Ali Abbasi: What would you most want to leave your children?

The question

What would you most want to leave your children?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

@aliabbasi

builder

first published 1 Sep 2026

I want to leave my children three foundational tools to navigate the world: Life skills: The practical capability and independence to take care of themselves, solve everyday problems, and handle adult responsibilities with ease. Confidence: A self-belief rooted in resilience, knowing they have worth, deserve to take up space, and can handle failure without letting it define them. A sense of humor: The ability to find levity in life's absurdity, laugh at themselves, and keep perspective when things don't go according to plan. If they leave home with these three things, they'll have everything they need to build a meaningful life.

Others on this question

View all 44 →

Mohamed ElBaradei Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, 1997-2009; Nobel Peace Prize 2005

For them, home is the world. For them, every human being is just one member of that large human family you have. ... if we have more children like mine, in my view, we will not have war.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 2006 source ↗

Bobbi Brown

Good values and a lot of money.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 October 2025 source ↗

Indira Varma

As little rubbish to sort through as possible.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 April 2024 source ↗

David Vélez Co-founder and chief executive of Nubank

Queremos crear un ambiente familiar en donde no todo sea fácil, en donde no todo les caiga del cielo, sino que puedan construir su propio camino y tengan ese sentido de desesperación y esa hambre. Eso significa también que todo ese dinero no se les va a dejar a ellos. Se les dará muchísimo amor, como les damos, y muchas oportunidades de educación y de desarrollo, pero todo ese dinero no es para ellos.

Recorded Vicky Dávila, interview, Semana, 1 October 2022 source ↗