Bill Gates has some of the most valuable advice for the graduates of Class 2017. He did not say this as a guest speaker but on Twitter where thousands of his followers all over the world can read them. Aside from valuable life lessons, Gates also recommended one of his favorite books.
In a 14-tweet thread on May 15, Gates had some wise advice for new graduates even managing to inject some humor into it. Before he started sharing his words of wisdom, he said that he is at risk of sounding like Mr. McGuire from the Al Pacino movie, 'The Graduate.'
He reminded fresh graduates that intelligence is not one-dimensional nor it is the most important thing in the world. He also mentioned his biggest regret and that is not knowing the 'worst inequities' of the world.
On the other hand, he said that if he had to start all over again, he would choose one of these three - AI, biosciences, and energy - because they show more promise and has a huge impact on the world.
Since he is a self-confessed voracious reader, his advice would not be complete without a book recommendation. This time, he recommended Steve Pinker's 2011 book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: why Violence Has Declined," which was taken from the last part of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address.
Pinker discussed in this book that humans have four motivations that can take them away from violence and push them towards peace and cooperation. These four motivations are self-control, empathy, reason, and moral sense. He coupled it with a great amount of statistical data to support his observations and beliefs.
The has been criticized for glossing over human history, even labeling it as reductive. Gates, however, called it inspiring in his tweet and encouraged new graduates to read it.
