Skip to main content

Acceleration at What Cost?

Seer of the seventies, Alvin Toffler, wrote: "Once the klutz factor is eliminated, we don't need the typist." from The Third Wave
Toffler was correct as he was with so many of his predictions. In this instance a segment of the job market was eliminated. There are no secretaries with typing skills in the workforce any more. They have been replaced with computer literate receptionists. The world moves on. Keep up or get out of the way.
I wonder how many silent redundancies were made in the seventies and eighties. I wonder how many people slunk off wounded, feeling inadequate, less than human when innovation and people made them feel worthless.

Perhaps another avenue of thought would go like this:
Every person has unique skills that belong to them.
To try to fit everyone into the same slot may be to miss their gift and deprive us all.
Thank God we are all different.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Contact

“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe….   Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not.   Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?

Speech

  “To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.”     John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent.  Life teaches many lessons.  Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied.  Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.    

The Price of Misjudgment

“If a man does not judge himself, all things judge him, and all things become messengers of God.” – Nachman of Bratslav ”If I do not accept responsibility for the evil I do, the very earth will rise up to judge and condemn me. The stars, the trees in the wind will provide sentence…”   -Julius Lester