I think that society has to be careful not to shift all of its

Bill Gates, a man whose fortune has been turned toward the great struggles of health and education, once cautioned the world with these words: “I think that society has to be careful not to shift all of its resources to the elderly versus the young.” His words, though rooted in the debates of modern policy, speak with the gravity of ancient wisdom: that the strength of a people lies in balance, and that no generation can be uplifted at the cost of another without endangering the whole.

The meaning of his statement is not to devalue the elderly, who carry the wisdom of experience, nor to glorify the young, who are the fire of the future, but to remind us that justice lies in harmony. When a society pours all of its wealth, energy, and planning into prolonging the lives of the old while neglecting the dreams of the young, it builds a future that withers before it blossoms. Likewise, when the young are exalted while the old are discarded, a people loses its memory, its teachers, and its roots. Gates’s words call us back to equilibrium.

History shows this balance in practice and in failure. In ancient Sparta, the young were prized above all—trained as warriors from childhood, given the full measure of resources to secure the city’s strength. Yet in elevating the young while neglecting the needs of the elderly, Sparta forged a society without softness, without compassion, and in time its own hardness led to its downfall. By contrast, in Confucian China, reverence for the aged sometimes overshadowed the flourishing of the new, binding younger generations to rigid traditions that left little room for renewal. Both extremes reveal the danger Gates warns against: to favor one group too heavily is to invite imbalance, and imbalance breeds decline.

Consider also the parable of the postwar world. After World War II, much of Europe chose to invest deeply in its children—building schools, universities, and youth programs, even amid the ruins of bombed-out cities. That investment gave rise to a rebirth of culture, industry, and progress. But in later decades, as populations aged, vast sums shifted toward pensions and elder care, while education and youth employment lagged. The result has been a generational tension—an old order clinging to its security while the young cry out for opportunity. Gates’s words echo here: a society must care for both ends of the human chain, or else it risks tearing itself apart.

The heart of his wisdom is this: resources are not infinite, and choices must be made. The elderly deserve dignity, protection, and comfort, for they have walked the long road. The young deserve investment, opportunity, and hope, for they must carry the torch onward. To choose one and neglect the other is not civilization but folly. A true civilization honors the aged with respect and supports the youth with promise, binding them together in mutual care, so that neither is abandoned.

The lesson for us is clear: in our families, communities, and nations, we must practice balance. Care for your elders, but also give time, energy, and resources to raise the next generation. Listen to the wisdom of age, but also nurture the imagination of youth. Support systems that provide healthcare and pensions, but do not let them drain the wells needed for schools, innovation, and opportunities for the young. A people that fails to look both backward and forward will lose its way in the present.

Practical action flows naturally: advocate for policies that divide resources fairly, resisting the temptation to sacrifice the dreams of the young or the dignity of the elderly. In your own life, do not give all your care to one generation at the expense of another—mentor the young, honor the old, and seek to bridge them. For when the wisdom of the elder is joined with the strength of the youth, a society becomes whole.

So let Gates’s words stand as a guide: “Be careful not to shift all resources to the elderly versus the young.” In this carefulness lies the mark of a just and enduring civilization. When balance is kept, the roots of the past feed the branches of the future, and the tree of humanity flourishes in every season.