Well, ask yourselves why you were clapping. Now,
we all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that
your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think
them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, "That's baaaaad." Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in a wood and
I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the
difference." I want you to find your own walk right now. Your
own way of striding, pacing. Any direction. Anything you want.
Whether it's proud, whether it's silly, anything. Gentlemen, the
courtyard is yours.
Keating: You don't have to perform. Just make it for
yourself. Mr. Dalton? You'll be joining us?
Charlie: Exercising the right not to walk.
Keating: Thank you, Mr. Dalton. You just illustrated the
point.
Swim against the stream.
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