Rage Against the Machine
"C'mon work, damn you." "Don't you dare freeze up on me!" "This damn thing is so freekin slow." We have all had our fair share of getting pissed off at technology. Whether it is our phone, computer, car, motorized desk (sit/stand option at work), or some other machine, we can often get to the point where we plead, beg, and criticize it hoping it will respond to one of our commands. I have even seen people rub the side of their computer, murmuring little prayers or calling it baby, in the hopes that soothing it will work.
In the end none of this solves anything though does it? I mean all you are doing is making sounds to an inanimate object that was created by someone like you to respond not to our verbal commands and feelings but to codes, levers, and programming. When you really think about it the pleading, arguing and begging is not done for the machine, but it is done for you. It is done because subconsciously we believe that while this contraption is not doing what it is supposed to do, it is still within our control. It is a machine after all. One of us made it, and therefore we can control it. If it will not respond to me pressing ESC it will respond to my Ctrl + Alt + Delete, and if not then, I will just hit the power button. I will even rationalize with it. I know I am not the only one who sees the similarities between the way we treat machines and the way we treat people. The big difference is with machines we expect a full range of control over it.
See when a machine messes up we will try a series of commands, programs that should work, and then we will try to talk to it. If it still does not work, we get angry and in far too many occasions we may even throw our phone against a wall, or bang the keyboard in frustration. Similarly, with each other we will often try a series of commands and programs we have been taught to work. Try talking to them this way. Wait until the morning they are more agreeable then. Say please and thank you. Then when what should work does not, we try to rationalize with it. You know if you just give me some time, I can do this. Why won't you listen to me? When you are still not getting what you want or expect from the person you become extremely frustrated, and again in some unfortunate cases violence presumes. After all, someone who commits acts of domestic violence is simply someone who believes they should have complete control over someone else, the way most, if not all of us, feel we should have complete control over machines.
Take the example of a restaurant (or any service industry). When you go out to eat you expect that you have a level of control over everything that happens. When things start to go away from what you expect, you ask the waiter/waitress to fix the problem, whether it is food, drink, service, whatever. (You are now rationalizing with the machine). However, talking to the waiter/waitress seems to have not solved the problem, so you ask to speak to the manager. (You have now hit the Esc key on your laptop, the end button on your phone, and the stop button on the blu-ray). You try talking with the manager and maybe ask to comp the food or to fix the problem. (You have now hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the laptop, taken the battery out your phone, and hit the stop button on the blu-ray). Things still not working out, you curse, you storm out, you do not pay your bill, you write an angry letter to corporate. (You have now raged against your machine cursing, throwing, kicking, screaming). In the end, nothing changes. Corporate may email you back a free meal, and your laptop, phone, Blu-ray may begin functioning again (or if you got too violent you will call the company [hopefully you have insurance] and get another one). Ultimately, you performed out of character for something you essentially believed you could control, that you could not. Do not get me wrong, I have raged against the machine on many occasions, and I am sure it will happen again. But now I try not to get to the point of rage...maybe stop right at rationalization. Because you cannot rationalize against a machine that does not want to work, and creating rage in the situation will only embarrass you or get you upset without changing a thing in the system.
P.S. I hope most of you understood that machine takes on a double meaning. Not trying to call you dumb, ha, just making sure, and if you do not get it reread the last paragraph and apply it. Also, don't forget to support your local Occupy protesters.
In the end none of this solves anything though does it? I mean all you are doing is making sounds to an inanimate object that was created by someone like you to respond not to our verbal commands and feelings but to codes, levers, and programming. When you really think about it the pleading, arguing and begging is not done for the machine, but it is done for you. It is done because subconsciously we believe that while this contraption is not doing what it is supposed to do, it is still within our control. It is a machine after all. One of us made it, and therefore we can control it. If it will not respond to me pressing ESC it will respond to my Ctrl + Alt + Delete, and if not then, I will just hit the power button. I will even rationalize with it. I know I am not the only one who sees the similarities between the way we treat machines and the way we treat people. The big difference is with machines we expect a full range of control over it.
See when a machine messes up we will try a series of commands, programs that should work, and then we will try to talk to it. If it still does not work, we get angry and in far too many occasions we may even throw our phone against a wall, or bang the keyboard in frustration. Similarly, with each other we will often try a series of commands and programs we have been taught to work. Try talking to them this way. Wait until the morning they are more agreeable then. Say please and thank you. Then when what should work does not, we try to rationalize with it. You know if you just give me some time, I can do this. Why won't you listen to me? When you are still not getting what you want or expect from the person you become extremely frustrated, and again in some unfortunate cases violence presumes. After all, someone who commits acts of domestic violence is simply someone who believes they should have complete control over someone else, the way most, if not all of us, feel we should have complete control over machines.
Take the example of a restaurant (or any service industry). When you go out to eat you expect that you have a level of control over everything that happens. When things start to go away from what you expect, you ask the waiter/waitress to fix the problem, whether it is food, drink, service, whatever. (You are now rationalizing with the machine). However, talking to the waiter/waitress seems to have not solved the problem, so you ask to speak to the manager. (You have now hit the Esc key on your laptop, the end button on your phone, and the stop button on the blu-ray). You try talking with the manager and maybe ask to comp the food or to fix the problem. (You have now hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the laptop, taken the battery out your phone, and hit the stop button on the blu-ray). Things still not working out, you curse, you storm out, you do not pay your bill, you write an angry letter to corporate. (You have now raged against your machine cursing, throwing, kicking, screaming). In the end, nothing changes. Corporate may email you back a free meal, and your laptop, phone, Blu-ray may begin functioning again (or if you got too violent you will call the company [hopefully you have insurance] and get another one). Ultimately, you performed out of character for something you essentially believed you could control, that you could not. Do not get me wrong, I have raged against the machine on many occasions, and I am sure it will happen again. But now I try not to get to the point of rage...maybe stop right at rationalization. Because you cannot rationalize against a machine that does not want to work, and creating rage in the situation will only embarrass you or get you upset without changing a thing in the system.
P.S. I hope most of you understood that machine takes on a double meaning. Not trying to call you dumb, ha, just making sure, and if you do not get it reread the last paragraph and apply it. Also, don't forget to support your local Occupy protesters.
posted by K. Jobe | 14:04
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