Do you know what advice would Bill Gates give to his 19-year-old self?
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, a business magnate, dutiful philanthropist, software pioneer, and the world’s richest man needs no introduction.
On Monday, the Microsoft founder and co-chair of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hosted an “AMA,” or “ask me anything,” session on Reddit, during which a participant asked, “If you could give 19-year-old Bill Gates some advice, what would it be?”
It is always clever to listen to any advice or insight coming from Gates who has tasted success at a very young age. Here’s what Gates had to say:
“I would explain that smartness is not single dimensional and not quite as important as I thought it was back then. I would say you might explore the developing world before you get into your forties. I wasn’t very good socially back then, but I am not sure there is advice that would fix that – maybe I had to be awkward and just grow up…”
Basically, Intelligence isn’t one-dimensional and it’s not the only element that is needed for success.
This is not the first time that Gates has shared his wisdom for shaping your years as a young adult. One of his best advices comes from his fellow billionaire and friend, Warren Buffett: Keep things simple.
In a 2009 interview with CNBC, Gates said:
“You look at his calendar, it’s pretty simple. You talk to him about a case where he thinks a business is attractive, and he knows a few basic numbers and facts about it. And [if] it gets less complicated, he feels like then it’s something he’ll choose to invest in.
“He picks the things that he’s got a model of, a model that really is predictive and that’s going to continue to work over a long-term period. And so his ability to boil things down, to just work on the things that really count, to think through the basics – it’s so amazing that he can do that. It’s a special form of genius.”
Source: Business Insider
