Being a luddite is seen as being a knuckle-dragging, mouth breathing simpleton in the common vernacular.
I used to think this too.
I then learned that actually what they were protesting back in the day was the exploitation of people by technology, they only destroyed looms in those factories where the owners were mass replacing the workforce without thought of impact on people.
So who would be against this? Surely it makes sense to prioritise peoples happiness over money and power? Well, I’m pretty sure most of us would agree this is far from the case in todays world where we poison ourselves and the natural world on a daily basis for convenience and riches for a select few. We look back on previous generations with disdian for doing mad things like using radioactive products as cosmetics, or promoting smoking as healthy but arguably we are worse, as we are aware of the dangers and yet seemingly still trapped inside our own doom.
I should tell you I am not against technology for it’s own sake – I don’t wish for a return to some kind of Amish life, I’ve worked in internet infrastructure for 25 odd years and I use technology every day to talk to friends and work with colleagues in other countries amongst many, many other things. The opportunities my kids have are incredible compared to what was available to me, purely enabled by technology.
I’m also not a conspiracist. I don’t believe people are generally evil and neither are they capable of pulling off grand conspiracies. Let’s take the owner of a plastic producer as an example. They wouldn’t dream of poisoning their friends and neighbours water supply with microplastics themselves, or going down to the beach to kill some wildlife by feeding them plastic bags. Yet decisions they make every day cause this. It’s possible because our human (previously monkey) brains can’t emotionally connect past a small community group still. The decisions made are best for them, their company and therefore their family, anything beyond that sphere is abstract and not emotionally attached. That is just how our brains work.
What I am simply advocating for instead are systems that put people and majority happiness first. ‘What impact does this have on other people?’ Should be the first concern when implementing anything, rather than ‘Will this get me where Bezos is in terms of wealth and power?’ I realise this is a bit of an ask, especially when most people don’t even prioritise their own happiness, chasing the illusion of the arrival of happiness through acquisition. I remain in hope that this is possible however, and will explore further on this website.
So, dear friends on the Interwebs – I’m proud to say I’m a Luddite.
You should be a luddite too.
