Harness the fire.
While humans didn't invent it, it could definitely be argued that harnessing fire was the most significant achievement of humanity, as it led to all kinds of capabilities that were previously out of our grasp. The result of that control led to us being able to intentionally impact our own future, our own evolution. We were able to stay warm when it would have been too cold, to cook food so it lasts longer and kills germs and parasites, and of course, see at times our eyes alone wouldn't have been able to guide us.
Fire made us who we are today.
Being able to direct our evolution is both a blessing and a curse, as while we are able to change ourselves for the future, it also means that we are able to change ourselves poorly for the future. A road I believe we have been heading down at increasing speed for the last few decades at least. As though we have been able to innovate the technologies we use in leaps and bounds, using those same technologies is limiting our own development. It is why when people say "AI makes me better at my job" I correct them and say, you are able to complete your job better with AI, but you are not getting better.
Evolving and adapting are continuous, non-negotiables for survival.
We are always changing, but how we are changing matters. As I have had noted in some conversations recently, "trying" is already preparation for failure, but trying only what is comfortable almost guarantees it. Someone can "try" to accomplish some goal, but if they are only willing to do what is comfortable and that isn't what is necessary for completion, they will try and fail. Yet, they will also feel that because they tried, it is not their fault.
I keep harping on about the four pillars of human being, body, mind, emotions and relationships, because I want to drill it into me and I hope others will sometimes consider their own conditions and behaviours through this practical lens. Simply put, in order to evolve ourselves effectively, we would need to develop in all four of these areas and align them with our personal goals. When they are out of sync, all end up out of sync and it is detrimental to our wellbeing. This means that even if someone doesn't care much about their own body, keeping it in effective working order and health, means that the other three pillars are able to stand tall also. And it is the similar for each of the pillars.
Do the bare minimum, at the very least.
This is something that I think we have let slide in an on-demand and available world where we can pick and choose what we like, when we like it. It means that we can favour our wants even when our own needs are being left by the wayside. We can fill our bellies with food, even while our bodies suffer. We can fill our mind with entertainment, even though our mind are degrading. We can fill our environment with what makes us feel good, even while our ability to process the full range of emotions we all have, reduces. And we can keep reducing contact with people who make us uncomfortable and in doing so, decrease our depth of and quality of relationships, and our interpersonal skills in the process.
There are so many ways to build up and tear these pillars down, but if we aren't paying attention it is far more likely that our default behaviours will make negative impacts. This is because we are geared for making things easier and avoiding energy expenditure, which is why we have progressed so far as a species. When we use to innovate though, it was to solve a practical problem we had and once we had a solution, we would move onto the next problem.
We are problem solvers by evolution.
However, just like what we do matters, what we try and solve matters also. A million years ago our ancestors harnessed fire, but now the fire of creation is dimming. Instead of solving the problems that support our continued evolution and ability to adapt to the changing environment, we are putting our energies into ways to avoid changing, avoid developing, avoid discomfort, work, and having to deal with anything that doesn't make us feel good. And as a result, we are feeling worse, because we are acclimatised to a false sense of reality that is not sustainable. And instead of making the changes necessary, we will find some way to shirk responsibility by building a new fantasy.
Even while I really enjoy thinking and talking about the big picture of society, at the end of the day "be the change" is still the only practical way to do anything en masse. This means that in order to evolve suitably for the environment, I (and others if they choose) have to look at ways to develop the four pillars. And I don't think it is that hard to at least improve significantly in those four areas, but it does take time, effort and a little perseverance. That last one is lacking in today's culture by all reports, which is another symptom of the degrading effects of how we behave.
While we can't do everything right away, nor will the results necessarily be significant to begin with, I (we) have to start somewhere. See what is immediately available that we can improve and then, do that, and then the next step, then the next. We have to harness the fire we have, and then build upon it, just like our ancestors of old did to get us to where we are today.
Evolve and adapt.
Don't adapt to make life easier so as not to feel quite as bad about circumstances, evolve and build to improve capabilities to deal with the problems and find solutions, so not only we improve, but our environment and situations improve too. It is about the only way we are able to get back on the tracks of improvement.
Come on baby, light my fire.
If what we are doing isn't improving one of the pillars at least, we should question why are we doing it? If it is improving one pillar a little but degrading another more, why are we doing it? Why are we doing so much of what we do, when we know we should be doing something else?
We have harnessed fire.
We should use it to burn the useless things we do.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Be part of the Hive discussion.
- Comment on the topics of the article, and add your perspectives and experiences.
- Read and discuss with others who comment and build your personal network
- Engage well with me and others and put in effort
And you may be rewarded.
I disagree, AI does make me better at my job :) AI is a super tool but still requires brains to operate it most efficiently in terms of cost and output...
We’ve made life so easy that sometimes we forget we’re still supposed to grow through the uncomfortable stuff. Basically, don’t let the fire go out
Do you think convenience is one of the biggest reasons people stop developing skills they actually need
I think that making life easier is not always the same as making ourselves better. Sometimes the effort, discomfort and also failure are exactly what help us develop the skills we need.
We just need to start somewhere and keep improving little by little. Even small changes can make a big difference over time. The most important thing is to keep moving forward.