Speaking from the steps of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art on Saturday August 27, Rose returned to a theme he has discussed regularly in the past as he encouraged the Class of 2026 and newly arrived transfer students to be intellectually fearless. This trait, he stressed, lies at the core of a Bowdoin education.
“There are many things you will do here. You will go to class. You will make deep and lifelong friendships. You will compete athletically, engage in artistic and cultural endeavors, explore the outdoors, and much more. Sometimes you’ll simply going to be goofing around—all of that is great,” said Rose.
“But,” he added, “when we strip it all away, an essential goal is to help you to develop for yourself intellectual fearlessness—the skills, knowledge, and the intestinal fortitude to effectively engage with the most challenging issues and problems that we face.”
To develop this “intestinal fortitude,” said Rose, they must at times during their Bowdoin experience feel “uncomfortable, … rattled, and even offended.” He stressed the importance of challenging deeply held views and pushing yourself to understand new material.
Rose continued: “A great liberal arts education is not an easy thing, but it is deeply rewarding, and it will set you on a path to ambitiously engage with the world, to continue learning, to confront these hard problems, and to do so with success. You will learn new ways of thinking about old problems. You will test and affirm many ideas you hold dear. And, on occasion, you will change your mind.”
Engaging in a thoughtful and respectful way with ideas that make you uncomfortable is how you learn, said Rose. “This is how you develop the intellectual tools and emotional strength to face down and deal with our biggest problems and opportunities. And this is how you change the world. So, at these moments, remind yourself that this is exactly why you are here.”
Rose described the challenge of embracing intellectual fearlessness as an exciting prospect. “You have earned the opportunity to spend the next four years developing the knowledge, skills, and the emotional fortitude to be able to really engage the world's most difficult problems. That is amazing.”
He also went on to urge the students to “develop the ability to listen well,” and followed this up with a warning: “Please break free of dark side of social media that drives so much of the toxic culture, and of the impulse to only read, watch, and listen to those with whom we already agree.”
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