June 5 – Striking a Balance: Humanity in the Age of Machines

“(People) can’t relax until everything is done. These days, you can’t ever be finished with everything.” Carien Karsten

Machines are marvels of engineering. They can perform complex calculations in the blink of an eye, churn out products with relentless precision, and even hold basic conversations. But for all their efficiency, there's one crucial human quality they lack: the ability to achieve true balance.

Let's take a self-driving car. It can analyze traffic patterns, calculate the fastest route, and even avoid obstacles in real-time. In a controlled environment, it might outperform a human driver. However, throw in an unexpected situation – a child darting onto the road, a sudden downpour obscuring visibility – and the machine's rigid programming might falter. Humans, on the other hand, can adapt. We can react on instinct, make split-second decisions based on experience and intuition, and navigate the unpredictable nature of the real world.

This isn't to say AI has no place in our lives. It excels at tasks that require consistency and analysis, freeing us up to focus on the more nuanced aspects of existence. But when it comes to balance, AI falls short.

“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” Lin Yutang

T.D. Jakes captures this perfectly: "Balance comes with the humility of knowing what you're not good at doing. Accessorize your limitations by developing relationships with people whose talents complement your limitations."

Imagine a person solely relying on a fitness tracker to dictate their exercise routine. The tracker might push them to hit daily step goals, but it wouldn't recognize the need for rest or the importance of incorporating activities they enjoy. True balance requires a holistic approach, an awareness of our physical, emotional, and social needs.

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” Gertrude Stein

Katherine May, in her book Enchantment, argues that our reliance on technology has distanced us from the very things that contribute to a balanced life: "We have run as far as we can from the hardships of previous ages, and now we need to find a balance between what we know and what we knew."

Think about it – the ability to cook a healthy meal from scratch, the satisfaction of fixing a leaky faucet ourselves, the joy of connecting with nature on a hike. These experiences, beyond what technology can provide, contribute to a sense of well-being and groundedness.

“The world is too much with us. Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” William Wordsworth

Technology is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace the human capacity for adaptation, intuition, and the ability to find meaning in the messy, unpredictable beauty of life. Finding balance requires a dance between human ingenuity and the efficiency of machines. It's about acknowledging our limitations and cultivating the skills and relationships that make us uniquely human.

This quest for balance is an ongoing journey, not a destination. In the coming days, we'll explore how to navigate this journey in different aspects of our lives, harnessing the strengths of both technology and our own human potential.

Activity: Unplugged day: Spend a day without using any technology (phones, computers, TVs, etc.). Use this time to engage in analog activities such as reading, writing, crafting, or spending time outdoors.

In today's increasingly digital world, it's easy to lose sight of what makes us human. The constant bombardment of screens and social media can distract us from cultivating essential qualities like kindness, empathy, and resilience.

My book, Nurturing Hopeful Resilience,  guides parents and caregivers through the challenges of raising children in a technology-driven age. It explores the importance of instilling strong values in children from a young age to help them develop into compassionate, responsible, and fulfilled individuals.

Through a series of practical exercises and insightful reflections, this book delves into fourteen core values: curiosity, awareness, kindness, learning, self-awareness, fairness, playfulness, compassion, service, belonging, trustworthiness, authenticity, community, and responsibility. Understanding and nurturing these values can empower our children to thrive in a complex and ever-changing world.

This book offers a roadmap for raising children who are academically successful, emotionally intelligent, socially adept, and morally grounded. It encourages readers to prioritize human connection, empathy, and compassion over material possessions and fleeting digital distractions. By embracing the power of values, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.