Chief Justice John Roberts' speech wishing new grads 'betrayal,' 'bad luck' and 'failure'

Commencement speakers are expected to give graduates useful advice and motivation, and ultimately, extend them good wishes for the rest of their journeys.

But at a recent ceremony, America's top judge refused to wish students good luck and instead said he hoped they failed — because ultimately that will help them succeed — and to do so with grace.

Chief Justice John Roberts' unconventional commencement speech at Cardigan Mountain School, where his son graduated from ninth grade in June, has gone viral on Twitter.

In his address, Roberts acknowledged that, in most commencement speeches, even influential ones from icons like Tim Cook, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg, there are two problems: The graduates are impatient, and speakers repeat the same ideas and advice.

Roberts tried to solve those problems by delivering an unexpected lesson on how crucial it is to fail for learning perseverance. By wishing bad luck and even betrayal for the students he addressed, he said he hoped listeners would learn the importance of justice, friendship, loyalty, sportsmanship and compassion.

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