Number 44 of 52 Compelling Communicators: Alvin Toffler
November 04, 2013
I read Future Shock by
Alvin Toffler in the 70’s. The words in his book impacted me for life. To credit this author for being ever present
in my mind I am recognizing him as a compelling communicator.
Millions have read Toffler
and his type of influence cannot be understated. His often quoted line, “The illiterate of the
21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot
learn, unlearn, and relearn” gave me the inspiration to never stop being
inquisitive.
Toffler
also said, “The future always comes too fast and in the wrong order.”
Those
thoughts could have been written today in light of our digital age. I often
meet people, of my vintage and younger, who shun the new or reject change out
of fear or embarrassment. When I do my social media workshops I experience lots
of resistance. What makes us so innately worried about something new? Was it a
centuries old protective gene that kept us from being swallowed up by some wild
beast?
I
have learned to embrace the novel and different with a welcoming but
strategically critical lens. To keep learning is to keep young.
My
90 year-old Mom is the poster child for relearning. Considering she was born in
an era long before we would see a television or personal computer in the home
and decades before cell phones, you might think she would have trouble
adapting. Not so. She emails, carries a cell phone and does most of her writing
on a computer. I swear her interest in learning has kept her mind razor sharp.
Toffler
thought we might lose the ability to cope and I believe there are a good number
of people who feel that way. There is a book out now called Present Shock: When
Everything Happens Now by Douglas Rushkoff. He theorizes that we simply cope by
being focused on the here and now. I don't necessarily see a lot of evidence of
that but I do see people who seem to be in a constant state of shock.
In
some of my sessions there are presentations about technology or worldwide
changes that might impact an industry or profession. I hear the protests
muttered throughout the room about how this will never impact their business or
something is purely a fad.
Hmmm...
Yes, there are fads and some things that never come to fruition but lots do. In
the mainstream world of communication parents now text their kids, readers
download books onto tablets and the phone has replaced cameras, video, music,
games, flashlights, alarm clocks, watches and more. Even those people in my sessions who reject
this stuff are doing the above.
I believe good
communicators love to learn. They learn about people so they can connect
better. They learn about new ideas to feed their brains. They learn about new forms of communicating… just
in case it will be of value.
Wise words, Alvin. Thanks.
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