Originally Posted by
Lenore Epstein
[rant]
Smarter? More gifted? I guess DNA sequencing, spectacular advances in astrophysics, getting to the cusp of genetically-based medical treatment, GPS, are just more examples of modern mediocrity. And certainly you can think of no examples of inspired, gifted woodworkers and other craftsmen in our time, while every single one of those "old guys" were superior in every way...
It's no surprise that "young people" don't flock to what used to be called "the trades" when our culture values tidy white collar work over any whiff of manual labor, and cheap functionality in household goods that at one time couldn't be had unless it was made by a craftsman? And how the heck are your "young people" supposed to learn how to use a hammer when they barely know what one looks like, to say nothing of having seen one in use?
A young buck in the 19th century needed and had lots of time and opportunity to develop manual skills because nobody could afford a handyman, craftsmen quickly learned to see and feel a variance of a millimeter because precise standardized measuring tools weren't available, and everyone valued quality hand made household goods because a way to make cheap, functional, and widely available ones hadn't been invented yet. Similarly, today's 20 year old's expertise is in modern technology and all the ways we survive and adapt to a high tech global environment, and like it or not, video games and sitting stock still in front of a computer actually contribute to her understanding of his world. If you think his or her experiences and skills are shallow and useless, that's because what's relevant now wasn't imaginable 20 years ago, to say nothing of 100..
Sorry if this is a bit strident. I'm just so tired of hearing how much better everything used to be. With my genes I for one would be dead several times over if I lived in the old days, and I wouldn't trade my access to an amazing depth of knowledge and variety of human experience for all the handmade stuff in the world.
[/rant]