I once listened-unwittingly-almost exclusively to the sounds of Robert Fripp. For the uninitiated, suffice to say that Fripp is a musician that takes a real commitment to like. I didn’t have it.
One of the few things on a short list of things I liked about Fripp was his use of a quote by J.G. Bennett.
Bennett was a man of many talents–a mathematician, scientist, technologist and industrial research director, better known as a philosopher and mystic. Long after the cacophony of Fripp’s music faded, Bennett’s quote lives on.
”If you have an unpleasant nature and dislike people, this is no obstacle to Work.”
Bennett, of course, wasn’t actually referring to work in the sense of going to the office. But, hey, close enough.
Based on my observation of people in the workplace, Bennett was a genius.
Workplaces fare filled will chronic complainers and volatile moods. We’re stressed, sleepy and overworked. Of course, we’re edgy. So where is technology when we need it?
Here are a few things I wish technology could do:
Filter My Words: A Voice Analyzer would take the snarky edge off your tone during phone calls to clients, family and friends. It would instantly drop the call when it sensed a potentially inflammatory remark had gone from a possibility to a probability.
Wake Me Up: Working late…or just too tired to keep your eyes open during the day? The Sleep Sensor is a handy application that locks your keyboard when you start to doze at your computer, potentially preventing you from cutting and pasting the same paragraph for the third time.
Just Stop Me From Talking: Think of it as a Dream Emulator–a cloud-shaped, ethereally thin patch that fits transparently over your voice box to recreate the dreamlike inability to speak. You know those dreams where something terrible is about to happen and you have an uncontrollable urge to scream, but try as you might, not a sound will come out? This device would do the same when you’re in the office, at a meeting or on an endlessly long line at an airport, dangerously close to a security checkpoint, and block your useless shouts and complaints.
I wish I had a voice analyzer all the time in my office! It’s interesting that technology has the ability to both alleviate an unpleasant moments (revised emails in lieu of an in-the-moment, screaming phone conversation) but create unintentional tones as well, such as misconstrued instant messenger chats.
First of all…Love the Quote. Second of all, when technology catches on to your ideas, let me know. I’ll be the first in line.
so, what are the other things on your short list that you like?
Cadence and Cascade … Ladies of the Road and the fact that the line to the men’s room is longer than the line to the woman’s room at any of your concerts.
The circuitous route that got me to your site (I’m a real estate writer, my mom is named Norene, different spelling, but close enough to make me hit your link from GlobeSt.com) was enough… and then to stumble upon a comment from the spider-fingered Mr. Fripp. Well, cheerful insanity ensues.
I love the web.
Great!