It’s fair to say that when the CEO of one of the leading technology companies in the world stresses that even though technology is important, we should never lose sight of humanity, we should keep that advice close to our hearts. And for the class of 2017 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they will do just that.
Earlier this month, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:$AAPL), spoke to approximately 1,066 undergraduates and 1,818 graduate students on a beautiful morning in MIT’s Killian Court. The Apple CEO urged graduates to use more than just their phones and laptops to find direction in life and to make their purpose bigger than themselves.
Cook warned the graduates of the drawbacks of technology and advised them to keep their morals at the center of everything that they do as they embark on this new chapter of their lives. In his commencement speech, Cook told the graduates to “measure your impact on humanity not in likes but in the lives you touch, not in popularity but the people you serve.” He added, “when you work toward something greater than yourself, you find meaning, you find purpose.”
Drawing on aspects of his own life, Cook told the now alumni, “I found my life got bigger when I stopped caring about what people thought of me.” Apple’s CEO went on to explain that, just like many young adults, he struggled to find fulfillment in his life. He searched everywhere for it, from graduate school at Duke University to meditation to the writings of philosophers.
It wasn’t until Cook arrived at Apple 20 years ago that he found his calling. It was here that Cook met Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, who had a passion for both technology and people. “Before that moment,” explained Cook, “I had never met a leader with such passion, or encountered a company with such a clear and compelling purpose — to serve humanity.”
He stressed that even though the advancements in technology have allowed individuals to have creative and more fulfilling lives, “technology alone isn’t the solution. Sometimes, it’s even part of the problem.” Passing on the knowledge he learnt from working with Jobs, Cook told the graduates to integrate their values in the things that they create. To elaborate, Cook shared an anecdote from when he met Pope Francis in 2016. Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, told the renowned CEO of Apple “never has humanity had such power over itself, yet nothing to ensure it will be used wisely.”
Of course, Cook’s intention was to help better the futures of the graduates, but that didn’t stop him from having a little fun in his speech. He remarked on how MIT is known for pulling pranks, or what they like to call “hacks”. After listing a number of pranks, Cook ended the joke with the suggestion that it was really college students behind President Donald Trump’s 3 am twitter rants.
Towards the end of his speech, Cook told the graduates of 2017, “if you strive to create the best and do the best, not just for some, then today, all of humanity has good cause for hope.” He added, “I see a planet that urgently needs everything you have to offer. So now, go out there. Join the world. Find your calling. Solve the unsolvable. Invent the future. Take the high road. And you will continue to make your family, including your MIT family, proud.” This, to say the least, is a commencement speech that will go down in history.
Cook was appointed CEO of the California-based company in 2011, and since then, Apple has released products such as the Apple Watch and the recently announced HomePod. Prior to becoming the CEO, Cook was Apple’s chief operating officer.
Featured Image: twitter
