RE: New jobs on the horizon coupled with record unemployment?

rscasny — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 21:58:55 GMT

This article makes me ponder and ask this question: Has any society (that has survived) willfully turned down or avoided a technological advance, innovation or discovery that does something better, more efficiently, or with less hazard than already exists in the market today? Perhaps an easier way of saying it: does any society survive that has avoided ways that improve itself?

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any. Societies that do not evolve generally die. Why? They get taken over by societies with more advanced technology or means of doing things (production, war, healthcare-- put in your term).

In one of the four careers I have had, I once was a career counselor. I saw a lot of resumes. I mean a lot! Most people with job problems had a rather poor skillsets. I often asked these people: when was the last time you did something to improve yourself. I didn't care what: take an art class, a photography class, read a book, learn how to solder, learn how to use QuickBooks--ANYTHING! (I knew the answer but I asked it to make them aware of themselves.) Of course, for many of these people, it was a decade or more. I've met a few people that have not done anything for over twenty years. That includes reading a novel-- something simple like a Tom Clancy war novel.

If someone is being replaced by a machine or some sort of technological innovation, are we as a society (the group) going to not pursue the technology (make it taboo or illegal) just because we don't want to put someone who has not improved themselves and adapted to the environment out of work? Of course not. Why? Well, if we made all assembly robots illegal and required that they be manufactured by human beings, the price of cars would be much greater be because we would have to hire lots more humans to do the work and they cannot weld as accurately as robots hence rework costs would be greater. Sure, there may be a few cases, contrary to my supposition, but statistically, it's well worth a manufacturer to pony up the $3 million of a robot than pay humans till they retire and die. This is the way of life, things live, change, evolve and die.

So, if you are a welder who has been put out of work by a welding robot, perhaps it's time to turn off the tv, stop playing games on your smart phone, and crack open the engineering texts on physics, kinematics, hydraulics, programming, PID control systems and learn something to improve yourself.

My 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510 58209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679... cents.