Imagine for a moment if you will a world in which every human accepted only one label to define themselves. While this has certainly granted us extensive command over our understanding of our world both physical and metaphysical, many are beginning to argue that it is stifling what it is to be human. There is so much information available now that we have fallen under the spell of a culture that not only urges but seems to rely on greater and greater levels of specialization.
This flood of information granted to us by the advent and evolution of the internet has created a crisis of knowledge. Even growing up in the age of information, and only bearing the marks of 37 years I find myself often slipping behind the utter deluge of information available. The world is always changing, and one could argue that in our time it is shifting more rapidly than we could have ever imagine. The quote I presented above illustrates my point more than effectively than I believe I can in the scope of this particular piece, however, it does present me with an opportunity to speak to what I believe is a glaring need to shift our perspective on a large scale. In point of fact we carry dozens of them, accumulating them like badges as we walk the path.
Polymath program freezes professional#
It is evident to me and to many that beyond our professional label being a parent, lover, or friend are more aptly applied to describe the natural human experience.īeing a human, simply being alive is an experience that affords us so much more than a singular label. Let's side-table the argument that human beings are done a disservice by being defined first and foremost by their professional label. However, it does draw the follow up question, "I mean what do you do for work?" Sure, it draws a fair amount of awkward stares and glances, but is it such an incomprehensible response? The answer is naturally, no. If I am being honest my standard answer is, "I'm a human." But what does this accepted custom really do to us on a human level? It allows us to get our bearings and determine how the other person fits into the archetypal molds that we are all familiar with. It is after all a normal, well-accepted question that aids in the communication and acquaintance of one human being to another. I know of few questions that generate greater anxiety or social confusion than this seemingly benign inquiry. We do a whole lot more than our professional label(s) would allude to.Įveryone has been presented with the question, "What do you do?" Specialization is for insects." Robert A.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
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