[python-nl] Speech at EuroPython 2014 Berlin

[berry groenendijk]

Thanks for sharing. I really liked reading it. And good luck in Berlin!

Berry Groenendijk
[Twitter] @berryg
[Skype] berryg



On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 6:51 PM, Remco Wendt <remco.wendt at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dag Pythoneers,
>
> Gisteren heb ik op Europython een korte speech gegeven. Bij deze deel ik
> die graag met de Nederlandse python community:
>
> Your beautiful minds
> Europython 2014 - Berlin
>
> Can I humble ask you all to close your laptops and put your phones away
> for just five minutes? Be in the here and now with me and please grant me
> this time to put some interesting thoughts and connections into your
> beautiful minds. And what I can only hope is that maybe today or tomorrow
> you’ll think about this a little more.
>
> For a few months now I’ve been thinking about new ideas of what to do
> next. Two weeks ago I was roaming the Spanish desert plains near Zaragoza,
> with simple thoughts like: what is going to be my life’s goal? And it came
> to me that maybe the nicest thing I could possible do is leave the world in
> a little better state then I found it in.
>
> How to do that? We have learned from peer-to-peer networks, you can have
> enormous impact by combining many small decentralised elements in a large
> volume.
>
> And then Europython happens, and it all made sense.
>
> You see, the thing is we are not mere developers, but engineers building
> and thus defining our future society. By doing so we have great power and
> with that great responsibility. Do we want a world of control? Or of
> freedom?
>
> On top of that we have quite a unique position. And we should better
> realise this, I believe.
>
> I’ve hired people in my previous companies, and most engineers don’t
> _really_ care about their income anymore. They have that covered. Instead
> they ask questions like: how much will I be able to develop myself and will
> I be allowed to contribute to open source.
>
> In the Maslow pyramid, we have made the step up. Anybody here has income
> security, unless the world collapses. That may not be in your minds, but I
> believe it is the case. And this grants us freedom.
>
> And what happens then? Magic. Our genetic code defines: take care of the
> self, when done take care of the other. That is why societies can exist.
> Taking care of the other is the next step in our own happiness and we are
> lucky enough to have the possibility to do that.
>
> And the change in mindset required to make that next step is really so
> simple. An example from my personal life today: I’ve just moved to a new
> apartment in Berlin. The apartment complex has its own alley. It was a
> mess. So today I decided I didn’t like to come home to that mess. I just
> went outside with a garbage bag and started cleaning the place. The
> neighbour that lives above me opens his window and says to me: ‘what are
> you doing? are you cleaning the place??’. And I reply: ‘yes I am, by the
> way I’m your new neighbour from downstairs, this is my home and I like it
> clean. The easiest way to get there is just invest a little time in our
> place.’. He replies: ‘that is so nice. I’m thinking also maybe what we can
> do is put some nice tables and chairs outside and then when we have nice
> weather some of us can have breakfast together’. Two more neighbours open
> their windows to see what the fuzz is about. And magic happens.
>
> My friends you are where change starts. The future is about together,
> inclusive. About community. Changing our mindset. The world really is what
> each and everyone makes of it. Take responsibility. Thank you for being
> you, and for being this fine community.
>
>  <http://about.me/remco.wendt>
> [image: Remco Wendt on about.me]
>  Remco Wendt
> about.me/remco.wendt
>
>
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>
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