I write this from my hospital room in Leon, Mexico. I had a procedure yesterday that saved my life. It couldn’t have happened 50 years ago. I had some major blockage, 85% to be exact, in one of my arteries that go directly to my brain. In a non-invasive procedure, a doctor, who performs miracles, was able to put a stent and two balloons into the artery, and get rid of the buildup of plaque and cholesterol. I’m grateful to be alive.
Thankfully, I was able to afford this procedure. But what about all the people who can’t. I see this as the major issue with modern technology. Those who can afford to utilize technology and its benefits, and those who can’t. At this moment on planet earth, there are more people living below the poverty line than ever before. For those of us on the other side of the tracks, I believe it is our mission to help as many of them as possible. Technology shouldn’t be just for the rich, but for everyone. I have no idea how to make this happen. But I intend on devoting whatever remaining time I have on this planet, to helping as many people as possible.
My wife complained that I'm low tech and I asked her, "How will more tech make my life better?" There was silence. I managed to reduce the tech to a laptop computer, printer and dumb phone. I suppose I could count the refrigerator, air conditioning and electricity in general, but they don't require anything of me other than opening a door, or turning on a switch. Drumming still requires a hands-on approach. (a little musical humor there) I've also found that the more I take care of the first 2 levels of Maslow, the more the next two levels take care of themselves. There was a time when I unknowingly reversed the process and it didn't work out well. Fame and fortune aren't good foundations.
“Meanwhile, Big Tech products simulate the upper levels of Belongingness and Love, Self-Esteem, and Self-Actualization without actually providing these qualities to any meaningful degree.” Exactly. I agree.
I don’t feel any connection on social media. Only stress from wanting to connect and feeling unable. My husband and I go for long walks and say hi to people and dogs- old school I guess.
Also for me the speed of things is just really intense. I like to have a lot of space and I like
slowness.
Lots and lots to ponder here - wonderful article. ❤️
Dear Su, reams and reams can, and are, being written about this.
You’ll forgive me if my comments are brief, (or at least as brief as I can make them) because I don’t want to go totally down this rabbit-hole at this time. Speaking of tech, I just, a few hours ago, had a colonoscopy; my first, at 71. A little robo-camera taking pictures inside my bum. How tech can you get?
But I digress. Anyway…
An anecdote. Many years back I watched a video about a new camera product that enabled one to track an extremely long, continuous seamless shot without breaking away. It was marvelous. I sent it to a friend who delights in debunking things, but with a bit of maliciousness, I think. He enjoys bursting bubbles. He quickly got back to me, having sent it to Snopes, who revealed it to be a sham, (nevermind that tech had to be judiciously employed to create the illusion in the first place.) Magic interruptus.
Recently, I was sent a video of a small orchestral ensemble assembled on a barge, afloat in an ocean. Their instruments were miked and broadcast through the water targeting a pod of whales. The whales respond to the music and come to the barge, cavorting their pleasure. Once again, magic. Snopes revealed it to be a hoax. In fairness, it should be noted that Snopes is happy to disclose when things are real, too.
So what becomes more valuable; veracity or delight in magic? Fact, or happy delusion in possibility?
You know me, the eternal Pollyanna. I come solidly down in the magic camp. Cervantes said, (I paraphrase), “Some define madness as seeing the world as they wish it to be. I define madness as seeing the world as it is.” Remember… he wrote DON QUIXOTE, the basis for MAN OF LA MANCHA. Tilt away at windmills!
Social scientists say today that the biggest problem facing mankind is what we do when machines do everything for us? Can a pipe-fitter, postman, plumber learn new creativity to define his/her purpose in life when no longer needed? An interesting conundrum. We artists have no problem with this, we’re already there. But can the average hum-drum workaday tradesman, office drone, bureaucrat make the transition? That’s a “we’ll see.”
One town of West Virginia coal-miners I know of, as a group, learned computer programming when their coal operation was shutdown. I’d like to think they were happy to live without the surety of dying of black-lung disease. Their forefathers accepted their death sentences the first day they went down the hole with their lunch buckets. Their future generations would not have to.
Some smart people also say that a hybrid cyborg is the only way mankind can survive to the stars and beyond. Either live with replacing organics with plastic parts, or die out. Download our every thought and memory into a replaceable hard-drive to find the secret of “eternal life.”
Sidebar - Please watch THE BICENTENNIAL MAN, starring Robin Williams in his finest Heinlein-like performance. It speaks more eloquently to this than I, or anyone, ever will. Do it. Trust me. You’ll thank me.
I’ve said too much. I’ll stop now, but not before thanking you for your continued excellence in being. And for encouraging me to post, something I'm loathe to do. Because of my tech-savvy bride, and you, I shall try to make the leap between writing with the quill by candlelight, and joining the 21st century.
it's wrong to present human needs in the form of a hierarchy, because they're interconnected and on a similar level of importance, mutually influencing each other.
for instance for young children nothing will work well without love, safety, or other psychological needs, while lots of love, familial closeness and friendship might overcome the hardship of little food and poverty. and self-fulfillment / self-actualisation comes from within one's self, when one's able to feel comfortable (content) with one's achievements. so really, to put these complex processes as a pyramid is neither very creative nor empathic. the Cakra-system makes much more sense.
I write this from my hospital room in Leon, Mexico. I had a procedure yesterday that saved my life. It couldn’t have happened 50 years ago. I had some major blockage, 85% to be exact, in one of my arteries that go directly to my brain. In a non-invasive procedure, a doctor, who performs miracles, was able to put a stent and two balloons into the artery, and get rid of the buildup of plaque and cholesterol. I’m grateful to be alive.
Thankfully, I was able to afford this procedure. But what about all the people who can’t. I see this as the major issue with modern technology. Those who can afford to utilize technology and its benefits, and those who can’t. At this moment on planet earth, there are more people living below the poverty line than ever before. For those of us on the other side of the tracks, I believe it is our mission to help as many of them as possible. Technology shouldn’t be just for the rich, but for everyone. I have no idea how to make this happen. But I intend on devoting whatever remaining time I have on this planet, to helping as many people as possible.
My wife complained that I'm low tech and I asked her, "How will more tech make my life better?" There was silence. I managed to reduce the tech to a laptop computer, printer and dumb phone. I suppose I could count the refrigerator, air conditioning and electricity in general, but they don't require anything of me other than opening a door, or turning on a switch. Drumming still requires a hands-on approach. (a little musical humor there) I've also found that the more I take care of the first 2 levels of Maslow, the more the next two levels take care of themselves. There was a time when I unknowingly reversed the process and it didn't work out well. Fame and fortune aren't good foundations.
This really stuck out for me:
“Meanwhile, Big Tech products simulate the upper levels of Belongingness and Love, Self-Esteem, and Self-Actualization without actually providing these qualities to any meaningful degree.” Exactly. I agree.
I don’t feel any connection on social media. Only stress from wanting to connect and feeling unable. My husband and I go for long walks and say hi to people and dogs- old school I guess.
Also for me the speed of things is just really intense. I like to have a lot of space and I like
slowness.
Lots and lots to ponder here - wonderful article. ❤️
Dear Su, reams and reams can, and are, being written about this.
You’ll forgive me if my comments are brief, (or at least as brief as I can make them) because I don’t want to go totally down this rabbit-hole at this time. Speaking of tech, I just, a few hours ago, had a colonoscopy; my first, at 71. A little robo-camera taking pictures inside my bum. How tech can you get?
But I digress. Anyway…
An anecdote. Many years back I watched a video about a new camera product that enabled one to track an extremely long, continuous seamless shot without breaking away. It was marvelous. I sent it to a friend who delights in debunking things, but with a bit of maliciousness, I think. He enjoys bursting bubbles. He quickly got back to me, having sent it to Snopes, who revealed it to be a sham, (nevermind that tech had to be judiciously employed to create the illusion in the first place.) Magic interruptus.
Recently, I was sent a video of a small orchestral ensemble assembled on a barge, afloat in an ocean. Their instruments were miked and broadcast through the water targeting a pod of whales. The whales respond to the music and come to the barge, cavorting their pleasure. Once again, magic. Snopes revealed it to be a hoax. In fairness, it should be noted that Snopes is happy to disclose when things are real, too.
So what becomes more valuable; veracity or delight in magic? Fact, or happy delusion in possibility?
You know me, the eternal Pollyanna. I come solidly down in the magic camp. Cervantes said, (I paraphrase), “Some define madness as seeing the world as they wish it to be. I define madness as seeing the world as it is.” Remember… he wrote DON QUIXOTE, the basis for MAN OF LA MANCHA. Tilt away at windmills!
Social scientists say today that the biggest problem facing mankind is what we do when machines do everything for us? Can a pipe-fitter, postman, plumber learn new creativity to define his/her purpose in life when no longer needed? An interesting conundrum. We artists have no problem with this, we’re already there. But can the average hum-drum workaday tradesman, office drone, bureaucrat make the transition? That’s a “we’ll see.”
One town of West Virginia coal-miners I know of, as a group, learned computer programming when their coal operation was shutdown. I’d like to think they were happy to live without the surety of dying of black-lung disease. Their forefathers accepted their death sentences the first day they went down the hole with their lunch buckets. Their future generations would not have to.
Some smart people also say that a hybrid cyborg is the only way mankind can survive to the stars and beyond. Either live with replacing organics with plastic parts, or die out. Download our every thought and memory into a replaceable hard-drive to find the secret of “eternal life.”
Sidebar - Please watch THE BICENTENNIAL MAN, starring Robin Williams in his finest Heinlein-like performance. It speaks more eloquently to this than I, or anyone, ever will. Do it. Trust me. You’ll thank me.
I’ve said too much. I’ll stop now, but not before thanking you for your continued excellence in being. And for encouraging me to post, something I'm loathe to do. Because of my tech-savvy bride, and you, I shall try to make the leap between writing with the quill by candlelight, and joining the 21st century.
fondly, Alki aka the Luddite
That looks like Frank Langella in the photo arm wrestling with the robot.
it's wrong to present human needs in the form of a hierarchy, because they're interconnected and on a similar level of importance, mutually influencing each other.
for instance for young children nothing will work well without love, safety, or other psychological needs, while lots of love, familial closeness and friendship might overcome the hardship of little food and poverty. and self-fulfillment / self-actualisation comes from within one's self, when one's able to feel comfortable (content) with one's achievements. so really, to put these complex processes as a pyramid is neither very creative nor empathic. the Cakra-system makes much more sense.