“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense,” is a quote by acclaimed writer Gertrude Stein. Although Stein’s life was surrounded by controversy, these words bear the mark of truth. She said this in the early 1900s, which means that intellectuals of that time were already getting worried about how much knowledge would affect us. In today’s modern world, we are bombarded with knowledge, and sometimes it leaves a lasting impact that is detrimental to humanity.
Stein’s words reflect the world’s current situation–AI has been consistently feeding us with so much knowledge that we don’t even know what to do with it. Most of us completely rely on AI now, as if it has replaced our own brains. This is depreciating our common sense, tying back to the saying “common sense is not so common.” Nowadays, many of us don’t even know what the state of the world is, due to excessive use of “searching things up” and not actively trying to pursue essential knowledge.
A hundred years ago, people used to know how to navigate their way using the sun, moon, and stars. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, desert dwellers knew exactly where they were going, under the scorching heat and in an endless valley of sand. All these skills have been lost ever since someone was intelligent enough to build a clock, which they then turned into phones, smartphones, computers, etc. This is the despondent irony of life, since we did progress and become wiser, but at the expense of skills we have used for generations.
We can also use Gertrude Stein’s life as an example of how humans are deteriorating on the inside, but appear sophisticated and intelligent on the outside. When I read about her online and did research, I noticed some key points about her life which were extremely controversial. She was an intelligent woman known for her literary works, but her pursuit of knowledge without common sense led her down a strange path. Despite being a Jewish woman herself and living through World War 11, she appreciated the genocide, which displays some sort of hypocrisy in my opinion.
Another aspect of Stein’s quote is becoming so intelligent that we forget the basics of life. There are numerous scientists and doctors with PhDs and numerous other degrees who refute God. Their lives are essentially an empty void. Additionally, American society has always been religious up until the 90s, by going to Church every Sunday, practicing Christian morals, and involving themselves in their communities. However, as we progressed and became more informed, things began to change. They no longer attend church every Sunday; they don’t practice their morals, increasing their corruption and treating others in atrocious manners, and they don’t and they are no longer part of their communities. They are becoming increasingly disconnected from one another.
In conclusion, Gertrude Stein’s words remind us that having access to more information does not necessarily make us wiser. Although technology and AI offer opportunities, relying on them without reflection only leads to our destruction. It weakens our judgment and critical thinking abilities and takes us from practical skills. Progress should not require us to abandon our foundations, but it has. We must make a change by approaching new information with the intent to learn and digest the knowledge, rather than blindly following it.
Knowledge used in the correct manner is our strength and will empower us to make the world a better place.
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