Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:35 am Post subject: Specialization is for insects:
Damn it's boring in here lately.
Ko:
Quote:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert heinlein
Times and technology have changed. So have the skills - in some areas and in theory - that a person needs in order to be considered a competent and accomplished human being.
How would you [The general "you": come one, come all ] modify Heinlein's famous dictum to update it for the 21st century?
Bonus points if you can coherently explain why you would change or remove whatever you would change in that list.
Joined: May 31, 2002 Posts: 817 Location: Ottawa Ontario Canada
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Specialization is for insects:
Ironbear wrote:
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert heinlein
A human being should be able to change a diaper (YUP)
Educate others - Planning invasions is a thing that incompetent governments enjoy doing, but is not for the best of the people they represent. Educating Others, in any way, be in in school, ppost-grad, being a mentor, has a longer lasting effect on society than planning an invasion.
Butcher a Hog - Or any animal. Man was born to be able to hunt and gather. With all these fast food restaurants, starbucks on every corner, Man needs to reassert himself/herself and be able to control their own destiny. If the World went on the brink of war tomorrrow, and we had to find out our food, most would be on the bottom of the ladder very quickly; Just look at that lawyer that went hunting with Chenney.
Drive a Car - A ship is of no major use anymore to most. But as a new driver, at the age of 37, I see how important it is to be able to properly drive a vehicle with good training - Not just drive, but drive well.
Design a building
Write a sonnet/Song/Musical/book/Screenplay/Poem (Sonnet alone doesnt matter anymore, but being able to show imagination in the printed word is important.)
Balance Accounts - I fully agree still here. Too many people have terrible credit, ow too much money, and live hand to mouth, and Im not just talking people with low paying jobs. I have a director I work with who makes six figures, and can barely pay his bills on time, if he does period.
Build a wall (OR build anything thats not from IKEA) - This again is something that man has forgotten how to do.
Set a bone - Still agree on this. To know some basic simple medical techniques is very important. You didnt see a doctor in every little town on ever corner taking medical insurance during the Fall of Rome, or in the old west did you?
Comfor the dying - That stays
Take Orders/Give Orders - Thats a necessity of life, if you ask me.
Cooperate - See my last sentence
Act Alone - Same as above
Solve equations - Math, in my belief, is the root of everything. One must know the basics in life, in order to grow.
Analyze a new problem - Too many people just hide from their problems. Learn to accept them, understand them, learn from them.
Pitch Manure/Do manual labour - I know way too many lawyers who have never had dirt under their fingernails.
Use a computer - Forget programming. I spent many years in IT for call centers. LEARN HOW TO USE A COMPUTER PEOPLE!!!
Cook - Stays
Defend oneself or others - Its not just knowing how to fight, its knowing when to fight, and for what reasons.
Live a happy life - Remember, we work to live, we dn't live to work. Enjoy what life God's granted you, and make the most of it. _________________ =============================
New World Media/Muskateer Graphics
~Live the dream, experience the nightmare
=============================
Keep in mind that as near as I can see, everything in Heinlein's list subsumes an entire subset of skills that are needed for that skillset. Cooking requires a large subset from mathematics to knowing how to use a knife and other tools; planning an invasion requires tactics, logistics, "people knowledge", leadership, strategy, and several others:
"Plan an invasion" doesn't have to be a governmental action, wouldn't you think? It can be subsumed in the "Defend oneself or others - Its not just knowing how to fight, its knowing when to fight, and for what reasons" part of your list. [Or defending oneself and others can be subsumed within it]
Small unit: You're in a Katrina or other large scale natural disaster situation, and a gang of looters grabs your daughter and her friend and hauls them inside of a vacant building to keep as sex toys. You and your neighbors have to go in and get them out - the police aren't going to respond to 911 calls. [Remember that in Katrina, over half the NOPD walked off the job...] You're in charge for whatever reason: oldest, most experienced, whatver...
That's "planning an invasion", just not the Omaha Beach style: you have to plan how to invade the building they dragged their victims into, and get the girls out, prefferably without getting them killed.
Alternatively, the gang steals your neighborhood's only generator, or other critical supplies that you and your neighbors need, bady, in order to survive the duration. And you have to get them back, or potentially, your or one of your friends may die.
Not too farfetched or "outdated" in today's world. Katrina was only a few short years ago, and there were a few scenarios similar to that in some neighborhoods.
Think 'em through, always. _________________ "I'd add a legitimate comment here, but that would mean reading everything, which I have no patience for." - Slynky
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Profile
Search
Memberlist
Log in to check your private messages
Usergroups
FAQ & TOS
Log in
] modify Heinlein's famous dictum to update it for the 21st century?
