We
may have just stepped into the age of empowerment – well more and more power seems
to be disbursed onto the individual. More information available at one’s
fingertips – more power. More countries maturing to liberty – more freedom –
more power. Whether we realize this fact and are prepared to handle this power,
is the real question.
Agents,
brokers and consultants are on the ramp down. Those that are left are armed
only with the same tools we citizens have – and its mostly Google. So the power is with us.
"When
in the lake of information, discernment is your only hovercraft."
Cutting
the Clutter is a skill we will need to develop. Simplifying the complexity in
front of us. What is right and what is wrong? Even to search out something meaningful, we would need to develop
the skill of the ‘right combination of keywords'. The millennials are on top of
this but not yet the earlier generations. Search for a recommendation on any
topics and you’ll be swamped with too many opinions, another puddle of opinions
that again we need to deal with at an individual level. Decision making will be impaired if cannot assimilate the right set of information.
Macroscopy,
and not microscopy alone - learning to see the whole and the interactions with
other 'wholes' too. I guess starting sometime during the 70s-80s, an increased
emphasis on super-specialties gripped the Generation Ys. Super-specialty
doctors, cutting-edge technologies – more specialist and little generalists. The
result is we have too many recommenders with their magnifying glasses. People
with their own microscopes and totally oblivious outside of it. Macroscopic views and
integrative approaches are things we will have to familiarize ourselves with.
Have you tried repairing a bug on your android TV? It’s likely that neither the TV technicians nor the net-provider will be able to help. You will have to rely on the web and your discernment on which search results to follow or try out.
Looks
like even treat your own ailments (TYOA) is dawning on us too. A hell lot of
experiences on youtube tell of simple changes that transformed people lives - simple vitamin deficiencies that looked like grave immunology ailments!
I have
had some firsthand experiences myself that may make my long-time specialist
physicians look like fools.
My (fully automatic) car recently exhibited a strange behavior - engine shut off with A/c fan on, but the display on the dashboard showing 'Check ignition system'. Its at their service center for 4 weeks now and they cannot isolate the problem. For all you know the display error maybe a case like of 'referred pain' as in physical ailments - the issue maybe elsewhere.
Another area - the
disturbing statistics on general mental health and the appalling lack of preparedness
to deal with this world over makes me feel that there’s only us to help
ourselves. Hacking your own mind (HYOM) I guess though is as old as humanity – isn’t
that what philosophers and monks tried to achieve. Hope all that
wisdom will be translated into the digital language soon for us mere weaklings to search out.