Dear students,
在AI的時代，我們可以怎樣裝備自己面對未來的變化？人類的價值在哪裏？最近看了三本書，它們提供了三個不同但重要的答案。第一，我們忘記了專注力的價值。在社交媒體的世代，一個人的專注力其實非常矜貴。任何人、市場及事件取得你的專注力就會轉變成價值，你在社交媒體看到大量而短暫的資訊時，它們會不經不覺間牽動你的情緒、改變你的需要及帶動你的消費慾望，只要取得你的專注力就有市場價值。所以我們應該取回自己的專注力放在適當的地方，例如：專注自己的健康、專心看一本書，留意自己的思考或注目於研究方向等等。如果大家有興趣知道更多，可以看「誰偷走了你的專注力」一書。第二，我們開始不懂聆聽與溝通。我們已經習慣使用不同的溝通軟件，人與人之間的溝通變得非常快速又要有效率，有時又怕對方不回應，製造很多不必要的情緒，能夠真正面對面聆聽及溝通的能力正在下降中。善於聆聽及溝通的人能減少人與人之間的衝突及誤解。如果大家有興趣可以看一行禪師的「你可以不生氣」一書。第三、獨立思考能力已經不容易。一個人的想法會影響情緒及判斷力，閱覽太多社交媒體資訊會令一個人變得被動，「雜音」(noise)也有很多，在眾多相關與不相關的資訊中尋找有用及有意義的資訊顯得特別困難，能夠留意「雜音」是一種非常重要的能力，也是獨立思考能力的基礎，因為「雜音」對自己判斷力有極大的影響，你有否想過作決定的時候是受到什麼影響呢？我們如何專注目標減低雜音，大家有興趣可以看「雜訊:人類判斷的缺陷」一書。
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In the Age of AI: Equipping Ourselves for Future Changes
In the age of AI, how can we equip ourselves to face future changes? Where do human values lie? Recently, I read three books that provide three different but important answers.
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The Value of Focus
First, we have forgotten the value of focus. In the era of social media, a person’s attention is incredibly precious. Anything—people, markets, and events—that captures your attention transforms into value. When you see a flood of brief information on social media, it subtly influences your emotions, alters your needs, and drives your consumption desires. As long as it captures your attention, it holds market value. Therefore, we should reclaim our focus and direct it appropriately, such as concentrating on our health, reading a book, reflecting on our thoughts, or focusing on research directions. If you are interested in learning more, you can read “Who Stole Your Attention?” by Johann Hari.
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The Decline of Listening and Communication
Second, we are beginning to lose the ability to listen and communicate. We have grown accustomed to using various communication software, making interactions between people very quick and efficient. Sometimes, we fear that a lack of response from others will create unnecessary emotions. The ability to truly listen and communicate face-to-face is declining. Those skilled in listening and communication can reduce conflicts and misunderstandings among people. If you are interested, you can check out Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “You Can Stop Being Angry.”
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The Challenge of Independent Thinking
Third, independent thinking is becoming increasingly difficult. A person’s thoughts can influence their emotions and judgment. Consuming too much information from social media can make one passive. There is a lot of “noise” out there, and finding useful and meaningful information among a multitude of relevant and irrelevant data becomes particularly challenging. The ability to notice “noise” is crucial and forms the foundation of independent thinking because “noise” significantly impacts your judgment. Have you ever considered what influences your decisions? How can we focus on our goals and minimize noise? If you are interested, you can read Daniel Kahneman’s “Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment.”