tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post7997248328518226922..comments2024-03-04T22:54:13.447+05:30Comments on Remains of the Day: On GadgetsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-55006917551126927672010-03-09T12:10:59.009+05:302010-03-09T12:10:59.009+05:30A great article of aphorisms on the internet:
htt...A great article of aphorisms on the internet:<br /><br />http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge313.htmlHarmanjit Singhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14714797381673153973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-80118288834672202872008-07-03T18:52:00.000+05:302008-07-03T18:52:00.000+05:30I agree with a part of your artical and dont agree...I agree with a part of your artical and dont agree with another part. I agree that cutting the unnecesarry information cords will give ease to people because they will have less information to process, however, whether or not to use a gadget or the latest version of gadgets doesn't have a direct relation with one's happiness so it can't be generalized for everybody. e.g. a user who knows only about 1% of the features of a new gadget but is enjoying it will have some happiness added to his life because of the gadget. Such moments of happiness counts no matter by which mean they come from. For a highly conscious person the happiness may come from inner exploration, for an average person the happiness may come from worldly pleasures and for a dumb happiness may come just by possessing a gadget. You may think of a person whose love of life is to collect more and more such gadgets itself.Arun Kumarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04957609299466023363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-9377271257332938542008-07-02T17:21:00.000+05:302008-07-02T17:21:00.000+05:30Material prosperity becomes self-defeating as an e...Material prosperity becomes self-defeating as an end in itself. It is to enable us to live in comfort to follow our ends. It is a means.<BR/><BR/>Maybe young people need to be instructed on the danger of getting embroiled in the viciousness of market forces, but as adults, we can choose to at least cut out the information overload, and spend our time doing useful and creative things rather than become slaves to gadgets and "amuse ourselves to death".Harmanjit Singhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14714797381673153973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-20421973707074629612008-07-02T17:17:00.000+05:302008-07-02T17:17:00.000+05:30I agree with mr. Kumar that slowing down means mak...I agree with mr. Kumar that slowing down means making a choice for less material prosperity. But you only make that choice if you think that your quality of life improves. Quality of life from that point of view is seen as an immaterial thing, or a balance between material and immaterial.<BR/><BR/>The problem with Western society, with America as its most extreme proponent is that it is almost impossible to make a choice for less material prosperity, because it means being in debt up to your armpits. People are pushed into a materialistic lifestyle out of fear for bad credit and debts. They no longer feel they have a choice.Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662520466014296944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-84504251488183464972008-07-02T16:43:00.000+05:302008-07-02T16:43:00.000+05:30slowing down will have its consequences, it may me...slowing down will have its consequences, it may mean slowing down in the world where we are living and at the same time looking at others going up up and above... the meterealistic growth demands speed which is one of the reason why people use these gadgets for. <BR/><BR/>so slowing down may mean accepting less money, lower quality of life, accepting others going higher with no regret which is difficult.Arun Kumarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04957609299466023363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037385.post-1686181416706213852008-06-26T16:05:00.000+05:302008-06-26T16:05:00.000+05:30New technologies do enable you to do anything anyw...New technologies do enable you to do anything anywhere, but I think people haven't fully accustomed themselves to handling this freedom. A lot of people think that because you can now do anything anywhere, there is never an excuse not to do it. For many people, when the (mobile) phone rings or an email comes in while they're relaxing for a moment, there is no excuse to not pick up or read it. After all, they are doing 'nothing'. Of course there's also the element of curiosity (or anxiety) involved). Many people do not appreciate leisure time as useful time and subsequently do not take it seriously.<BR/><BR/>Having the freedom to do anything anywhere means also having more freedom to choose when NOT to do something for reasons that are sometimes not acceptable to third parties. We become scared to miss something, or to be held responsible for being unreachable when we were taking some private time, vital to us, unimportant for the one trying to reach us. <BR/><BR/>This is especially prevalent, I think, in the world of corporate business, where people are expected to work 12 to 16 hour days or more -no excuses- if they want to beat the competition (their colleagues) to get that promotion and more $$$. <BR/><BR/>The company needs them to work so hard to beat their competition, increase their market-share and create more value for the shareholders. After all, they own the company and want some return on their investment.<BR/><BR/>In order to increase their market-share, companies have to resort to all kinds of persuasion techniques to get the consumer to buy their goods, and not the competition's. The most succesful persuasion technique of course is the illusion of status. Because with status comes credibility and hence power. We all want power. <BR/><BR/>This is why we buy the newest gadgets with the functions: We communicate to the world that we are ahead, we know what the best is and -even better- we can afford it.<BR/><BR/>In comes credit. How could anybody (especially in the States) afford anything if they couldn't buy it with money they really don't have? So credit card companies target students and tell them to spend spend spend, no charge! Until they graduate and find themselves not only in debt for an obnoxiously expensive education (which they have no choice but to pay for), but also for that 'cheap' credit card that they used to pay for spring break, a car, fuel, parties, books and what not. What to do?<BR/><BR/>Work for that big corporate business, because they're the only ones that pay enough to even stand a remote chance of ever getting out of debt. If you work hard enough and beat you colleagues that is...<BR/><BR/>In this vicious circle, who would dare to slow down?Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662520466014296944noreply@blogger.com