Taylor Swift jokes about getting 'canceled' while receiving honorary doctorate of fine arts

Taylor Swift's life advice is just what the doctor ordered! 

On May 18, the singer-songwriter, 32, received her honorary doctorate of fine arts from New York University and imparted a bit of wisdom to its graduating class of 2022. In a moving commencement speech, Taylor dished about her experience growing up and dating in the public eye, the importance of being told 'no' and her experience being canceled.  

While Taylor noted that she typically stays away from giving out "unsolicited advice," she decided to share a few "life hacks" with her fellow graduates at Yankee Stadium that all centered around "navigating life, love, pressure, choices, shame, hope and friendship." 

In her life, Taylor said, "The times I was told, ‘No,' or wasn't included, wasn't chosen, didn't win, didn't make the cut…looking back, it really feels like those moments were as important, if not more crucial than the moments I was told ‘yes.'" 

"Having the world treat my love life like a spectator sport in which I lose every single game was not a great way to date in my teens and twenties," she said. "But it taught me to protect my private life fiercely."

She continued, "Being publicly humiliated over and over again at a young age was excruciatingly painful but it forced me to devalue the ridiculous notion of minute by minute, ever-fluctuating social relevance and likability." 

And, Taylor joked, "Getting canceled on the internet and nearly losing my career gave me an excellent knowledge of all the types of wine."