Design vs. Talent

"Design has taken the place of what sailing used to be."

- Dennis Conner

One of the best known sailors of our generation, his quote holds true for more than just sailing.  Almost everything in today's life has been geared toward replacing talent through design.  I'm not sure I can come up with many instances where this would be better for mankind.  Designing in safety, for instance, would seem better, but it causes a lackadaisical attitude and inattention to details which may cause a worse safety issue.

 

I took up photography as a hobby when I was young, producing some beautiful works.  I even dabbled in the dark room.  Now, with the advent of digital photography and photo shop tools, the talent of the "pure" photographer is being lost.  Anyone can produce a great photo and call it art.  Really?  Or, is it the illusion of talent made possible through technology?

 

Think about using your computer.  How much do we rely upon spell check instead of remembering how to spell?  Worse, with the advent of electronic calculators I flat forgot how to do math.  I found myself struggling with the simplest of addition and multiplication, and let's not even discuss my division ability.  My check book suffers constantly unless I use the trust calculator.

 

I was out on the golf course taking pictures during a tournament and noticed all of the new tech for golfing.  Putters that tell you when they are level, range finders, golf shoes with swivel chassis on the spikes, balls that go a mile, and club heads the size of small Volkswagen (Nice hit?  How the hell were you going to miss?).  So, you don't have to know how to golf anymore, you just need to know how to use the technology to your advantage.  I have an idea, let's have a "pure" tournament.  Everyone has to use a pre-1960's set of clubs.  I have real money that says Tiger tanks.

 

As a society we are becoming too reliant on technology to think for us, to make our lives easier, to make us lazy and complacent.  I'm sorry, I don't mean for you to have to reach for the dictionary. 

 

Allow me:  Complacent - marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.

 

I assume "lazy" is self-explanatory?

 

If you want to be proud of an achievement, try something that requires nothing but physical and mental prowess.  I was never more content than when I was wood carving, and more so when I did it sans the power tools.  No electric sander, jigsaw or drill, just a sanding block, wood chisels, mallet, pencil, paper, and a ruler.  It gave me an appreciation for the hard work it takes to create true art, not to mention the pride of creating something with my own hands, and talent.  It is the difference between cooking a delicious meal using a kitchen, or using ironware over a campfire.  Which would be more impressive?

 

Some will read this and say, "But, I have no talent."  My daughter drew stick figures, bemoaning her inability and lack of talent for art, until she took an art class and discovered a new world.  So, what do you want to do?  Whatever it is, try doing it the old fashioned way first and you'll appreciate it more down the road.

 

To those still feeling trepidation at the thought of trying something "retro" for fear of failing, I quote another sailor who invented sailing around the world for sport, and I agree that this is some of the best advise a young person can get: 

 

"To young men contemplating a voyage I would say go."

- Joshua Slocum