I agree with people like Richard Dawkins that mankind felt the

Bill Gates, the builder of empires in the digital age, once proclaimed: “I agree with people like Richard Dawkins that mankind felt the need for creation myths. Before we really began to understand disease and the weather and things like that, we sought false explanations for them. Now science has filled in some of the realm — not all — that religion used to fill.” In these words he speaks as one who has gazed into the great arc of human history, seeing how humankind first clung to myth to explain the unknown, and how later it turned to the discipline of science to reveal truth through evidence and reason.

The ancients, dwelling under the vast heavens, looked upon thunder, plague, and famine with trembling hearts. They did not know the germ, the storm system, or the laws of physics, so they gave names to their fears. The Greeks said that Zeus hurled lightning; the Norse said that Thor swung his hammer. The Hebrews told of plagues as signs from God. In such stories we see the human hunger for creation myths—not lies in the cruel sense, but noble attempts to bring order to chaos, to explain that which terrified them. For the heart of man cannot bear the abyss of ignorance; it must fill it with story.

History offers luminous examples. When disease swept through medieval Europe, many believed it was punishment for sin or the work of malevolent spirits. It was only centuries later, through the work of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, that the germ theory of disease revealed the true causes of sickness. Here, Gates’s truth shines: science filled the realm once occupied by religion. The sacred and symbolic gave way to the measurable and observable, and with it came not only understanding, but healing.

Yet Gates does not say that science has replaced religion entirely. He acknowledges that not all the roles of faith are gone. For religion has never been only about explanation; it has also been about meaning, community, morality, and transcendence. Science may reveal how the stars burn, but religion has long asked why we gaze at them with awe. Science may explain how life evolves, but religion has asked what it means to live well, to act justly, to love mercy. Thus Gates’s words are not only a triumph for science but a recognition of the enduring role of faith in realms beyond calculation.

The meaning of this quote is deeply motivational. It shows humanity’s growth: from infancy, when we filled the void with myth, to maturity, when we learned to seek truth through observation and experiment. Yet it also teaches humility, for even now, with satellites in orbit and laboratories on the cutting edge, there remain mysteries unsolved. Science marches forward, but the hunger for meaning—the sacred longing—remains. Thus both myth and science are part of the great human journey, each serving a purpose, each answering different cries of the soul.

The lesson for us is clear: cherish the gift of science, for it frees us from false explanations and gives us mastery over disease, weather, and the forces of nature. But do not despise the ancient stories, for they reveal the longings and fears of our ancestors, and they remind us that knowledge itself begins with wonder. Walk in balance: let science shape your understanding of the world, and let the quest for meaning shape your heart.

Practical actions follow. Seek knowledge through study and evidence, testing claims rather than accepting them blindly. Honor the discoveries of science, for they are the fruits of centuries of struggle against ignorance. Yet also seek wisdom in stories, traditions, and faith, for these nourish the spirit and bind communities together. Ask science how things work, but ask religion and philosophy why your life should matter. In this way, you honor both realms without confusing them.

O seeker, remember Bill Gates’s wisdom: myth filled the void of ignorance, but science fills the realm of truth. Yet still, the hunger for meaning remains. Therefore, walk as one who learns from both—let your mind be sharpened by science, and your soul be lifted by meaning. For only then will you be whole, a child of reason and a child of wonder.