4 ms·

Mark has set some ambitious goals regarding poverty, disease, nutrition, and equality, and connectivity. I hope for all of our sake that he is successful in rea

Mark has set some ambitious goals regarding poverty, disease, nutrition, and equality, and connectivity. I hope for all of our sake that he is successful in realigning many of the perverse short-term incentives through his and his Priscilla's generous contributions and efforts. I wish he had spoken more about luck and balance. This is something that Bill & Melinda Gates, as well as Warren Buffet do very well. Understanding luck and balance is the key to empathy, which is also a phrase that is missing from this letter. I also wish he had not marketed this press release as a letter to his daughter. Perhaps he has another, private letter that is actually more relevant and personal, but if I were Max, I probably wouldn't be thrilled to read this 20 years down the road. But I'm sure he had a reason to release this letter as he did, and that he thought for a long, hard time before penning these words. Best of luck to the new father, mother, and daughter.

rustynails77 11y ago
Most of these things can be achieved, but I really don't understand what most people expect from equality. For example, does equality mean that if I sit on my ass and do nothing, I get the same as the person next to me who works their butt off? Or does it mean that I get a fixed amount based on the effort I put in? How is that effort measured? When people talk about equality, I'm not sure if they mean equal opportunity or equity or utopia (knowing that utopia depends on a slave class). Maybe it means something else. The reality is that humanity has empathy and greed (noting they are not opposites). I can not imagine that I will ever see every person equally.
- personomas 11y ago
  In this example, equality means that if you act in your best nature, you deserve as much as any other person who acts in their best nature. If sitting on your butt is the best thing, then yes you deserve as much as the next person, likely though sitting on your butt is not the best thing.

rustynails77 11y ago

Most of these things can be achieved, but I really don't understand what most people expect from equality. For example, does equality mean that if I sit on my ass and do nothing, I get the same as the person next to me who works their butt off? Or does it mean that I get a fixed amount based on the effort I put in? How is that effort measured? When people talk about equality, I'm not sure if they mean equal opportunity or equity or utopia (knowing that utopia depends on a slave class). Maybe it means something else. The reality is that humanity has empathy and greed (noting they are not opposites). I can not imagine that I will ever see every person equally.

personomas 11y ago
In this example, equality means that if you act in your best nature, you deserve as much as any other person who acts in their best nature. If sitting on your butt is the best thing, then yes you deserve as much as the next person, likely though sitting on your butt is not the best thing.