Bill Gates' wise tweetstorm will inspire new grads

Bill Gates' wise tweetstorm will inspire new grads

Personal advice from one of the biggest business icons in all of tech history is difficult to come by, but Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is making it easy for newly minted college graduates via Twitter. 

On Monday, just a week before the graduation ceremonies at Harvard, the school he famously dropped out of to create Microsoft, Gates offered his pearls of wisdom to new college graduates around the country.

Beginning with a reference to the classic film The Graduate about giving market trend advice to newbies, Gates launches into his tweetstorm by first noting the areas he thinks we should be focused on in the coming years.

"AI, energy, and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact," said Gates. "It's what I would do if starting out today. Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known. E.g. Intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one-dimensional. And not as important as I used to think."

"I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world's worst inequities," said Gates. "Took me decades to learn. You know more than I did when I was your age. You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner."

This is the most peaceful time in human history. That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places

Bill Gates

Later he advises surrounding yourself with "people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self" (like his wife Melinda Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett), and suggests reading the book The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker.

Finally, Gates takes a rare philosophical turn and delves into the nature of living in 2017.

"This is the most peaceful time in human history. That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places," said Gates.

"It doesn't mean you ignore the serious problems we face. It just means you believe they can be solved. This is the core of my worldview. It sustains me in tough times and is the reason I love my work. I think it can do same for you. This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it."

 

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