This blog is just a grab bag of thoughts and useful links. However, as the name suggests it may be interpreted by some as a wee bit challenging, if not, activist. Hence the use of the term "Left" in the title.
The views expressed are strictly my own. The mention of any software or service is not to be taken as an endorsement or criticism.
I attended the "CRAZY8S" gala last night which is an annual event and challenge for up-and-coming filmmakers. It was a marvellous time. The amount of creativity displayed by people was incredible. Everyone at the venue was doing their best to stand out and there were no holds barred as far as glitter, colour and creation. This is a prestigious happening so all in attendance were doing their utmost to put on the show. And I must say it was great!
Coming home, I had a little difficulty boarding the Metro Vancouver public transit, SkyTrain.
Fortunately, a fellow SkyTrain passeger was able to get my wheelchair unstuck and we began to talk about pretty much everything. At one point, they asked how I "got in my chair". They wanted to know the details of how I became disabled. I explained that my condition Cerebral Palsy was a lifelong and our conversation continued. The exact details of the dialogue are a little vague now but at one point I said, "That I would not want to be normal or cured. I enjoyed being different because there were so many different aspects to explore, which an able-bodied person might never have the opportunity to investigate. To be clear, some of that "investigation" is not by choice, sometimes you have to figure out a solution to a problem which doesn't normally occur for the rest of the world. An example would be, picking up a bankcard off the floor when you can't reach it. My solution for that one has always been dangling a long strip of scotch tape and with a little work the sticky side adheres to the card and you reel it in as though you were fishing. --That is really what I do :-). There are so many other examples… But the bottom line is being different can help you stay engaged with reality and thereby benefit from that extra awareness. Guess what?… You are already different.
People seem to think that difference must be obvious to the outside world, I suggest that some of the most profound discoveries you will ever make will be from the subtle things. Events that no one else will ever see or understand. Tiny little opportunities grow. They happen all the time. So if you feel like you're an outsider, celebrate that difference. Actually now that I think about it at this very moment, all of the films I saw last night at CRAZY8S were about that very thing. They were all internal journeys of exploration and discovery. But I can guarantee you they weren't simple little trips down memory lane for the characters in the movies.
So as you explore your differences go ahead and be loud and proud, but don't forget those small powerful insights… Because one of them may be telling you "You Are There And You Are Fine. The journey ahead is up to you."
Image of a Tulip taken with a Kodak DX3900 in April 2002. I just thought it looked cool 😲 for this post.
You may be tempted after reading the title of this post to fervently respond "No!..." , then articulate various reasons why. But hold on, before going down the gloom and doom rabbit hole, consider the following:
Let us consider image creation and here I'm not talking about the dreaded "Deep Fake" phenomenon, I would like us to consider the ability to create images by merely articulating an idea. This has quite a few benefits when used responsibly.
1. If a person has a disability which physically impairs their motor function, AI can allow them to release their creativity like never before. As with, anything else it takes practice to learn how to prompt artificial intelligence correctly. That in turn means that the person must organize their thoughts and consider the various aspects of the image they want to create.I myself have found this very liberating. Often I take what the AI initially generates and tweak it to improve the presentation or context. In this situation, Artificial Intelligence allows the manifestation of creativity.
The image below of a fictitious RCA "Cathedral" vacuum tube radio from the 1930s is an example of what can be done by simply describing to an AI system what you would like created. The actual prompt (text) is in italics below the image. With practice just about anyone can create a pleasant useful image. It should be noted here that some understanding of how AI works is necessary when creating your request. In a nutshell AI in its current form statistically calculates the all odds of words in a sentence, maps that result to a meaning and then reevaluates. It does this for each word until it gets a high probability that the answer is correct. In the case of an image it may start by evaluating what shape is most likely being asked for. This results in billions of calculations and is the reason why it is so power intensive.
AI generated picture from the service Ideogram AI.
My prompt to the AI: "A beautiful 1930s RCA Cathedral vacuum tube radio sitting on a desk with the tuning knob marvellously lit in that warm incandescents light glow. The lighting should be warm and inviting in the room and the image should be photorealistic."
2. You're working on a problem and you reach an absolute dead as to the solution. This can be a physical situation or an abstract idea, but in either case, you've hit the proverbial brick wall. So you put the question to an AI chatbot, and even if it doesn't come up with a usable answer, it very likely approached from a different angle. That's just enough for you to get inspired and tackle the problem once again. Normally you would ask friends in this situation but sometimes, especially if you're stuck at two in the morning, this is the more appropriate way to go.
The above two examples are the benefits of artificial intelligence. In both cases the tool of AI is not detracting from the process of creativity, it is adding to it in a very beneficial way. Allowing the individual to explore more deeply their given situation. This is in stark contrast to another article I wrote several years ago " Learning and knowledge in the shadow of AI " which explores what happens when people use AI to circumvent understanding of an issue or topic. The above two points are almost the opposite of what that article is talking about.
To be rather blunt, the question is whether people will be wise enough to use this new tool to expand their understandings and opportunities to learn, or will individuals insist on taking the easy road and thereby reduce their opportunity to grow. Both situations will probably exist for some time but it is my hope that overall people will use this collectively as a society and individually as a person to grow.
In order to ensure growth means that when AI is used we must always not take it for granted, being involved with the technology only superficially. Society must understand what is going on and how AI mechanisms work and continue to evolve. Not to mention this is the only way to get the maximum benefits of this revolutionary tool. AI is not human and the current mechanisms used to create the manifestation of Artificial Intelligence can never understand the information it presents. That must be understood. We do not know however how this technology will evolve. There are many, many, ways forward. This means that society again must understand and be involved with the evolution of this technology. This is not a way to get out of school so to speak, this is another course in your curriculum of life. This is a technology we must continually grow with.
There is one final point - AI is an incredibly rapidly evolving technology. It should never, ever be blindly relied upon. One must always double check with other facts and research. In some ways this has a historical parallel.
It was believed that the sun and planets revolved around the Earth since before the time of Ptolemy the standardized this idea in the Ptolemaic model. Even though there alternate ideas which challenge this model. It became the predominant one for hundreds of years. Until Copernicus published "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" in 1543, which portrayed the earth and other planets going around the sun. However, the Ptolemaic model was entrenched, for one reason it appeared to align with common sense. The compartment can idea was only accepted slowly however as we all know Copernicus was correct in his observations.
In a similar way there is a tendency to automatically assume that whatever is generated by AI is accurate and to be taken at face value, even if it feels right.
Personally I find the very act of researching a topic on my own very rewarding. In some cases I find it intoxicating to follow little trails of knowledge to a larger concept which I have the satisfaction of understanding. This is something you don't experience with AI. It just gives you the answer which is different from the knowledge attained by understanding. As a matter of fact, yesterday I had this very experience, albeit in a subtle way.
A local library had one of their patrons come in complaining about not being able to access an online resource. It was one of those situations where because they were a member of the library the should've been able to access this streaming service by simply entering their library number and password. At one point the library and thought it might be a problem with the patrons email address, and so they contacted the place where I volunteer the Vancouver Community Network (VCN) which provides email addresses and other services to low income and seniors. One of the volunteers at VCN asked an AI about the issue and followed a number of steps, with the presumption that the email address the patron was using was the source of the problem. The next day I called the library back and had a long talk with the librarian hoping this particular patron. There were many details we found which indicated that the problem was on the streaming services and and not an email issue at all. Details which the AI had ignored in its analysis.
Even if the issue hadn't been solved, going through the mental exercise gave everyone deeper insights and that is something that no AI can provide. The lesson here then is, even when AI is the most efficient way to go, if one still wants to truly understand something they must do it themselves.
With that final thought I will wish you a pleasant day. Take care Patrick
** NOTE: The picture of the RCA "Cathedral" vacuum tube radio is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
As I get older and continue to proceed through life build one consistent message I perceive is that one must continue to change and evolve, pretty much, at all costs. I've written about this previously on the blog and it bears repeating. From observation, it appears that there is a natural tendency in people to adhere to routine more and more as they age. I don't know if this is based in biology or is merely a side effect of the fact that in this day and age we can literally afford to do so. Where in earlier times the necessities of life required that we stayed engaged with the surroundings and the side effect was people stayed healthier.
When the necessity of this involvement is removed, mental and physical function begins to erode quite rapidly and if there are any underlying medical conditions they become magnified. I am seeing this nowadays all around me as I observe people. Sometimes it is subtle, but many times it is severe and very hard to recover from because the modern way of dealing with this is to remove even more challenges. This makes the person "challenge averse", which of course becomes a loop, speeding up one's decline.
"The Choice to Grow or Stagnate"
Although this situation may produce many diverse outcomes, there is one I see consistently. Negativity begins to manifest in the person and they hold on to this darker worldview. Defending it rather than challenging it. This behaviour then spreads throughout the group. I myself feel the effects and have to keep bolstering my defenses. The very activity I am undertaking writing this article is one of the means I used to keep engaged with life. Later today I plan to take a trip into Vancouver using only my electric wheelchair and minimal public transit in order to stay fully engaged with humanity. I am also doing this because next weekend there is a premier of the indie film "The Decision" and I want to show my support of the film's creator, Steven Cayer.
Trailer: The Decision
"A sharp-witted 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy living in assisted
care has his independence tested when his overprotective mother secretly
enrolls him in a risky medical trial – forcing him, his girlfriend, and
his neighbor to confront what freedom really means."
Showings:
April 11, 2026 The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts 777 Homer St, Vancouver, BC.
(Part of the "CRAZY8S", an annual 8-day short filmmaking challenge that provides support and funding to 6 emerging and mid-career filmmakers.)
Steven Cayer
Executive Producer / Writer
The way out of this negative downhill slide is a situation I call "Useful Hardship" finding the difficulties in life and challenging them, whether that be going out in inclement weather or undertaking a task which requires learning and growth. One cannot let their life become to easy or comfortable. Hardship must be dealt with and that keeps the person engaged in life. More aware of themselves.
The inner journey a person experiences as they confront the difficulties and find solutions is just as important as the external one. It is deeply personal and frequently requires a long commitment to improve what ever the individual's issues are.
I can guarantee that there are many benefits to useful hardship. It will give you the insights required to know when you can change things versus when you must adapt to a new situation. You will continue to own the decisions which affect your personal and public life. Positive people around you will also see the effort being put in and they will stay engaged with you, seeing the wisdom gained throughout the years. There will be other benefits which only you will know about. That is for you to write about if you wish.
All the best in your journeys.
Take care Patrick Clark
** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
I recently met a child of about seven years old, and the first thing he said was "You've got a big tummy." They were dancing around with blinking LED shoes when they said this. I thought to myself "What a joyful honest answer." I couldn't help smiling.
There was absolutely no malice in what they said, rather there was honesty and the simplicity of how they interacted with people. No judgements, no negativity, lots of playfulness and above all, simply direct. I don't's can learn a thing or two from this encounter between the old and the new.
As adults, perhaps it is time to look and think a little bit like a child. When you next open your front door, take just a moment and look around your surroundings as someone much younger. Not only will you go down memory lane, I'm betting you will realize just how many layers of complications and considerations grown-ups tend to put on themselves. Most of the time this is good, but if we begin to do it subconsciously without thinking there is a chance we can lose touch with the simple pleasures of life. Things need not be complicated. And it could be quite refreshing 😄
I'm reminded of a time when I was very young in Trail British Columbia when my brother had received a miniature working steam engine, complete with a boiler, and a flywheel. I was fascinated by this little gizmo. So I asked my dad if we could build one out of a coffee can. He looked at me and said "I don't think that would work." The more he tried to explain why this would not be a good idea, the more my young mind went wild with ideas on how to fix each of his stated issues. You see, he was looking at it as an adult, and rightfully so, but I was looking at it as a child and coming up with solutions, albeit based on the cartoon logic of the Coyote and RoadRunner" (Thank God I was exposed to those cartoons, back then). Even though we never built this steam engine. I have learned something very important from the experience and lingering memory. "Keep your mind open to the possibilities--Even If They Are Ridiculous. Because from that ultimately not so ridiculous answers may emerge."
Today's lesson then is to remember to think like a child on a regular basis. Just stick your head out the door, or a look around the corner with the attitude you had when you were five or seven years old. The world is about exploring and some of the best toys come from being open to the simple ways of seeing things. Take it a step further if you find this enjoyable. Do it regularly. Don't worry about limitations, details, or whether you may make a mess 😉.... If it puts a smile on your face then you have gained something magical.
Most of the really creative and free people I know stand touch with their childlike perceptions and frequently revisit their own mental playground. Leaving behind all the considerations and the judgements that adults have.
Is matter-of-fact I'm have put a few days on my calendar right now and if I can find a way to do this regularly I may go off and fly a lollipop and dunk it in my chocolate pudding!
Have a great day everyone. Patrick
** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
When it really hits home that there are a finite number of days to live, it is not only profound, it begs the question: "Was life worth it?".
I'll get to my answer in a moment, but boy do you start reevaluating everything in your life and surroundings from my totally different perspective. Considering things like:
Should long multiyear projects be undertaken?
Is it really worth buying that large big-ticket item?
Since the end of life is now more than an abstract concept, each day becomes "a limited time event". How to spend that time wisely?
The list goes on from there, and the closer one examines it, the clearer it becomes that life is a pretty unusual state to be in. Or perhaps, to put it another way, the very act of considering the above questions, and being conscious about doing so is incredibly inspiring. There-I have just given you my answer to the question "What It's like Worth It?"-"Hell, Yes!" - The good and bad.
Perplexing, only I think the bad was just as important as the good parts of life. When considering the negative experience as a whole after the fact. By definition, you are not going to get anything positive out of the negative experience while you're in the middle of it, unless you literally stepped out of the experience for a moment to consider it from another viewpoint. It is all about taking stock of life; the whole experience. Not being a passive passenger but as engaged with life as much as you can be. That is my take away if I was asked to sum up my reading of existence and it would be a 10 😊😊.
I think it is very important, especially as we are now dealing with more and more technology that is impersonal and literally reformatting the social norm that everyone periodically take stock of their life and if you don't find it is worth it so far make changes to make it a worthwhile experience. These need not be huge changes. Often it starts with a slight mind set adjustment. Take a look at what your preceding to be true automatically. Is it negative or is it positive?. There are quite a few articles on this blog about this topic, I'll link to a few here.
Funny how this article started out being about the limited number of days before us, meaning of course, "me" and is transformed itself into a short article on how to appreciate life. At least my approach to getting more from life and it is really pretty simple:
Pay attention.
Don't do things automatically.
Change your routines regularly and then occasionally change that. Become irregular for a little while.
If you are uncomfortable with the idea of "change" consider why that seems to be the case. Often it is based on a misconception about the change itself.
Okay that's it for this brief Saturday article. Have a good day and of course let me know what you think. Patrick
Some people become enthusiastic regularly. While others just never reach thier "Ignition Point".
I have noticed this to be the case in my surroundings, but I think it's true of the wider world as well. Once again, it boils down to a few simple differences in general outlook and expectations of life.
Enthusiastic people are:
Curious. They want to know why something works a certain way. They desire a deeper understanding and are enthusiastic about the undertaking of learning.
"Change" is one of their favourite words as well as an action. They innately understand that the world and their life changes frequently. Usually in subtle ways, but sometimes in overwhelming ways. The key is that they welcome and accept this fact.
It is innately understood that the personality and perhaps the very person will change throughout their lifetime. Remaining static and holding onto the old ways is not one of their goals. This point is one of the most important aspects of their character. It is understood that nothing is permanent. Everything about life is in flux.
Unenthusiastic people don't share the above-mentioned points.
There is a false belief that they will remain the same, throughout life. That their character as it is today, will always be. Furthermore they actively will avoid change. Sometimes they will put quite a bit of effort into staying static.
They prefer staying "Comfortable", within known boundaries. This means that they eventually will become very frustrated because things naturally change around them. Yet they will profess a desire to experience or acquire new things. This is a contradiction, you can't avail yourself the benefits of new things unless you come out of your boundaries.
The result of these two behaviors , "staying the same" and remaining "comfortable" means that they don't grow and will retreat into past memories while limiting the negatives they perceive in the modern world. I think this condition has been brought about by the simple fact that in today's world there is nothing that really forces the human being to go outside of their comfort zone. There is no need to hunt, or seek shelter. 100 years ago this was definitely not the case, a person had to avail themselves of opportunities if they wanted to survive.
So, the message is clear. If you are sincerely seeking enthusiasm in your life. You must embrace change and acknowledge that the person you believe you are today will not be the person up tomorrow. You may not the comfortable with change but in order to grow it is a necessary fact which must be undertaken. Do this and the enthusiasm for things in your life will begin to appear.
Have a great day everyone and of course take care. Patrick
** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
I find it very strange, that I keep running into people who emphatically tell me they don't like change-they like routine. These aren't elderly people either, their ages run the gamut. If this article has one point, it is that I believe the unexpected is it very necessary component of a full life.
The best creativity comes about when something unanticipated is thrown into the mix. Which can result in an "Aha!" moment. Indeed, I think the whole concept of the unexpected is underappreciated. Some people will avoid the uncertain situations at all cost. This is the wrong way to approach life. One needs to embrace the opportunity that potentially comes from the unexpected. From the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen to the creation of WD-40 Which actually stands for "Water Displacement formula 40" lubricant, the "unanticipated"has always played a role in the creative process. (For an in-depth article in the creation of WD-40, see this wonderful article "Who Invented WD-40?" on the "Today I Found Out" website.)
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen looking into a fluoroscope (X-ray screen) placed in front of a
man's body and seeing the ribs and the bones of the arm. Chromolithograph Date:1896/1900
Wilhelm Roentgen's Realization of the practical application of x-rays wasn't the focus of his 1895 experiments. However, when he saw that they could permeate solid matter and cause a chemically treated paper to fluoresce, it was definitely an "Aha!" moment. His mind was open to unexpected ideas.
Have you ever had an idea not work out, but that very failure inspires you in a new way to solve the problem?
An unexpected situation can have the benefit of shaking you off of a limited train of thought, that is by injecting something new into your experience . In computer science especially when generating random numbers, there is the concept of a "seed value" it is a random number you pick to start the program going and it can dramatically alter the results you get. This is not the part of the day I where you ask a question this is on a more fundamental level that affects how the program initially approaches the problem. This would be equivalent to giving it something unexpected. Therefore the results are completely different.
So whether it be random numbers or an unexpected situation the influence of the unpredictable cannot be understated. I would go farther and argue that it is necessary to keep an unpredictable component in your life just so that one does not suck. I once had a friend who was great for doing this,"being random", he would burst through my door at all times of the day or night with some of the craziest ideas or adventures. Everything normal would occasionally go right out the door and I had more adventures and meant more unique people than I would've ever imagined if this person had not been part of my life. Sadly, they passed away a long time ago, but I still remember the lessons learned. Which can be summarized as follows:
"Be thankful for the unexpected. This is where life grows."
Having said this however underscores just how important the "unexpected and surprising" is. Without them it can be difficult to go beyond your boundaries. One tends to stay with what they know and you can't just say "Okay The Unknown, surprised me was something new."Probably because you can't anticipate what is outside of your own experience. The random conditions have to combine in order to create the unanticipated. One might be able to engineer part of but there always must be a random component.
I have spent the last few days wandering the Internet and books in order to add some unique items to this article. Things that would really underscore the usefulness of the unexpected.
At the beginning of this article I mentioned WD-40. It is without a doubt one of the most well-known products for, lubricating, cleaning, and rust removal. With an endless list of uses. (See the WD-40 Blog.) The thing is though that is not why it was created. It was supposed to be a water repellent used on the Atlas rockets to reduce rust while they sat in their silos. It was a accidental discovery about the lubricating aspect and fortunately the developers realize this. Again the unexpected played a role. While I was reading up on the history I decided to ask my local AI software to draw me a picture. I told it to "Draw a can of WD-40 in the style of Atlas rocket." What it came up with was totally unexpected.
Output from an AI when asked to combine an Atlas rocket with a can of WD-40.
A few weeks ago I bought myself a 360° camera. The device captures everything around you and converted into an MP4 video file.See the companion YouTube video for several examples of the 360 camera in use. There's also 15 second long example video on this post.
If you are unfamiliar with this type of camera here is a very short, 15 second video clip. It should be noted that the camera uses two lenses mounted on either side of the device and I am not moving the camera at all. The panning affect is done with software. It's a little crude I am still learning, but you will get the idea.
The 360 camera used in the clip and longer video. Insta 360 X4
Here is the companion video to this article. There are a few much longer clips from the new 360 camera. What became immediately clear to me in reviewing the footage was how much is missed as one proceeds through their day. I was surprised by how much was going on that I was completely unaware of. This is the "unexpected" again and it gives my creativity a real boost.
The lesson to be learned here it is then, when you noticed your creativity beginning to dry up start in on something new. Whether that be learning a new skill or exploring some terrain. Also be prepared to go back and reevaluate your daily life, there are most likely many things that you just haven't noticed. Being in the moment can be great for focusing and and calming oneself down, but don't get in the habit of defaulting to a particular mode of living life. Experience in the world are very diverse. Indulge in the mysterious and unexpected opportunities they afford.
Take care and as always feel free to leave comments.
"You have to give yourself a break from all the Connected Chatter". Take some time to do only what you want to do.
On the weekends I disconnect. All the technological goodies and all the notifications on the various devices get turned off. I have only a few things on an emergency list that can get through. Aside from that, the world can wait until Monday.
This does not mean that I put down all the technology, rather I focus on what I want to do, and I mentally let go of the rest of the world. Funny thing is, I did this mostly by accident. One day I discovered that I didn't have my phone with me as I was wandering around, and it was really no big deal. I also noticed that once I knew it wasn't there the psychological relief of knowing it wouldn't ring was profound.
I am now quite comfortable with leaving it in my bag even when it's on and I'm out and about on the weekdays. That's how things started with a single device, namely "The Phone". With that change I also noticed that I didn't need other things as well. My computer pretty much goes on hiatus for large chunks of the weekend or if I am using it is to create something because I want to create it. For example the image of the rows at the top of this page. (There is also an animated version here, but be forewarned it is very large and may not display on older devices. This is why it's on its own separate page so someone doesn't accidentally load it 💣
"You have to give yourself a break from all the Connected Chatter". Take some time to do only what you want to do.
This is a very short post for the simple reason that there is not much when needs to do to achieve this little piece of mind. Just put down all the distractions. It is okay to do that you know :-)
A little bit about the Rose. It was created on a Saturday by using a little bit of off-line, not connected to the Internet, AI. I was so impressed and I just had to find a use for it and who knows it may end up as a " Displate" someday. I'm not sure the colours would reproduce properly but will see. I am convinced that I by hand disconnected from all my responsibilities for that weekend I may not have come up with the idea for the rows. But it sure was fun making it.
Take care Patrick
PS: If you love graphics and photos, over the years I have added many articles to this blog featuring the images here is one such article. Many of the photos can be downloaded in their original hi resolution for printing or whatever you like.
This article has been written over a few weeks, and therefore has changed direction slightly from beginning to end. The core of the article still remains intact and he is very much about people losing the ability to be flexible and insightful in their thought and actions. Choosing instead in many cases to go for the quick fix even though it misses a lot of the detail and depth. It doesn't matter what the topic of discussion is about people just want the answer quickly.
Personally, I love understanding the details and find it rather sad that we are going through this, faster, shallower time. From my perspective it is working through the details to gain greater understanding where a person really grows. It is not enough to know the answer, to really benefit one must understand how the answer was arrived at. The current buzz phrase is "Artificial Intelligence" and I have seen article after article praising it in this application or that application. Let us be clear, even if A.I. has some spectacular uses, people must not forget how to understand and ultimately learn so that indeed you can benefit the most from the use of artificial intelligence. It is not just the answer that matters, it is the details that make up the answer.
Take for example the photo at the top of this article: at first glance it is an old rusting truck but there are many other details contained within the photo that tell the story. Depending on your interpretation of the image the story can be dramatically different but as you examine all of the items and aspects your understanding will grow. A side note to this photo is it was taken many years ago but my father. He had a habit of just taking a photo of something that caught his eye and I think this is one of those cases. I came across it in a collection of old slides about 20 years ago when I had the presence of mind to scan it. We can be fairly certain that the photograph was taken in Canada and that's about all I know. Still something about it caught my father's attention… We will never know what it was… Perhaps the time of day the colours and shadows in the image. In the next few days I will post to this article the full size original scan. For now though consider the thought that went into not only the photograph but the actual creation of the vehicles depicted. There was absolutely no AI back then involved. The truck itself looks like it's from the 1950s which would mean that only be designs would be and calculated and drawn up. Think of the mental process that the people had and employed to make it all come together. It is truly inspiring to know that throughout history the human race has been able to repeatedly achieve remarkable things. Yes we still have to adapt… That is a good thing. There will be a time however when we have a choice in regards to artificial intelligence, however at this time...
Like it or not, we are still in an age where we must adapt to the machine.
People are loosing their ability to adapt to new situations and they are doing so willingly.
In the last five years I have noticed a real degeneration in people's expectations.
They are self-centred and usually quite extreme regardless of context.
There appears to be a real lack of the amount of time or effort involved.
There is an assumption that technology or someone else's work will take care of any aspect of their idea they don't want to address .
They believe that using AI means that everything will be done perfectly.
Boy do I have news for them. More than ever, people need to improve their adaptability and social IQ. We are not living in a small cloistered community anymore. Unlike previous generations, all the benefits and issues are going to require people to be flexible and more aware. With greater achievement always comes greater responsibilities and it's not the other way around.
Society is going to have to begin to look at it entirely new paradigms. As I write this the USA is going through some very, very turbulent and destructive events. This is largely due to old attitudes and ways of perceiving the world. In a way this is the late 1960s all over again except that the upheaval is being caused by a very small group of old guard individuals.
These individuals are unwilling to adapt and what I see is that many people are being swayed emotionally to at least some of their ways of thinking. This is dangerous. The world is not what it was 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. You cannot go back because what you recall is a "simpler time" never existed. Every step in human history was and will be complicated and require the individuals of the society to be involved. When you invoke the idea of a simpler time you are just cherry picking the pleasant parts of the past.
This trend toward being more inflexible and one's attitude also has other side effects. If we approach one's lifestyle with such an attitude we may not only ignore danger signs but impact the quality of one's life as well. I mention this in the video when someone I know insists on drinking 11 cancel the pop per day and regardless of the health consequences. True that is an extreme situation but it is an extreme example worth mentioning because settler behaviours are occurring in society. People adopt a perception about the world and stick to it blindly. This is not a good way of getting the benefits from life and is ultimately extremely self limiting.
Anything worth doing well, takes time and this is the other component that I see people shying away from. Don't look for the quick fix. It doesn't exist. You must be involved in whatever endeavour you undertake and if it is a large event in your life by the time you are through it you will have changed. Usually this is a positive change because to encompass a great idea means you must understand things to a greater detail than you did when you started your endeavour. But again this takes time and a great deal of effort.
Don't assume that technology will come to the rescue and do all the things you don't want to do. You want to do as much as you can because this is how you broaden your horizons. Doing anything less leaves you at a risk of not understanding a part of your endeavour. It would be like learning only the rudimentary parts of a language and not understanding the subtleties involved in the phrasing which might lead you to some very unexpected results.
"For best results, be prepared to adapt to the machine, and in this case the machine is life itself."
Stay involved everyone. Stay flexible in your outlook and critically consider all that you hear and read.
Many years ago I read a book called "Using Your Brain for a Change" (I've mentioned that book previously on this blog because it is so good. See the article: "Do we all live in our own abridged reality?") One of the things it pointed out was you don't normally react to a situation it self, what you react to initially is your perception of the situation. That is, if you think a particular food is going to taste bad then it very likely will.
Using Your Brain--For a Change: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) By Richard Bandler
Publisher: Real People Press Year : 1985 ISBN numbers: 9780911226263, 9780911226270, 0911226265, 0911226273
People tend to bring their reality into alignment with their belief system. And one's belief system can be very, very powerful. But many of us don't realize it, because our belief system is not often scrutinized. For the most part it's on autopilot and doing what ever it likes. It's also very fast, especially when taking the form of an emotion. In such a case, your conscious mind has been conditioned to just follow along. Whether you like it or not.
So the first thing to do is pay attention to how aware you are of your surroundings. This is the beginning step of taking your self off autopilot. Just stop right now for example, and take stock of what there is to notice. Do this a few times throughout the day. Then consider if you have any opinions about what you've noticed:
Is there anything you would like to change?
Are there any unexpected reactions to your environment when you actually pay conscious attention to it?
Just this simple act of taking yourself off autopilot can yield so much information. I recommend you don't go overboard but just pick one or two things to modify or perhaps make notes on.
Now, for Those Hidden Habits:
Have you ever found yourself in a position where you have a straightforward task to perform and yet even before starting you fear that you will fail to complete it?
Taking an initial great idea and becoming overly worried about it because of perceived fear some aspect is going to have a greater impact in reality than it usually does. This habit has an effect that I bet you never thought about.
It keeps you from taking a risk, and risk is built into all new endeavours. Even though you may become this frustrated as hell. It is possible that subconsciously part of you is relieved. The trouble is unless you address what you are feeling and begin to deconstruct it, this automatic "kill switch" will just keep firing whenever a new endeavour or idea wonders by.
I talked with many people were very frustrated because in their own words "I can never get anything off the ground. The more I try the more frustrated I become a mineralogist give up." After a little more investigation most of the time it is revealed that they start with the initial idea and then they keep building requirements on to it. Before they know it may become overwhelmed.
The thing to do in this situation is take the first simple and thereby doable version of the idea and implement that. Instead of trying to get the concept perfect. This is one of the best ways to start things. Frequently, my article start with the simplest of ideas and rather than waiting until I got some sort of Mangum openness, I type the first sentence into the online editor of my blog. That gets me going, and because it actually creates a draft entry of the article on the site it makes it just a little bit more real. Now, not all ideas come to fruition. Sometimes I find other sites covering the same topic and doing much better job. In which case I may simply reference them in an later article. Sometimes what seemed as a great idea doesn't hold water the next day. It's is all part of my creative process. The big point here is that you start with whatever you've got.
This also conditions you to not overthinking everything and actually getting something off the ground. Over 12 years ago when I started this blog it sat dormant for many years and then one day boat four years ago I just decided to start adding content and now we are at 165 articles. They are not all by any means literary masterpieces, but slowly and surely I am getting better at this and the monthly views are following suit. At this point in time I can't even remember why I started the site and that doesn't matter. What matters is I enjoy what I'm doing and I know in a small way I am adding content and value to the good old Internet😀
So don't think too much about a new idea but take steps toward a small goal as fast as you can. That helps keep it real and gets you going on whatever the adventure is.
The other thing I hear a great deal when talking with people is ingrained automatic habits that they are barely aware of . These habits can have great effects both positive and negative. Here's an example:
A coffee lover who has an important event in next day. Normally they enjoy their Java throughout the day. But in this case the night before and have to be alert at their event they drink double the amount of coffee. Because that is what to do when they're nervous. Of course but they don't always realize is that they are guaranteeing themselves to have a bad night's rest. Breaking this little habit for them is very challenging. They have relied on this mechanism for a long time. Even though it is totally counterproductive and works against them ultimately.
This same scenario can take different forms but you get the idea. Small little habits that don't seem to be harmful at all and yet if you're not totally aware of what you're doing these little routines can spell a guaranteed scuttling of your ship. So start tracking what you're doing will you go throughout your day especially when you're in stressful moments. I have a feeling you are going to find a few of these little habits kicking around and actually ingrained behaviour can become someone conscious that the only way you know it's there is because of your emotional reaction.
Take care,and as usual feel free to leave comments.
It has taken a long time for me to realize that I have a "magic potion for success". What follows is a list of ingredients:
⭐Act on the idea in some way immediately. This can be jotting down the concept or making a quick recording, but to make a permanent record of your inspiration. In enough detail so that you can fully remember the train of thought leader. This does not mean you have to write the entire book now but so many great ideas get lost in our busy world.
⭐Recognize that this will take time to fully evolve and make plans for ways to get back on track should life throw you a curve ball. The best ideas can take a long time to fully flush out. So be realistic and be prepared to reevaluate things as you go along. Very often an idea can evolve to include many more aspects. If necessary rather than trying to create an all-encompassing project, limit it to an achievable outcome. It may be the first of many versions and that's fine.
⭐Sometimes along the way of your journey you find that the idea has completely changed. Again, there's nothing wrong with that. Take a look at your expectations and if the new version fits within those boundaries, continue the project.
⭐If it is a long undertaking deliberately insert appropriate breaks. Even with the best big ideas it is healthy to step away for a while. Nothing hampers creativity like burnout. Burnout can best be avoided by diversifying the activities you undertake. It doesn't matter how much you like your project, if it becomes all-consuming for too long the quality will suffer and probably so will you. Everybody has an activity they become very enthusiastic about and spend many hours at it but please watch out for burnout and take appropriate action. Usually your friends or loved ones will start sending you signals ahead of time that you need to come out for a breath of fresh air. So keep your options open.
⭐⭐Bonus point: Expect to change. All major events change you. One of the things people forget when we are planning for success is that, they will fundamentally be different if they succeed. Perhaps and only a small way but you will have changed. So plan for it. It's analogous to going from childhood, to adolescence and then finally to adulthood. At each step of the way you were different. Success in your endeavour will change you.
There you have it. My short recipe for success in almost any undertaking. Like all good ideas it need not be long or complex to express.
As usual leave comments and take care. Patrick
NOTE: **Source of image at the top of this article. This image has been very stylized by myself using Corel Paint Shop Pro. I was browsing through Google image search when this photo from an eBay auction appeared. I remembered almost the exact model sitting in my grandmother's kitchen. When the idea for this short article occurred to me this seemed like a perfect image. No copyright or rights infringement is intended.
