Change, Authenticity and Being Left Behind…

The only constant in life is change.

I don’t remember who originally said that, but it’s an oft used quote I believe many of us can relate to.

And the funny/sad thing about change is that if we are not willing to embrace it and go with it, we run the risk of getting ”left behind” in all sorts of ways.

Personally, I have never much cared for change.

I like things to stay pretty constant and uniform; I have certain issues around time, specifically the time I might have to spend learning something new that subsequently turns out to be of no use whatsoever. I could have spent that time perfectly happily, engaged in something I already know that I enjoy, thank you very much!

Of course, I’m not naïve enough to think that I can get away with rejecting change… even though those who know me well will attest to the fact that I was the last person in the neighborhood to get a VCR, a cellphone, a DVD player and so forth.

I hate wasting a bunch of money on some new gadgetry — that’s really expensive during its introductory years — only to watch it turn out to not be the future direction of human technology… and foibles.

OK, so nothing earth-shattering, there…

I also value authenticity, and living a life that is an authentic representation of your true self, to whatever degree that is possible.

Which brings me to the reason I ended up crawling down this particular rabbit hole, this morning: What happens when necessary change feels in opposition to your sense of authenticity?

I think I first experienced that with mobile phones, a long time ago.

I was of the philosophy — and I am still of the philosophy — that people don’t need to be able to get in touch with me 24/7/365. I have always placed a fairly high value on the kind of privacy that is essentially non-existent in this day and age of social media and lives that feel like they are ”always on.”

It's the privacy of not being on standby all the time.

Some years back, I remember having the conversation with a friend about what I was most looking forward to, about going back to Denmark for a three week vacation.

And my authentic answer — which shocked my friend quite a bit — was that I looked forward to unplugging completely for three weeks, being in a place that (A) did not have much cell coverage and (B) not hearing from anyone because I had chosen to NOT have an international calling and data add-on for my (then) cell plan.

Yes, I did buy a local ”burner” phone in case I needed to make an important/emergency call, but nobody had that number.

I think I have eluded the mofos!

Perhaps part of my rejection of much change is primarily directed at ostensible ”connective and helpful tools” made possible by technology, that actually turn out to be more time and money hogs than authentically helpful.

A couple of weeks ago, I did some ”house cleaning” on my phone, uninstalling a substantial number of apps that were ostensibly ”useful” but ultimately did little more than use storage space, consume bandwidth with endless updates and small amounts of money being sucked out of my bank account in the form of subscription fees.

Some might read this and declare: ”You’re just saying this because you’re poor!”

Nah. Not really.

Waste is waste, no matter whether you’re living on welfare or on the income from your millions. And if you find yourself wasting things simply because you can afford to, it’s your mind — not your money — that needs a management overhaul!

The only constant in life is change.

Absolutely! Change is inevitable. And there has been a lot of positive change in the world.

But the onus is on each of us to sort out the authentically beneficial from the cornucopia of ”fluffery” we’re presented with, every second of every day.

And frankly? I’d rather feel a little left behind than participate in the latest craze of something ”everyone HAS to have!” and which will almost inevitably clutter up landfills in a couple of years from now!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great remainder of your Saturday!

Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!

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Created at 2025.01.11 15:27 PST
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