The More Machine

[Affirmation - XIII]

I imagine it’s in your head the same way it’s in mine: “Do more, get more, be more . . . more, more, more.”

If it’s not in your head, then it’s certainly written into your subconscious. It’s the water we swim in. The whole system around us demands it of us.

More news.
More options.
More stimulation.
More videos.
More square footage.
More shine.
More likes.
More information.

Take our schools, for example—the primary influencing institution of every child between 4 and 18. Are there serious discussions about starting kids later? How about fewer subjects? Fewer hours in class? Less homework? Less testing? Nope. (Okay, there are some folks having these conversation, but by and large, not most.)

More subjects. More hours. More testing.

And yet we know that literacy and math proficiency (when we all have super computers in our pockets) is not the same as the standard reading, writing, and arithmetic from the 80’s. Literacy will be measured in the future by one’s ability to learn, unlearn, adapt, and relearn a subject. Math proficiency will be more specified, measured by one’s ability to solve complex, ever-changing, field-specific problems. That requires not 12 years of math, but the ability to unlearn a lot of math we thought was permanent and learn a complex set of new skills, specific to context.

It’s time we stop the More Machine.

Not more news, but better thinking. Richer (and fewer) conversations.
Not more options, but one or two just and sustainable options.
Not more square footage and accessories and bling but a simpler lifestyle.
Not more likes but better connection.
And not more learning, but the ability to unlearn and relearn.