Written by Paul Angone We are experiencing a dire shortage these days. Not just of oil. Or water. Or food.
We have a shortage of humans.
You wouldn't think in a world of over seven billion people we'd have such a problem. But call this Terminator Five. The machines are taking over.
And I'm not talking about the machines putting together our cars, driving our cars, our planes, our computers -- no I'm talking about us.
We've lost the art of being human.
And in this highly digitized world, it's those who excel the best at being real.live.humans who will experience the most success.
Lack of Real.Live.Humans
What do I mean?
Many of us have forgotten, well, how to be us.
We've lost how to actually be a face behind the name. To be more than a piece of paper. A status update. A picture. A Tweet. A LOL.
We hide behind screens and phones, interacting with each other in ways that require less need for us to really be us.
We apply for jobs as a list of bullet points.
We appeal for support with a mass email. Proud that we addressed it Dear ____.
We say happy birthday with a click of a button.
We buy our groceries without ever making eye contact with the person scanning our Frosted Mini-Wheats. The cashier just an extension of the checkout aisle.
We drape ourselves in routine, forgetting that feeling of new-ness.
We say things that we think should be said instead of saying what we know is right.
Authenticity has become the new buzz word.
But with our auto-drive, auto-text, auto-tweet, auto-think, auto-write: Authenticity has been replaced with Auto-thencity -- an automated version of us that's not really us.
Your success hinges on your ability or inability to be a real.live.human.
Three Key Places to be Human
1. Job Search
It is those who shake a hand and look into eyes, who will win the job. A resume has no face. A piece of paper is too easy to say no to. A person with a smile, laugh and a story is much harder. Humans want to help humans. Humans love reaching out a hand to pick up another. When looking for a job, somehow, someway you must become a human to the human on the other side. No matter how "green" we get, humans will always crumble up paper before a person.
2. Dating/Marriage
If you place your relationship on auto-pilot, you will crash. I say this reminder more to myself than anyone else.
I forget far too easily that my wife trumps other deadlines, dreams, and desires. Every night that my computer takes precedent over her is a night that I have screwed up.
Having an affair with my computer is not how I want my wife and kids to remember me.
Turn off auto-pilot Paul. Put your hands back on the wheel. Fly the plane you swore you would fly.
3. Friendship
If I call a friend back within a weeks time, I consider that doing a pretty good job. Two weeks - two months is most likely the norm.
Sure life is busy. Too freaking busy. But too busy for friends?
Too busy to make a phone call? What five minutes? Five minutes to connect with a person I swore I would never lose contact with?
Sounds easy. So why have I resorted to texts and Facebook? A wall is no place to make friends.
The Impact of Humanity
It is the real.live.humans who will inherit the earth.
We need those who will call out to others in a real voice by their real name.
We need to rise above the drab of the impersonal.
Even within technological forms which are not going away, how can we promote personality and purpose through a medium that can possibly diminish both.
Because humans desire interaction with real humans. Humans desire for the taste of real relationships not contrived on cliches.
We yearn for those special people who can call out the person inside of us.
This is a cry for us to come alive. By God, I hope I answer the call...
I'd love to hear from you in the comments section on this article:
What's one way you can be more human today?
About Paul Angone
Paul is the author of 101 Secrets for your Twenties and the creator of AllGroanUp.com, a place for those asking "what now?" Snag free chapters from his book and follow him at @PaulAngone.