Evolution triggered
To suppose that after a million years ... reading could replace hearing, automatically and easily, without profound and artificial adjustments of the human organism, is to fly in the face of the evolutionary lesson. (Havelock, The Muse Learns to Write 100)
Human beings are incredibly adaptable, so much so that it almost seems like all the evolutionary enhancements we could ever need were programmed into us ahead of time and we are simply waiting for the write (oops, I mean right) trigger before they are released and our potential increases.
Comments
Reading replaces hearing to an extent unless one chooses to read out loud. I enjoyed your comments in class today about the child-like nature that is associated with reading out loud. I actually read all of my essays out loud once I am done writing them.
Posted by: Leslie Rodriguez | February 12, 2008 3:52 PM
It is in our nature to adapt. Our grandparents used the radio, our parents used tv, and now we use youtube. But, we can get too comfortable in the technology we grew in and refuse to change or struggle to. I can't tell you how many times my grandmother called my cell phone (while I was at school) to ask me how to turn on the tv (it had two remotes. Which, oh which, one was the correct one?!) It was incomprehensible to her that BOTH were needed to turn it on.
My mother has had an ipod for two years, yet has never used it once. She asks me why I can't just put songs on it for her, rather than taking the 15 minutes (at the most) it takes to learn how.
I also have had to fight technology. Let's just say there's a computer in the Penn Manor High School library with a large, foot-shaped dent in it.
Posted by: Daniella Choynowski | February 11, 2008 6:44 PM
I believe that as well. As infants, we are programmed to evolve with thought. With a good cognitive sense, we are able to adapt.
Posted by: Jeremy Barrick | February 11, 2008 1:58 PM