Personal Development and Technology
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
Robert A. Heinlein
Generations:
I walk into a bank, and there is an old woman with a lost look, waiting for the consultant to help her with the ATM.
At home, grandpa needs help with the phone again because he "pressed the wrong thing somewhere."
How can someone not understand such a simple system, when everything is written on the screen?!
Future and Education:
Can you imagine yourself as these people? 🤔
After all, the speed of learning decreases with age, while technology advances in leaps and bounds.
I'm afraid we might not be lucky in this battle.
Past and Specialization:
In the past, a person could learn to drive a truck, and this skill would feed them for life.
Professions learned in youth served until old age.
But the world has changed. Automation and technological development render existing professions obsolete.
More and more robots are communicating with people over the phone, there are self-checkout machines, and in some countries, there are stores without cashiers at all, where money for goods is magically deducted when you leave.
What will people do who perform work that can be automated?
And the ability to learn diminishes with age!
Necessity of Continuous Learning:
A child, coming into the world, lives in constant learning of everything around him.
And for me personally, it's more interesting to constantly discover something new, like a child.
Consumption of Content and Development:
Most people get lost in social networks, thinking they are developing by watching videos about, for example, birds from the Brazilian jungles.
But there is no real gain in knowledge from consuming such content.
It's just an illusion of development.
A World in Constant Change:
In a year, maybe two, the world will change beyond recognition.
We need to be ready.
Specialization vs. Multidisciplinarity:
I can no longer consider myself a specialist in one field.
Sound engineering, music, video editing, design, programming, marketing, websites, and much more.
I may not be a professional in each of these areas, but I have enough knowledge to cope with tasks that arise in one area or another, on my own!
Specialization – the Fate of Insects?
Robert Heinlein's quote about specialization being the fate of insects inspires me.
In the modern world, it is important to be multidisciplinary and ready for lifelong learning!
Your Thoughts?
I would like to hear your opinion on this matter. Do you think it is important to develop in one direction or to be ready to learn new things and solve problems outside your main field of activity?
