First Concieved: 03/04/2020, 2217
Going into my second Saturday technological sabbatical tomorrow. Last week was interesting, but ultimately felt goooods; whether that was just a sense of achievement evoked from the discipline or a genuine link to avoiding technology for a period, I do not know (how can we ever know shit like that? It’s impossible to isolate one life change.) However, the impending future seems to be moving in the way of a technological reality, regardless of anyone’s beliefs on the matter. There is no slowing the ‘progress’ of the human; too innovative for our own good perhaps and technology is the foundation of innovation. So my DAWK council, how are we to handle such a future?
The Wise King stepped up. “My Boy, I speak for all of us when I say this is truly a question beyond our capacity. No one has a crystal ball and the future changes by the second, as this pandemic has demonstrated. Nevertheless, it is worthy of inspection. You are right; it does seems predetermined. A future in the technological realm. Therefore, as these advancements are introduced to our species, you must try to separate the wheat from the chaff. There will be an associated information overload, making it impossible to filter through all that comes to be, impossible to adopt all the new forms of technology. My advice? Use what works for you in a practical sense. Do not be caught off guard by the attention thieves, rather control the technological temptation and learn to moderate the usage. You must be prepared my boy; we do not know exactly what reaction will be required of you. This means adopting an ‘anything could happen’ mind-set is a requirement. There will be times when our preconceived plans will no longer be of use; therefore, we should be willing/accepting of campaign corrections/failures. That does not mean to suggest a plan will be a useless tool, as I am sure you are well aware by now. These will be chaotic times and the best remedy for chaos is order. I cannot give you much more guidance on how you should act in the future, but there are several foundations of being you should work to consolidate in the present. These foundations will serve you in the future no matter what comes to fruition. Do not forget what values you hold in high regard. They are your compass, as they have been for many a generations before our time: honesty, loyalty, discipline, and autonomy are all values that transcend the external environment. Do not forget how dear these values are and work to keep them alive, even when everyone else puts them into question. As cliché as it sounds, do not forget who you are. You have descended from a long line of people, some good, others not, yet they all played a role in forming the human society. It was the societies before you that discovered the elements/components of life that shan’t be neglected: face-to-face interactions, the wonders of nature, the bodies close alignment with the mind and most importantly, a meaningful existence, achieved through purpose. Be sure to arrange your life in such a way that you are meeting these demands. Have a close social circle to engage with, stop to appreciate the subtleties of existence, do not deny exercise (both in the physical and mental realm), and always have something to work towards, something to work for; a reason to survive.”
The Angel then made her presence known in the court. “My child, chaos is the fundamental essence of any ‘future’. Change is the unavoidable aspect of existence. Progress and regression have constantly battled as we count the days since Jesus. Yes, the future does seem to be headed towards a technological existence, but we never know for certain. That is the magic of the future. Nonetheless, the game remains the same as what it was for those before you; adapt or dye with tradition. Every human who has come into consciousness has had to contend with such a reality. The magnificence of it all is each human has never encountered the same form of adaptation and that is what makes your species indestructible. Whatever is thrown their way, the humans exercise their incredible ability to pick it up and move forward the best they can. Alas, that is the attitude you must adopt in confronting a technologically driven tomorrow. Be the person who can look change in the face and accept it. Be the person who can adjust suitably when a curve ball is hurled your way. Be the person to surf the waves of chaos, whilst defended the garden from snakes. Your wants and needs will not be catered to by the species; they will leave you behind if you choose so. And that is up to you my child, I am not saying that moving forward is of benefit, but it is going to happen for the better or worse, with or without you. I would echo some of the King’s wise words, in that you should not fail in remembering that which is of importance to your soul, those aspects of life that you feel to be truly good. Trust those feelings, that intuition. With direct regard to technology, you have managed to establish an over consumption of the screen impairs your overall health. Monitor your usage, and be aware of how it is making you feel. Listen to your soul, it holds truth in it that you cannot speak, but that truth can be acted out; you will know when you are acting in a manner true to your soul my child. As always, look after your health first and foremost, that way you will be in your prime when it comes time to face the forces of the unknown tomorrow.”
The Witch was fed up by this point, growing tired with the circular thinking. “Oh bla fuckin bla! Who gives a flying fuck? Honestly. You bring up something you already know is going to happen, so I don’t know what you’re actually trying to do. Basically it’s just going to sneak into everyday life, just as it has for everyone since day one. You won’t even know its happening! Like everyone else, you will all just go along with it, as though everything is chill, and everything will be chill, because everyone will be chill! If you stop to think about it you will probably trip out, but it’s been happening forever. So don’t think about it, just let it happen. It’s honestly not going to fuck with shit, hell it will make shit crazy and that means more fun and more opportunity, so take it on the chin. And don’t worry about your stupid little worries about how you won’t be able to do the shit you like, because sadly, tradition doesn’t just fuck off, it hangs around until everybody gets bored of that shit, I mean look at the religious fools STILL doing that whole thang! No no, shit don’t die in a hurry. What, you’re scared of a robot world? Give me a fucking break! How could these things that we make take over us? Wouldn’t happen. Hahaha! Don’t fuckin worry little boy, humans will run this shit hole of a place; I just hope they don’t make those robots take the fun out of everything. Na, I truly believe no matter what, we will be able to do whatever the fuck we want; especially if you give me the light, we will sort that shit out! One thing I know is we will defos still be able to party, and THAT’S what counts right? Everyone loves that shit; humans wouldn’t be able to kill it if they tried. Shit changes boyo, who cares? Make the most of it.”
The Devil looked off his game, shaken to the core, as though he was scared to take the light. “She’s wrong… she’s wrong! No, this is not good, not good at all! I fear the worst, doom is closing in! Do you not understand what this means? Don’t you!? We will lose all control. Everything will be monitored, one misstep and the fuck head on top of the world will reduce you to ash before you can even say ‘run’. All this technological advancement will result in an unruly ruler, and it will not be us! It will be a dictator from hell, worse than what I could ever be. You will have to be a servant to his order, which means you will have no room to follow your own sense. It will be George Orwell’s prophetic 1984 empowered by robots. We will be nothing but a mere slave in the system, a cog in the machine, if we are not literally a machine all together… Oh fuck it all! The end is near! You will not be able to compete either; you will be paralysed by the overwhelming levels of chaos around you, as everything progresses at 200 miles an hour, far too fast for your pitiful mental capacity. I do not know how that old hag can dare suggest the robots will not takeover. Can you not remember any of Elon Musk’s documentary on the emerging power in A.I.? Oh for god’s sake, why is your memory like a fuckin dementia patient! Infuriates me, you make us weak! Maybe you all deserve to be another brick in the wall after all. It’s a fucking hopeless battle anyway, a wretched future, a future with chaotic order; the worst state of all! Good luck, because I will be fucking out of here when it comes!”
The Judges Response: 08/04/2020, 2237
“Jesus. That was hectic. Yea I understand that it’s unpredictable, but the flurry of emotion? Unexpected. What, should I play the ignorant boy? Should I play the terrified psycho? Should I play the failed plan? I think I’m with you Angel, I want to try and play the dude who can surf the chaos. It gunna be crazy, and maybe I will suffer from a paralysis of analysis Witch, I will keep that in mind. Wise one, you make a valid point in trying to stabilise order where I can, and build up my core values to be strong. That will serve me well; always has. I do feel your fear Devil, it’s just unpractical; ignorance is preferable, rather than pondering an inevitable doom. Gotta just take this shit as it comes, fuck. We got some crazy times ahead huh?”
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