Comments on: Technology and the Lost Art of Thinking

By: bluewaveted

bluewaveted — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:35:53 +0000

I agree. Technology was created for us to think less and let something else do the thinking. Looks like it’s succeeded.

By: Larry Swenson

Larry Swenson — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:28:25 +0000

Right! and it all started long ago. My first job was managing a Wholesale grocery Cash and Carry (mini Costo) 55 years ago. We had a hand cranked calculator (I think it was a Borrows) so if some grocer bought 5 cases of 24/12oz. Spam for $9.20 per case it would calculate the $46.00 it cost and it would also add up the total of the 10 otems he had purchased.

One day I was out buying a fishing pole, a reel and 10 lures of the same price, I had to figure if I had enough cash to get them, no machine, I had to calculate it in my head or on paper. I couldn”t!

I had forgotten how to do simple arithmetic. I vowed at that time to only use a calculater to check my arithmetic from then on.

Common sense has helped since then to be a much better busnessman than a calculator an HP12 or the best business software produced so far 9but they sure do help when needed.

By: rockchick7517

rockchick7517 — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:50:05 +0000

I totally agree with your points made here. At 22 years old, I often find myself forgetting information, not being able to do simple maths and you wouldn’t believe how bad my spelling has become! I can’t blame technology for this, as I choose to use it the way I do, but I do hold it responsible for the reason as to why I can’t do all the things I just stated. I’m now taking it upon myself to turn it around and find my brain cells again, as it scares me to think what sort of mushy state they will be in a few more years down the line!! Getting a blog was my first step in the right direction to regain the ability to write at length, now I just need to learn my times tables again…

By: gsmartin

gsmartin — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:07:53 +0000

Yes, your points are good and I agree with them.

The summer of ‘72 I worked for a private contractor building custom houses. The contractor, when interviewing me asked me a number of questions. Questions such as did I know how to read blueprints, had I taken any classes in carpentry, etc. I proudly told him that I could read blueprints since my Dad had taught me how but no I hadn’t taken any classes in carpentry. He looked at me, cocked his head to one side and smiled a face filling smile and with eyes twinkling he said GOOD. Then I can teach you the right way and you’ll learn how to think, not just follow some book learning.

Turns out, that he had employeed others who could tell you what the answer was supposed to be but couldn’t think outside the book and made huge, costly mistakes.

As the years have gone by and I’ve worked elsewhere and employeed others I have found that many (certainly not all) of those that rely on gadgets and such can’t think out of the box their “gadget dependence” / “rule dependence” puts them in.

Certainly these are great tools and speed things up but they don’t always encourage independent thought and analysis.