The Case for Abundant Diversity

It’s fashionable to hate on “diversity”. But our differences are precisely what makes life interesting, resilient, and beautiful. So let’s talk about it.

I've been living in Montenegro for over seven weeks as part of a unique pop-up city experiment filled with hundreds of amazing builders and thinkers from all over the world.

Everyone here has different passions, strengths, and views. They're working on various projects and care about different issues. They come from different places and enjoy different things—from music and exercise to food. Some are outgoing, while others prefer a lot of alone time.

Yet, despite these differences, we've created a beautiful community here. It's a mosaic of authentic unique beings who collectively remind us of the power and beauty of humanity’s diversity.

I'm confident that this experiment will result in amazing partnerships and projects that will change the world. And I believe that this will happen not in spite of the incredible diversity of the people gathered here, but because of it.

I'm writing this at a time when it seems trendy to criticize diversity. There's a push for people to stick to their comfort zones, to stick to people who are just like them. There's a push for people to believe that our differences are the root of our problems in the world.

But I don't believe that.

Our failure to see how important diversity is to our collective survival is at the root of so many of our crises today.

I wanted to express how strongly I believe this, so I wrote a poem with the help of ChatGPT, titled "A Love Letter to Our Beautiful Differences".

I hope you enjoy it.

A Love Letter to Our Beautiful Differences

In the vast expanse of life's splendid weave,
Diversity, we should cherish, not grieve.
It's the lifeblood of ecosystems, of nature, and kind,
A celebration of differences, in body and mind.

A love letter to our differences, I choose to write,
In the face of attacks, I stand for what's right.
Not for fashion or trend, but because it's our strength,
For the richness it brings, across every length.

In the collective consciousness, its meaning fades,
But it's the spice of life, in endless shades.
From the variation of thought, to the spectrum of feel,
Diversity is what makes life's canvas real.

Who yearns for a world, monotonous and same?
Innovation thrives on diversity's game.
Different minds, different souls, create and inspire,
Fuel the engines of progress, set the world on fire.

We all are unique, with gifts of our own,
Different things we notice, different seeds we've sown.
Not all can be artists, nor masters of facts,
In our collective strength, no skill ever lacks.

Choosing to love diversity, is choosing to embrace,
The idea that we all, have a unique space.
We can't be everything, and that's perfectly fine,
For in the collective strength, we brilliantly shine.

Abundant human diversity, is what we require,
To fuel our projects, to ignite the creative fire.
From the feelers to the rationalists, the artists, and the assertive,
Each plays a part, each voice is preservative.

Humanity is nature, in its diverse bloom,
From plant life to bacteria, in every room.
We each play our role, in life's grand symphony,
Loving our differences is loving our harmony.

Yet, the world's problems lie in our lack,
Of embracing neurodiversity, there's a knack.
We must encourage all, to lean into their gifts,
For in their contribution, the world truly lifts.

So, here's to diversity, abundant and free,
In our shared superpowers, the key.
To a world where all voices can sing,
To the Golden Age, humanity can bring.