It used to be said that humans were the most intelligent beings on Earth. I guess, to some degree, that's probably still true. There aren't a lot of other creatures that can find a way to travel vast distances, create a variable economy, and get rid of their waste (all at the same time).
All of humanity can marvel in our genius- we have solved problems that no one would have ever believed to be possible. We have explored the stars and created something from nothing. It's safe to say that we're pretty darn smart.
But there's a problem: we created the computer, and the computer is now smarter than we are. Before you recoil in disgust, think for a second about why I'm saying this. Sit back, and try and remember everything that you did last week, the times that you did them, and everything that happened while you were doing them.
Can't remember all of that? Your computer can, and it does so with ease. It also stores music, movies, and can even play nearly any game you want it to on command.
Do you remember all of the words to every single song in your music library? Can you recite them all?
So why am I asking you all of these relatively trivial questions? Well, to put it nicely, I'm showing you how your computer is more intelligent than you. The sad thing is that we created this device, and now we depend on it for nearly every calculation, problem, or minuscule task that we will need to solve.
The computer has also got us duped- even though its existence is a product of our design, our reliance is a result of its capability. In essence, we don't own the computer. The computer owns us.
Don't fret- I know a way that we can break our reliance on these machines!
1. First, you need to turn off your computer monitor. Once your monitor is off, turn off all of the lights in the room and leave. This will force the computer to enter hibernation mode after you've left it alone for a little while.
2. Go to your kitchen and make yourself a nice healthy salad with a grilled chicken breast. Give yourself some extra credit if you are able to do this without looking up recipes on the internet.
3. Walk, run, or bike to the nearest bookstore or library. Give yourself a hand if you get there without huffing and puffing. Once you're at the bookstore or library, have a look around and see if there are any books that catch your attention.
4. Purchase or rent said book and make some time to read it. Don't stop halfway through if it gets boring. Read the whole book, cover to cover.
Following those four steps will help you begin the gradual separation from your computer. Though your computer will always be able to store more information, you'll never lose the upper hand: you can simply choose to stop using the darn thing.
