Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates doled out some free advice to the new university and college graduates among his 34.8 million Twitter followers.
the founder of Microsoft said that artificial intelligence, energy and biosciences are “promising fields” for young people who are just starting their careers.
But his tweets mostly focused on personal growth, telling the future generation of workers and leaders to surround themselves with people who encourage and challenge them. Gates said he measures his own happiness by “whether people close to me are happy and love me, & by the difference I make for others.”
Gates also suggested a book titled “The Better Angels of Our Nature,” which he said was “the most inspiring book I’ve ever read.”
The bestselling book by Steven Pinker outlines how violence around the globe has declined over centuries and puts into context the wars, murders and other violent crimes that occur in the modern era.
Gates, who runs the charitable Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife, said the idea that the world is getting better, as Pinker argues in his book, “sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
“That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places,” he tweeted.
Since Gates’ tweetstorm, sales of “The Better Angels of Our Nature” surged on Amazon.
Gates wrapped up his advice by tweeting: “This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.”
1/ New college grads often ask me for career advice. At the risk of sounding like this guy…
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
2/ AI, energy, and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact. It's what I would do if starting out today.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
3/ Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
4/ E.g. Intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one-dimensional. And not as important as I used to think.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
5/ I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world’s worst inequities. Took me decades to learn.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
6/ 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.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
7/ Meanwhile, surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self. As does for me.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 8/ Like I measure my happiness by whether people close to me are happy and love me, & by the difference I make for others.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 9/ If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this--the most inspiring book I've ever read.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 10/ shows how the world is getting better. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is the most peaceful time in human history.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 11/ That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 12/ It doesn’t mean you ignore the serious problems we face. It just means you believe they can be solved.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 13/ 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.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)
. 14/ This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates)