From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
We cannot think about technology in confrontational terms. There is no race against the machines, there is no fight, no war. We have to end this long, historical confrontational narrative.
The smartest being on planet Earth is life itself. And if we mimic the intelligence of life, life creates with abundance, not with scarcity. Life does not want to kill the tigers for the deer to survive. Life basically says more deer, more tigers, more poop. Everyone's happy.
I don't think about legacy, that's just not me. I think about what we're doing new every single day, across all the different areas we're involved in.
I think space made me less black and white, less uptight. I don't get as excited about things as easily. I feel like I take positions on things less easily.
In biology we are still in a kind of Ptolemaic era with man considering himself the centre of the universe.
My argument is that happiness shouldn't be pursued deliberately. Happiness is more of a by-product, a downstream effect of making sound decisions, and adopting the right mindset. I cite a quote from Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, in his book, 'Man's Search for Meaning'. He posits that success shouldn't be sought deliberately but rather, it's something that materialises when one is engaged in meaningful endeavours. This logic applies perfectly to happiness as well.
Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.
Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast. We all have the ability to perform magic, to endure, to push ourselves beyond our limits, if we have the patience and the resilience.
Anti-goals are all about what you refuse to give up while chasing those goals. The trap a lot of people fall into is getting so laser-focused on the target that everything else just fades away. You put on blinders.
Unlearning silence doesn't mean speaking incessantly—the world is far too noisy for that. Instead, it means understanding the difference between choosing to be silent and having silence imposed upon you. It's recognizing whether silence is additive or oppressive, whether it's reflective and generative or merely detracting.
Caregiving taught me about the dual nature of love—it's both an internal and external commitment. This created a symbiotic and reciprocal relationship; in giving, I received abundantly, and we both were uplifted. Love became an animating force in our lives, guiding us through both dark and light moments.
While participatory culture can create a Wikipedia, it is not likely to produce something like the Star Wars franchise. I don't think that's a problem, because I don't think we have to choose between participatory and top-down culture – both will thrive.