If our optimism doesn't address the problems that affect so many of our fellow human beings, then our optimism needs more empathy. If empathy channels our optimism, we will see the poverty and the disease and the poor schools — and we will surprise the pessimists.
Bill Gates
Stanford University Commencement 2014, 2014
Video starts at 19:38 — the moment this quote was spoken
The Story Behind This Quote
In the speech's central argument, Bill Gates identified what he called a paradox: Stanford and Silicon Valley are incredible engines of innovation, yet most Americans believe the future will be worse than the past. He argued both sides have a point — if innovation is purely market-driven and ignores inequity, it will leave the world even more divided. The solution is not less optimism, but optimism guided by empathy. Without empathy, he said, 'we are not really solving problems. We are just working on puzzles.'
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