The Future You TED Talk 2017 by Pope Francis

You’ve probably had your fair share of TED Talks, but have you ever had the chance to absorb one from the Holy See himself?

In 2017, Pope Francis stepped out of the Vatican’s golden walls to share his thoughts on our shared future, a rather unexpected move from a man of his stature.

His talk, ‘The Future You,’ delivers a profound message about power, humility, and tenderness, suggesting that the future isn’t just about the decisions of leaders, but also about the actions of everyday individuals like you.

It’s a thought-provoking perspective that will surely leave you pondering your role in shaping what’s to come.

Interested in hearing more? Let’s peel back the layers of this riveting discourse.

Background

In a striking departure from tradition, Pope Francis made an unconventional appearance at the TED2017 conference, utilizing modern platforms like social media to spread his message of humility, solidarity, and tenderness. This surprise TED talk, filmed in Vatican City, marked a first for any Pope, demonstrating Francis’s commitment to engaging with the world in innovative ways.

During the conference in Vancouver, Francis spoke about the future of humankind, emphasizing the importance of social inclusion in the face of scientific and technological innovation. He cautioned against the potential for automation to foster exclusion, instead calling for a ‘revolution of tenderness’. His message was clear: the key to a prosperous, inclusive future is through caring for each other and working together.

Francis’s participation in the annual conference underscores his willingness to leverage various platforms to spread his message. By appearing at TED, he reached a diverse audience, many of whom may not typically engage with the Vatican. His ability to adapt to the digital age is commendable and shows that the Vatican understands the importance of modern communication methods in sharing its message.

Key Takeaways

Here are 4 key takeaways from Pope Francis’s 2017 TED Talk, ‘The Future You,’  that underscore themes of hope, solidarity, and the moral imperative to care for each other and our planet:

• Pope Francis made an unconventional appearance at the TED2017 conference, utilizing modern platforms like social media to spread his message.
• In his TED talk, the Pope emphasized human solidarity and humility, calling for a revolution of tenderness and advocating for a society where no one is left out.
• The impact of Pope Francis’s TED talk has been significant, promoting a collective ‘us’ in shaping the future of humanity and prompting reflections on societal norms.
• Pope Francis’s forward-thinking views challenge traditional norms, emphasize human solidarity and inclusion, and advocate for humility and tenderness in positions of power.

Story

In exploring Pope Francis’s speech, we are invited into a profound dialogue on the essence of shared humanity and the transformative power of collective solidarity.

Join us in delving into his vision, a compelling call to action for acknowledging our interconnectedness and reevaluating our societal structures with empathy and equity at their core:

Acknowledging Shared Humanity

In discussing the concept of shared humanity, Pope Francis reflects on personal encounters with individuals from various walks of life, such as migrants and the unemployed. He highlights these interactions to demonstrate the common thread of humanity that binds us all, despite the diverse challenges we face.

His narratives challenge us to reflect on the disparities in human suffering and the randomness of fortune, prompting questions about fairness and the global distribution of resources.

Pope Francis further urges a recognition of our interconnectedness, emphasizing that the suffering of one affects us all. By sharing stories of pain and resilience, he calls on us to acknowledge the inherent dignity in every person and to question the societal structures that allow inequalities to persist.

This plea is not just for empathy but for a radical reevaluation of our priorities and values, advocating for a world where compassion and justice guide our actions.

Vision of Collective Solidarity

Drawing from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis portrays a vision of collective solidarity that transcends social, economic, and cultural barriers. He emphasizes that society’s true advancement hinges on our willingness to extend a hand to those in need, challenging us to move beyond indifference and to act with genuine concern for the well-being of others.

This parable becomes a call to action, urging a shift towards a more inclusive and compassionate society.

In his vision, Pope Francis imagines a world where acts of kindness and solidarity are the norm, not the exception. He suggests that by adopting the ethos of the Good Samaritan, we can collectively forge a path toward a more equitable and harmonious world.

This concept of mutual support and empathy stands as a cornerstone of his message, highlighting the power of collective action to address and ameliorate the conditions of the marginalized and the disenfranchised.

Call for a Tenderness Revolution

Pope Francis’s call for a “revolution of tenderness” is a profound appeal for a global shift in how we interact with one another and the world around us. He defines tenderness as a strength that manifests through seeing, listening to, and valuing others, emphasizing its potential to transform our relationships and society.

This revolution is about adopting a new perspective that places love, care, and understanding at the center of every interaction, extending this approach to our treatment of the environment and fostering a more inclusive global community.

The concept of tenderness, as described by Pope Francis, challenges us to rethink our approach to power, influence, and relationships. By advocating for tenderness to permeate every aspect of our lives, he envisions a world where compassion overrides indifference, and collective well-being is prioritized over individual gain.

This revolution of tenderness is not just an ideal but a practical guide for creating a more just, caring, and sustainable world.

Learnings

In Pope Francis’s 2017 Ted Talk, there are 3 key learnings. Let’s delve into these:

Fostering Deep Connections

The emphasis on vulnerability and empathy highlights the essence of forming meaningful relationships and taking responsible action within a global community:

• The Strength of Vulnerability: Points to vulnerability as a catalyst for developing profound connections, emphasizing the recognition of dignity in every individual, thereby fostering a more compassionate and understanding society.
• Empathy as a Foundation for Action: Positions empathy as the driving force behind a shift from passive sympathy to active involvement in alleviating the hardships of others, underlining the importance of genuine concern translated into tangible support.
• Global Citizenship: Encourages adopting a global viewpoint, recognizing our shared responsibilities and the impact of our actions on a wider scale, promoting a commitment to global stewardship and the value of every life.

This approach underlines the significance of embracing our shared humanity through vulnerability and empathy, advocating for a more connected and globally aware society.

Embodying Humble Leadership

Pope Francis’s vision of leadership is rooted in humility and service, offering a paradigm that contrasts with traditional notions of power and control:

• Humility in Power: Advocates for a leadership model characterized by humility and the understanding that true leadership is grounded in serving others, challenging conventional perceptions of power.
• Responsibility to Act: Highlights the universal potential to drive positive change, calling on individuals to utilize their abilities and resources for the greater good, thus fostering a culture of responsibility and proactive engagement.
• Tenderness as Fortitude: Reinterprets tenderness as a strength that can dismantle barriers and nurture a more inclusive and caring community, suggesting that compassion and understanding are powerful forces for societal transformation.

This perspective redefines leadership as an exercise in humility and service, emphasizing tenderness and responsibility as foundational elements of effective and compassionate leadership.

The Transformative Power of Tenderness

The concept of tenderness as proposed by Pope Francis offers a radical approach to interpersonal relationships and societal healing:

• Revolutionizing Interactions with Tenderness: Suggests a transformative shift in our engagement with the world, advocating for interactions marked by gentleness, attentiveness, and care, which cultivate a culture of compassion and understanding.
• Healing Divisions through Gentle Strength: Positions tenderness as a mechanism for mending societal rifts, promoting an approach to conflict resolution that prioritizes reconciliation, mutual respect, and the heart’s capacity for kindness.
• Cultivating a Legacy of Compassion: Encourages the infusion of tenderness into daily interactions, contributing to a compassionate legacy that shapes a future grounded in empathy, solidarity, and respect for all individuals.

Through the lens of tenderness, this narrative champions a compassionate and empathetic approach to life, highlighting its potential to heal, unite, and inspire a legacy of kindness and mutual respect.

Pope Francis’s ‘The Future You’ Speech

Good evening – or, good morning, I am not sure what time it is there. Regardless of the hour, I am thrilled to be participating in your conference. I very much like its title – “The Future You” – because, while looking at tomorrow, it invites us to open a dialogue today, to look at the future through a “you.” “The Future You:”

The future is made of yous, it is made of encounters, because life flows through our relations with others.

Quite a few years of life have strengthened my conviction that each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions.

As I meet, or lend an ear to those who are sick, to the migrants who face terrible hardships in search of a brighter future, to prison inmates who carry a hell of pain inside their hearts, and to those, many of them young, who cannot find a job, I often find myself wondering: “Why them and not me?” I, myself, was born in a family of migrants; my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians, left for Argentina and met the fate of those who are left with nothing.

I could have very well ended up among today’s “discarded” people. And that’s why I always ask myself, deep in my heart: “Why them and not me?”

First and foremost,

I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent “I,” separated from the other, and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone.

We don’t think about it often, but everything is connected, and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state. Even the harsh judgment I hold in my heart against my brother or my sister, the open wound that was never cured, the offense that was never forgiven, the rancor that is only going to hurt me, are all instances of a fight that I carry within me, a flare deep in my heart that needs to be extinguished before it goes up in flames, leaving only ashes behind.

Many of us, nowadays, seem to believe that a happy future is something impossible to achieve. While such concerns must be taken very seriously, they are not invincible. They can be overcome when we don’t lock our door to the outside world. Happiness can only be discovered as a gift of harmony between the whole and each single component.

Even science – and you know it better than I do – points to an understanding of reality as a place where every element connects and interacts with everything else.

And this brings me to my second message.

How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion.

How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us. How wonderful would it be if solidarity, this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word, were not simply reduced to social work, and became, instead, the default attitude in political, economic and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples and countries.

Only by educating people to a true solidarity will we be able to overcome the “culture of waste,” which doesn’t concern only food and goods but, first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people.

Solidarity is a term that many wish to erase from the dictionary.

Solidarity, is not an automatic mechanism. It cannot be programmed or controlled. It is a free response born from the heart of each and everyone.

Yes, a free response! When one realizes that life, even in the middle of so many contradictions, is a gift, that love is the source and the meaning of life, how can they withhold their urge to do good to another fellow being?

In order to do good, we need memory, we need courage and we need creativity. And I know that TED gathers many creative minds. Yes, love does require a creative, concrete and ingenious attitude. Good intentions and conventional formulas, so often used to appease our conscience, are not enough. Let us help each other, all together, to remember that the other is not a statistic or a number. The other has a face. The “you” is always a real presence, a person to take care of.

There is a parable Jesus told to help us understand the difference between those who’d rather not be bothered and those who take care of the other. I am sure you have heard it before. It is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. When Jesus was asked: “Who is my neighbor?” – namely, “Who should I take care of?” – he told this story, the story of a man who had been assaulted, robbed, beaten and abandoned along a dirt road.

Upon seeing him, a priest and a Levite, two very influential people of the time, walked past him without stopping to help. After a while, a Samaritan, a very much despised ethnicity at the time, walked by. Seeing the injured man lying on the ground, he did not ignore him as if he weren’t even there. Instead, he felt compassion for this man, which compelled him to act in a very concrete manner. He poured oil and wine on the wounds of the helpless man, brought him to a hostel and paid out of his pocket for him to be assisted.

The story of the Good Samaritan is the story of today’s humanity. People’s paths are riddled with suffering, as everything is centered around money, and things, instead of people. And often there is this habit, by people who call themselves “respectable,” of not taking care of the others, thus leaving behind thousands of human beings, or entire populations, on the side of the road. Fortunately, there are also those who are creating a new world by taking care of the other, even out of their own pockets. Mother Teresa actually said: “One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense.”

We have so much to do, and we must do it together. But how can we do that with all the evil we breathe every day? Thank God, no system can nullify our desire to open up to the good, to compassion and to our capacity to react against evil, all of which stem from deep within our hearts. Now you might tell me, “Sure, these are beautiful words, but I am not the Good Samaritan, nor Mother Teresa of Calcutta.” On the contrary: we are precious, each and every one of us. Each and every one of us is irreplaceable in the eyes of God. Through the darkness of today’s conflicts, each and every one of us can become a bright candle, a reminder that light will overcome darkness, and never the other way around.

To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn’t lock itself into darkness, that doesn’t dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow. Hope is the door that opens onto the future. Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life that, with time, will develop into a large tree.

It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow, that brings flavor to all aspects of life. And it can do so much, because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hope is enough to shatter the shield of darkness. A single individual is enough for hope to exist, and that individual can be you. And then there will be another “you,” and another “you,” and it turns into an “us.” And so, does hope begin when we have an “us?” No. Hope began with one “you.” When there is an “us,” there begins a revolution.

The third message I would like to share today is, indeed, about revolution: the revolution of tenderness. And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands. Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. To listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth. Tenderness means to use our hands and our heart to comfort the other, to take care of those in need.

Tenderness is the language of the young children, of those who need the other. A child’s love for mom and dad grows through their touch, their gaze, their voice, their tenderness. I like when I hear parents talk to their babies, adapting to the little child, sharing the same level of communication. This is tenderness: being on the same level as the other. God himself descended into Jesus to be on our level. This is the same path the Good Samaritan took. This is the path that Jesus himself took. He lowered himself, he lived his entire human existence practicing the real, concrete language of love.

Yes, tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women. Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.

There is a saying in Argentina: “Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach.” You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you, if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness. Through humility and concrete love, on the other hand, power – the highest, the strongest one – becomes a service, a force for good.

The future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies. Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility. But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a “you” and themselves as part of an “us.” We all need each other. And so, please, think of me as well with tenderness, so that I can fulfill the task I have been given for the good of the other, of each and every one, of all of you, of all of us. Thank you.

Conclusion

Pope Francis’ TED Talk is like a beacon of hope in an often divided world. He challenges us to shift our perspective, emphasizing that the future isn’t just in the hands of leaders, but ours too.

His call for solidarity, humility, and a ‘revolution of tenderness‘ resonates deeply, urging us to foster social inclusion and care for one another.

It’s clear, the Pope’s forward-thinking views have the potential to shape a brighter future for us all.

 

You can read the rest of the speech collection here:

Speech Collection