Last updated on June 3, 2017
Are you like your grandparents? Or are you very different?
I’m quite excited by all the new science that is going on: biological engineering, nanotechnology, the particle collider, and so on. We seem to be on a cusp of new age of technology.
Many people are very disapproving, of course. And they probably think the internet is dangerous as well! I wondered today. Do you think their parents were Luddites? Do you think their grand parents were Luddites?
I am not saying the twins separated at birth are likely both to be Luddites or both not to be Luddites! But I did wonder if families have a tradition of welcoming technology, or treating it with raucous disdain?
Is your approach to new science and development similar to your grand parents?
I’d love to know! Luddite or not? And does Ludditism run in your family?
Through elders’ storytelling learned that grandparents were risk-aversive and not so likely to try new things. Learning about their fears gave me more resolve to explore, learn and try new technology and ways of being.
On the other hand grandmother left her country of origin alone at 14 to come to a country with more promise. How do we judge them? Think it best to learn about the whole person before we judge. We need to understand their environments and challenges before we can give a thoughtful answer to your question. Joan . . .
Hi Joan, Do we want to judge or do we want insights about ourselves? Don’t you think parental influences have some influence on what we see as possible?
Of course parental influences have an impact on their off-spring. However, as we, the off-spring, become more conscious and aware of these influences it is up to us to accept those or make different choices.
I appreciate many of those influences – actually even the ones I’d consider limiting. Those give me/us an opportunity to go beyond our family definitions of the world and what is possible.
The challenge of being as whole as possible is moving from victim mentality to one of examining our beliefs and making choices.
Mmm… I sometimes think of Luddites as being defeatist … but do they think of themselves as victims? I think they might get quite angry with us!