You’ve heard it countless times – there’s no “I” in team. And if you believe Pope Francis, in his talk at TED2017, there is no “I” in future, either. We are stronger together.

Being Stout in society does not mean going it alone – it takes even more boldness, bravery and determination to stay open in today’s chaotic world, to not lock your door to the outside world. According to Pope Francis, it is that very openness to others that holds the key to a hopeful future.

“The future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as ‘you’, and themselves as part of ‘us’.

 
It takes great strength to look outside ourselves to see others as faces, not masses; and great vulnerability to work towards a vision of seeing “scientific and technological advances come with more equality and social inclusion”. But Pope Francis is convinced that a true sense of solidarity is what can turn this world around – for everyone, wealthy or poor, powerful or marginalized. Great things can come from being Stout, but even greater things come from being Stout together.
(Click here to read a full transcript of His Holiness Pope Francis’ Ted2017 talk. )

Takeaways for a #StoutSociety:

We must stick together.
It’s much easier to focus on differences, or to embrace hate, but the Pope reminds us that “everything is connected, and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state.” It’s hard to move forward and be your stoutest self with baggage such as anger, resentment or fear – let them go, and restore the connections that you can.
Technological and societal advances must happen along side each other.
Technology is meant to help people, yet, as the Pope points out, “. . . our techno-economic systems, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people”. And the gap between technological haves and have-nots continues to grow. Purposeful inclusion will be at the core of uniting the world.
Join the revolution.
Pope Francis speaks of a “revolution of tenderness”, where we “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. [And] to listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth”.

Being Stout is about living purpose-driven lives, and there is no greater purpose than to use our hands, hearts and minds to save ourselves, and the planet we call home. #BeSTOUT together.