In an essay published today for Bloomberg Businessweek, the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, came out to the world and it was absolutely perfect.
He reflects on the fact that while during his professional life he’s tried to maintain privacy, which I can only imagine to be difficult to do when you’re the head of one of the biggest companies in the world. But Cook also reflected on Martin Luther King’s words “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ” and that has helped him to come to the decision he wanted to be out publicly.
For many years, friends and colleagues have known his sexual orientation, which he proudly stands by and considers it ‘among the greatest gifts God has given me.’ But not being public for so long had made him feel as if it was holding him back from ‘something more important’.
Cook goes on further in his essay to explain that the world is indeed changing, making it easier for those who were once fearful to now be brave. And then, in my humble opinion, he gives the best part of his coming out:
I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.
For the benefit of others, I give you my privacy. Tim, you are inspiring!
This essay comes days after Cook advocated for better equality in his home state of Alabama.
I love hearing stories like this, where there is such an empowerment in an individual that they can be who they are and simply look past the people who would hate upon their choices. You go, Tim Cook.
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