(excerpt from The Prophetic Backbone, available in 2018)
The Prophetic Backbone ..... contains a challenge to many grandiose predictions about future human existence declared by technologists that perpetuate even more predictions simply because it’s the in-thing as marketers compete for lead narratives about the future. Ironically, many, including this author, do not oppose innovation; more accurately, we challenge the material and universal behavioral changes promised when innovations are being introduced through marketing narratives. And, for reasons not quite clearly defined, the brain is synonymous with behaviors. In some cases the science fiction-like rhetoric ultimately causes societal anxiety, confusion or fear. Marketing has taken on a dual role in that, once a product’s key benefits are categorized for re-aligning our personal lifestyle or organization, a secondary pronouncement from some individual of importance within the firm comes to the media saying that their product will change behaviors held by all society. It’s not unusual to read and hear of such comments coming directly from a CEO or product engineer whose names are widely recognized.
The best clue to identify ideology is hearing, “we will all change our way of life." We believe that if the folks who build these technologies are that progressive then the likelihood that they have the answer as to how humans will behave in those environments is also worth our attention. To prophesy is like releasing helium balloons at a circus, like voices proclaiming a grand reformation of how people behave in the center ring all the way to the outer rings of social engagement.
Robert P Waters 2017
The Prophetic Backbone ..... contains a challenge to many grandiose predictions about future human existence declared by technologists that perpetuate even more predictions simply because it’s the in-thing as marketers compete for lead narratives about the future. Ironically, many, including this author, do not oppose innovation; more accurately, we challenge the material and universal behavioral changes promised when innovations are being introduced through marketing narratives. And, for reasons not quite clearly defined, the brain is synonymous with behaviors. In some cases the science fiction-like rhetoric ultimately causes societal anxiety, confusion or fear. Marketing has taken on a dual role in that, once a product’s key benefits are categorized for re-aligning our personal lifestyle or organization, a secondary pronouncement from some individual of importance within the firm comes to the media saying that their product will change behaviors held by all society. It’s not unusual to read and hear of such comments coming directly from a CEO or product engineer whose names are widely recognized.
The best clue to identify ideology is hearing, “we will all change our way of life." We believe that if the folks who build these technologies are that progressive then the likelihood that they have the answer as to how humans will behave in those environments is also worth our attention. To prophesy is like releasing helium balloons at a circus, like voices proclaiming a grand reformation of how people behave in the center ring all the way to the outer rings of social engagement.
Robert P Waters 2017