Man’s Demise In The Digital Age

Technology has indeed created numerous benefits for man.

Young individuals, through coding, and other mediums have created remarkable things.

On balance, however, the digital age has destroyed the human being.

 

Some years ago, I went to purchase a cell phone.

This is how the conversation unfolded:

“I would like to purchase a phone.”

“What type of texting plan would you like?”

“None”

“Sorry?”

“I do not use texting”

“You don’t use texting?”

“No”

“What type of media plan do you want?”

“I don’t want any media plan?”

“Then what are you looking for, sir?”

“A phone. A device that has numbers you can dial, place to your ear, and speak. That is what I’m looking for. Do you have any of those?”

“I think we have two of those. A black one and a white one.”

“The black one, please.”

 

A man once said that man’s greatest disease is that he cannot sit still.

This is Truth.

 

Man’s head has fallen.

His spirit has as well.

Evolution will perhaps create humans with curved necks in the coming decades.

One may wish to walk down any street, and try to find a single human’s head that is not buried in a smart phone.

Examine a waiting room, one will find the same.

In elevators, living rooms, cars, hotels, airplanes, and toilets . . . one will find the same.

The smart phone has changed the human being in fundamental ways.

 

Is it not ironic, that those who spout “spirituality” and “health” and “yoga” are the very same ones who cannot sit alone by themselves without a digital device?

Their “meditation” and “mindfulness” and “breathing classes” are, in fact, a respite from their 24/7 electronics addiction.

 

In recent years, there has been a wholesale examination of Tiger Woods’ achievements. In comparing them to the modern tour player, the numbers are nothing short of astounding.

Detailed analyses have been published, which reveal that all the talk of modern fields being deeper, and players being better, as an excuse to explain the lack of domination that Tiger exhibited . . . is total nonsense (Everything is a scam). The Truth is that the modern tour player is woefully deficient to Woods.

A few details:

From 1999 to 2003, the most wins that any player had was 8. In that same span, Tiger had 32.
From 1999 to 2002, Tiger played 11 majors. He won 7 of them. The best total score by any other player was 34-under par over those 11 tournaments.
Tiger Woods was 94-under par.
60 shots better.
The most wins anyone had in their 20’s was David Duval, at 13.
In his 20’s, Tiger had 46.
Before the age of 40: Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, Rory Mcilroy, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvie, and Bubba Watson had 67 wins Combined.
Before the age of 40: Tiger woods at 79.
From 1999 to 2001, Tiger played 38 events. He won 20 of them. During these events, Tiger was a combined 472-under par. This was 307 shots better than any other player.
These days, golfers move in and out of the number 1 spot. A few days, a few weeks.
Tiger held the number 1 spot for 6 years.
This is symbolic of the degradation of modern times. And the implications span far and wide.
If we examine the subject of Greatness in any domain, the single greatest determinant is not talent, skill, strength, intelligence, or hard work.
It is Devotion.
A man whose life is devoted to something, will not have trouble finding the requisite talent, skill, strength, and intelligence.
The reverse is not true.
Man is, by nature, a distracted creature.
Surround him with “gadgets,” and he will become all the more distracted.
If Tiger was born in this generation, there is a very strong probability that the world would never have heard of him. The “gadgets” would have no doubt competed for his attention.
It is possible that his devotion may have been strong enough to overcome these distractions. But this is by no means guaranteed.
Put simply, the digital age has, and will continue to, compromise the Greatness of human beings.
For the necessary devotion required to become a World Number 1 in the presence of digital distractions, is far higher than that which is required without them.
Humans are now beginning to use “apps” to clock their digital time . . .
Do any of them notice the irony?
To those who vow to lessen their use of digital gadgets . . .
Do not bother.
For this is empty behavior change borne of a manufactured prescription.
Truth be told, he who is given to “competition,” will not gift his competitor a bottle of wine.
He will gift him an Iphone.
For this is certain to slow him down.
Do not use your phones less.
It is not “healthy” for you to do so.
Do not create a support group for smart phone use.
Being proud of curbing one’s smart phone use, is like being proud of oneself for not walking into a nuclear power plant unprotected.
Bobby Jones once called a penalty on himself in the US Open. He lost the match by a stroke.
The official called Bobby aside and praised him for what he had done.
Jones replied, “You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank.”
Namaste.