(CNN) Former President Barack Obama has largely stayed out of the spotlight since leaving the White House in 2017, choosing to avoid much direct criticism of his successor and not heavily engaging in the national dialogue more generally.

But when Obama does take the time to offer his thoughts on the state of our culture and our politics, he's always worth listening to.

Which brings me to what Obama said at an Obama Foundation event Tuesday about young people, social media and the demand for absolute purity of belief in all things. Here's the key bit:

"This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're always politically 'woke' and all that stuff. You should get over that quickly. The world is messy, there are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids. And share certain things with you."

Obama went on to note that he is bothered by a trend he sees "among young people particularly on college campuses" where "there is this sense that 'the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people and that's enough.'" Added Obama: "That's not activism. That's not bringing about change. if all you're doing is casting stones, you're probably not going to get that far. That's easy to do."

Read More