Thinking about writing a story today. Returning to the theme of fathers and sons a little bit -- not taht I've thought that much about the theme before, but I did have an idea for a novel involving a reverse Odyssey of sorts that I won't share here until it's done.
The idea of "human intelligence" has struck me, too. It really is an interesting phrase -- I came across it in another Time magazine article -- an interview with Porter Goss of the CIA. But what does it really mean? What are the metaphorical possibilities? What does it mean to be smart about being human?
Human beings don't really make decisions using their brains most of the time. These days we're so easily influenced by media and marketers of all types. I think sometimes the marketers know more about us than we do.
We also have access to all kinds of intelligence that aren't really all that human -- satellite photos and driving directions and how to write a business plan. Sometimes that information is free, sometimes it comes with a price tag. Do we have access to each other, though? I mean real human contact? Do we really know each other any more, or is it just versions of people that we see? "Here's my athletic self on this blog, and my sensitive self on this one." Is that really us out there in cyberspace? I really don't think it is. Some people do, though. Some people invest more in their blogs than they do in people. Maybe that's how you acquire real human intelligence, though. By making those kinds of mistakes.
Don't mean to get carried away with the metaphor. Just thinking out loud, really.
Hope to hear some feedback on this one. Haven't invited a lot of people just yet, though.
1 comment:
Yeah, I agree that the identity we present to others in cyberspace is not our total self. In a blog or online community, we have superb command over how others perceive us. Yet a paradox arises. To those who are first meeting us through the internet, they are not seeing "us." They are merely reading about or interacting with a manufactured version of Scott or Jeff. However, to acquaintances or friends, the media can reflect our selves in a clearer light.
As for metaphoric "human intelligence" and such, I suppose there is a reason that the CIA continues to hire human operatives. While humans are prone to mistakes and misjudgements, the government still relies on face-to-face communication and covert operations in order to interpret what a satellite image relays to us. The same may be applied to the commericial market. I don't think it is a chicken/egg paradox, where the end-user dictates the flow of the economy.
Hmm. Anyway, the reverse Odyssey novel sounds intriguing. Is it about a journey to war rather than the return home?
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