Tim Cook tells Tulane University grads that 'my generation has failed you'
Apple's CEO has delivered a commencement speech to students at Tulane University in New Orleans and urged them to do better than his generation, and to be bold in what they try to achieve.
As announced in February, Tim Cook has now delivered the 2019 commencement speech to students at New Orleans's Tulane University and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and spoke to issues of how they and future generations need to be bold and to take action.
"In some important ways, my generation has failed you," he said. "We have spent too much time debating, we have been focused on the fight and not focused enough on progress."
"You don't have to look far to find an example of that failure," he continued, referring to New Orleans itself. "Here, today, in this very place where thousands once found desperate shelter from a hundred-year disaster, I don't think we can talk about who we are as people and what we owe to one another without talking about climate change."
Cook looked beyond politics to call fixing climate change an issue for us all.
"This problem doesn't get any easier based on whose side wins or loses an election," he said. "It's about who has won life's lottery and has the luxury of ignoring this issue, and who stands to lose everything."
"When we talk about climate change or any issue with [a] human cost, I challenge you to look for those who have the most to lose and find the real empathy that comes from something shared," continued Cook. "When you do that, the political noise dies down and you can feel your feet firmly planted on solid ground. After all, we don't build monuments to trolls."
He spoke specifically about coastal communities being forced to move because of climate change issues, but he also urged the Tulane students to be bold in everything.
"Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of being too cautious," he said. "Don't assume that by staying put, the ground won't move beneath your feet. The status quo simply won't last. So get to work on building something better. You may succeed. You may fail. But make it your life's work to remake the world. Because there is nothing more beautiful or worthwhile than working to leave something better for humanity."
Cook also recounted how Steve Jobs persuaded to make the move from a seemingly safe position at Compaq to join Apple. He spoke of the saying that if you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life. "At Apple, I learned that that is a crock," he said. "You'll work harder than you ever thought possible -- but the tools will feel light in your hands."
As part of the ceremony, Tim Cook was awarded an honorary degree.
Last year Tim Cook delivered a commencement speech to his alma mater, Duke University. In 2017 he did the same for MIT and in 2015 he spoke to graduates of George Washington University.
As announced in February, Tim Cook has now delivered the 2019 commencement speech to students at New Orleans's Tulane University and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and spoke to issues of how they and future generations need to be bold and to take action.
"In some important ways, my generation has failed you," he said. "We have spent too much time debating, we have been focused on the fight and not focused enough on progress."
"You don't have to look far to find an example of that failure," he continued, referring to New Orleans itself. "Here, today, in this very place where thousands once found desperate shelter from a hundred-year disaster, I don't think we can talk about who we are as people and what we owe to one another without talking about climate change."
Cook looked beyond politics to call fixing climate change an issue for us all.
"This problem doesn't get any easier based on whose side wins or loses an election," he said. "It's about who has won life's lottery and has the luxury of ignoring this issue, and who stands to lose everything."
"When we talk about climate change or any issue with [a] human cost, I challenge you to look for those who have the most to lose and find the real empathy that comes from something shared," continued Cook. "When you do that, the political noise dies down and you can feel your feet firmly planted on solid ground. After all, we don't build monuments to trolls."
He spoke specifically about coastal communities being forced to move because of climate change issues, but he also urged the Tulane students to be bold in everything.
"Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of being too cautious," he said. "Don't assume that by staying put, the ground won't move beneath your feet. The status quo simply won't last. So get to work on building something better. You may succeed. You may fail. But make it your life's work to remake the world. Because there is nothing more beautiful or worthwhile than working to leave something better for humanity."
Cook also recounted how Steve Jobs persuaded to make the move from a seemingly safe position at Compaq to join Apple. He spoke of the saying that if you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life. "At Apple, I learned that that is a crock," he said. "You'll work harder than you ever thought possible -- but the tools will feel light in your hands."
As part of the ceremony, Tim Cook was awarded an honorary degree.
Last year Tim Cook delivered a commencement speech to his alma mater, Duke University. In 2017 he did the same for MIT and in 2015 he spoke to graduates of George Washington University.
Comments
Calling these demotivation speeches means you’ve just missed the point. Not surprisingly, since you’re not the target audience of the speech, and in all likelihood are used up and past the point of anything motivating you to do anything other than watch television. Shrug. College grads are different. They’re ready, and hungry, and can use the advice. As a successful southerner, Cook did not disappoint. I hope our new grads take it to heart and do some great things. (Tho anything will be better than bitching on a rumors forum!)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-temperatures/evidence-for-man-made-global-warming-hits-gold-standard-scientists-idUSKCN1QE1ZU
Evidence for man-made global warming hits 'gold standard': scientists
Evidence for man-made global warming has reached a “gold standard” level of certainty, adding pressure for cuts in greenhouse gases to limit rising temperatures, scientists said on Monday. [...]“The narrative out there that scientists don’t know the cause of climate change is wrong,” he told Reuters. “We do.”
Mainstream scientists say the burning of fossil fuels is causing more floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels.
They grew up to become erratic and weepy snowflakes – so yes, my generation failed.
Loons to the left. Loons to the right. Moderator switching off comments in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/opinion/race-identity/harvard-law-harvey-weinstein.html
But the the sad truth is, until we can plateau and maybe even decline our world population, we are chasing a moving target we will never meet. Same is true for world hunger. Technology and advanced methods are the only reasons we’ve made it this far.
He actually mentioned Steve Jobs as an example of this where he was convinced by him to leave a comfortable job to work for a near-bankrupt company because of its values in making a significant contribution to humanity. His success at Apple and his statement that the audience likely doesn't even know the name of the company he left demonstrates he made the right choice and encourages the audience not to lack the courage of making a similar choice.
Tim Cook is a very thoughtful person and it makes a lot of sense why he chose and was chosen to work at Apple. It's good that he can be a positive example to younger generations. If Tim's generation failed anywhere, it's not making enough people like him.
Many of them have turned into lunatic asylums, centered around anti-free speech movements, they promote segregation, censorship, not open to free thought and different ideas and some of them are basically anti-American.
They're not preparing students for the real world. They're making a bunch of whiny snowflakes who need safe spaces and when they finally get out and step into the real world, some of those snowflakes are going to find that the real world is not going to be so accommodating and welcoming to them and their mental problems.
Any day now.