I had a conversation with a software developer friend of mine some time ago. He was looking to designing an app and I gave him a few of my ideas.

A pattern emerged while we were talking: Most people (me included) want everything to be simple and straight forward.

It’s not a bad thing per SE. In fact it’s a desirable thing. Making products easier to use for end users. Developing systems so the work can be easily managed, better organised, easier to teach and hand over.

Simplicity is a desirable trait but knowledge is power

The challenge is someone has to deal with the complexity and break it down into something simpler.

That creates a few issues: the problem of feasibility, practicality and well, the question of whether the task is worth all the trouble.

But another situation is unveiled by the undertaking : That person has all the knowledge…And knowledge is power. S/he can then wield it as s/he pleases, give it a spin to suit his/her ends or sweep it under the carpet without the rest knowing.

Of course, not everyone is an unscrupulous opportunist. However if history is anything to go by, we need to be wary.

“History is written by the victors” goes the adage. Many peoples were enslaved in the past, by nations who exploited them and rose to riches and power. These profiteering nations are now shining beacons on the world scene, flying the ethical and moral flag.The past was ignored and rewritten.

Here’s a Ted-Ed clip illustrating this.

And this trend continues.

History repeats itself, only in more subtle ways. Nowadays we are exploited in another way. We are fed consumerism, materialism, hedonism, patriotism, all sorts of ideologies that rob us of truth, progress, control and true happiness.

But we can take back control, start a revolution with ourselves, break the shackles of this mental prison.

We can gain knowledge, reflect, draw our own conclusions and apply what truly matters.

We can step out of automatic pilot, detach ourselves from borrowed beliefs and live our true selves.

There is no app to make you more you

There is no app for that. I would not want an app to attempt to tell me how I should be me! Would you?

And yet we tend to let apps rule our lives. They can be addictive. I well know.

But let’s not switch our roles.

Technology should be a tool, not a master. We should not ask it to think for us. Let’s not be too lazy to be human.

So as days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years, we would do well to check we are not outsourcing our values, our well being, our beliefs, our lives to others. Let’s take charge, get informed and act on what we know.

I have posted on the following and more. So whether your next goal is:

• Exercising more 
• Becoming more productive
• Becoming healthier
• Becoming more positive
• Improving all of the above

There is a variety of food for thought on rethinkentrepreneur.com.

Don’t know where to start?

https://rethinkentrepreneur.com/

Reflect, Redefine, Rise!

R.