The Last Lecture: Chapter 54 Summary & Analysis

Randy says people’s rights should also come with responsibilities to their communities. Randy uses the example of people wanting the right to a jury trial, while “many people go to great lengths to get out of jury duty.” In his classes, Randy makes his students sign a contract that outlines their rights (to get their work critiqued and displayed) and responsibilities (to attend class, give their peers honest feedback, work in groups, etc.)

Randy’s dad taught Randy this lesson when he was young, and he exemplified it as Little League Baseball commissioner. Randy’s dad was having trouble finding volunteer umpires—it’s a thankless job, with every call disputed by a kid or parent. So, Randy’s dad decided that players from the older-age divisions would serve as umps for the younger kids, making it an honor to be selected as an ump. So, the kids who became umps realized how hard it was and rarely argued with umpires again, and the younger kids saw role models who had embraced volunteering, making them more likely to do so in the future. Randy’s dad knew that when “we’re connected to others, we become better people.”