Getting Out Of Our Head [And Head Out]

 

Is it true that sometimes [and for outliers, many times], we're stuck deep into our head?  FACT CHECK:  True.  And for that reason, we hardly notice WHAT's happening outside of us.  A year ago, I visited my optometrist WHO, after going through the standard eyesight check, blurted out: 'Well, because of your age and eyesight, you still need progressive lenses'.  I just accepted her advice hook, line and sinker as I was thinking then that in a world of remote work, isolation [during the Covid-19 pandemic], cascading mental health crises and screens everywhere from our mobile phones to all other gadgets, it's never more important for us to get outside

Many many years back, our very platform to get out into the world were our parents and school mentors/teachers.  A decade later, thanks to Microsoft, they came up with Encarta, that CD-ROM encyclopedia that really condensed tons and tons of books into a handful of compact disks instead.  And voila, suddenly, that volume of knowledge was literally on our fingertips.  BUT before we know it, Encarta will become obsolete and irrelevant as it gets eclipsed by the enormosity of the vast and wide internet.  Then, Google and Wikipedia became our latest repositories

And before we know it, those learning opportunities with Google and Wikipedia get scooped by today's smartphones, making sure that all those opportunities are guaranteed to be right on our fingertips.  Then, before we know it, we welcomed AIs like ChatGPT.  Although AI as a technology remains at its infancy stage, it has been that astonishing no less.  WHAT shocked me that very first time I learned was that today's teens can seek refuse to ChatGPT even for their emotional needs.  Oh no.  WHICH brings me to a point in asking:  If Google and AI can answer all our questions, WHY do we need to know anything???

So, the question that begs to be asked is:  DO WE STILL [REALLY] NEED TO KNOW THINGS?  And to make things murkier, is it true that the very purpose of school ISN'T really to acquire knowledge BUT rather to develop a variety of skills and strengths that will serve us throughout our life?  YES, admittedly. the acquisition of knowledge is indeed tempting to dismiss as unimportant OR outdated

Our takeaway:  True, having Google and AI right on our fingertips has certainly changed things BUT acquiring knowledge is NOT really a waste of time.  In fact, it might actually be more valuable than ever.  YES, the purpose of knowing things ISN'T to simply have the answers to questions.  Instead, the true value of knowledge has more to do with our self-initiated CURIOSITY, to have a crystal clear understanding of WHAT is going on in the real world because like it OR NOT, we CAN'T just remain ensconced in our cellar OR even at the attic😡😡😡