Many inspiring and thought-provoking thoughts are attributed to Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the German-born physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.
Not only did he proclaim, “Once you stop learning, you start dying,” but he also opined,
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”.
Read more about how this thought links to Attention span and multitasking in the world today here.
In this era of technology that we live in, there are indeed many reasons to believe that technology has exceeded – and is exceeding – our humanity.
Digital technology has changed the way we live and communicate.
It is also altering our brains in some ways.
Not only do we tend to display a lack of focus, but we also seem to have less capacity – or patience – to complete time-consuming or more complex tasks successfully.
Clicking a button provides us with any information we need. Once we’ve used the info, it is not stored because we know it’s available at any time again. Together with the sheer amount of information online a false sense of expertise is created. To a large extent, we’ve also ‘unlearnt’ how to rely on our memory.
Our emotional intelligence seems to wane too. There is too much technological stimulation around us, or rather we succumb to the technological stimulation too easily.
Think about it – more time on a device means less time with your own thoughts and feelings, time to analyse and grow as a person. Self-awareness and self-reflection are key to personal growth.
Social media and messaging have changed the way we communicate.
Too often many of us seem to give preference to sharing something online or sending messages to and from (i.e., being socially active without leaving the house or being in the company of somebody else) rather than engaging with one another in a meaningful and relaxed way, over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, with no device within reach.
We fall victim to what is important now will not be important tomorrow, if not in the next hour.
If you could make one simple change to your life, consider the following: go offline for a set period every day. Those who have done this, say it increases their overall productivity and peace of mind.
What else did Albert Einstein say?
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions”.
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination”.
“Only those who attempt the absurd, can achieve the impossible”.
“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be”.
Things you may not know about Albert Einstein
- It took Einstein 9 years to get a job in academia.
- He offered his first wife his Nobel Prize as part of their divorce settlement.
- Contrary to popular belief, Einstein didn’t fail Maths as a child.
Read more about Albert Einstein here: 9 Things You May Not Know About Albert Einstein
