INSIDIOUS INERTIA
“Can you believe it!” he cried indignantly on his return. “There they were, content to do nothing but just sit!”
A Cautionary Tale is an article written by Charles H. Hayward and published in Woodworker Magazine in 1957. There is so much more to say about Hayward himself, but for this blog post, I want to focus on his extraordinary prescience…something written 65 years ago that is so applicable today. The italicized text throughout this piece are excerpts from Hayward’s original article or quotes from other literary works; everything else is commentary by yours truly.
“Can you believe it!” he cried indignantly on his return. “There they were, content to do nothing but just sit!” I can believe it because there are quite a number of people like that today. You meet them on coach tours of the kind that are specially planned to include places of interest, people who, when their destination is reached, move with obvious reluctance and have but a passing glance to give to the place or monument they have traveled many miles to see. It is an inertia which threatens to engulf us and is as much a danger in its own way as the H-bomb, because it is such an insidious thing, reaching out to us from within and getting us in its toils before we are fully aware of it, having its roots in our new mode of living and the devices which help to make life comfortable. - Hayward
First, I find it truly incredible that Hayward likened the threat of an unmotivated, sedentary lifestyle to that of the H-bomb. He wrote this article two years after the Soviet Union detonated its first hydrogen bomb, which was the first time in history the world lived under the threat of thermonuclear war. I remember my dad discussing the gripping fear of growing up during this period of history when the potential for world destruction was a reality; how truly dreadful that must have been for the upbringing of that entire generation. Admittedly, this type of fear is something that is difficult for me to truly comprehend or empathize with, since the Cold War ended when I was four years old. However, the fact that the plausibility of this type of warfare has recently resurfaced in the minds of millions across the world is chilling. Nevertheless, the significance and magnitude of Hayward’s comparison is stunning and worth pointing out, as it can easily be overlooked, in my opinion.
Next, I want to key in on two important words that Hayward uses, that may or may not be part of your everyday vocabulary:
in·sid·i·ous
/inˈsidēəs/ adjective
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.
in·er·tia
/iˈnərSHə/ noun
a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.
Inertia is a property of matter. Thanks, Bill Nye. However, in this instance, inertia is a property of society and culture. Our collective addiction to convenience and technology inevitably continues to muscle out opportunities to experience life authentically. I would argue that this phenomenon occurs almost unknowingly to the individual; hence, its insidious nature. I believe this is especially true for Millenials and beyond. However, when one steps back and compares generations, today looks a lot different than 60, 70, 80 years ago. In simple terms, I think a lot of this has to do with the fall of the American farm, the rise of suburbia, and the dominance of technology. The “inertia” Hayward references is this very trajectory…that society will continue to value convenience over experience. This is what will remain unchanged. Unless it is acted upon by an external force.
Everywhere we turn we find mechanized aids, in the daily routine of office and factory, in home entertainment and transport, making it all too easy to drop into a physically and mentally lazy attitude which is a negation of living. Unless we fight out instincts of interest and wonder, which are part of the natural equipment through which personality develops, will dwindle and die. - Hayward
I am not here to beat my drum and say let’s all get rid of our TVs, phones, and computers and go back to a simpler way of life like Little House on the Prairie. Technology is here to stay. This is true for our lives, our children’s lives, and ALL future generations. What I do advocate for, however, is the need to be intentional…as parents…as educators…as community members, in ensuring our children are exposed to as much of the real world as possible during their formative years. If we fail to do this as a society, I fear that we may have generations of children who fit this “negation of living” description by Hayward.
The ‘negation of living’ is an extremely strong phrase by Hayward…I will let you draw your own conclusions on what he is ultimately suggesting here. A WSJ headline caught my eye last September: “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’”. In my humble opinion, this trend is directly tied to motivation, or lack thereof. This is just the type of negation of living that Hayward was warning against.
I am the first to say that Sloyd is not about responding to the needs of the economy…that it is purely about responding to the inherent needs of the children. This is primarily speaking to the fact that Sloyd is an educational method designed to strengthen character in children; that it is not a “track for the trades”. However, if we were to consider any of the economic perspectives, I think the declining intrinsic motivation in children and young adults is one worth discussing. I believe that we need to seriously start responding to this observed lack of motivation with intentional programs, not just talk about what a tragedy it is. Otherwise, future generations of unmotivated individuals will have dire consequences on all jobs and all industries, regardless of what color their collar is.
Dr. Leonard Sax has written many books on cultural issues affecting the upbringing of our youth. In his book, Boys Adrift, he references research that suggests a childhood full of sterile, “inauthentic experiences” can lead to serious developmental issues:
“There is more than 60 years of research on the importance, for child development, of multisensory interaction with the real world. This work began with the investigations of the psychiatrist Rene Spitz into “hospitalism,” the syndrome of stunted emotional and cognitive development that was seen in abandoned children raised in sterile and impersonal hospitals after World War II. This research demonstrated that children must have a rich, interactive sensory environment – touching, smelling, seeing, hearing the real world – in order for the child’s brain and mind to develop properly. Without such real-world experiences, the child’s development will be impaired. Kids need to experience the real world. Only in the past decade have developmental psychologists come to recognize that a curriculum that emphasizes Wissenchaft at the expense of Kenntnis may produce a syndrome analogous to the neglected children documented by Dr. Spitz.” (Boys Adrift, p. 35)
I may dive into Wissenchaft vs. Kenntnis in a future blog. For now, just know that Kenntnis is essentially learning by doing, whereas Wissenchaft is rote learning. Dr. Leonard Sax also highlights that today, more than ever before, American education is characterized by a serious lack of, and respect for Kenntnis.
We shall become the passive recipients of fleeting impressions instead of the active, strongly individual characters which we have it in us to be with something to give back to the world in creative ability. To do this we first have to assert ourselves by willingness to make an effort and to keep on making an effort to cherish every point of contact with the real world. Life viewed on the television screen and through a car window is life at second-hand, a good and useful and fascinating view, such if used justly as an aid to wider experience and not as a substitute for experience, cannot fail to enrich our lives. But if we are to live in the truest sense we need to experience at first-hand and in the fullest possible way. - Hayward
I think Hayward was absolutely spot on with his assertion that we should intentionally use technology as a supplement to our overall experience, and that it should never be used as an all out replacement. All of us can make individual choices to try and maintain the balance, but what can we do at a larger level to affect this inertia? I think the question we need to ask ourselves is when have we reached the cultural tipping point, where virtual experience has become a substitute for real experience? Has it happened already? Are we headed in that direction? Truth be told, I had never even heard of the “metaverse” until a few short months ago. This may seem like a far-flung idea to many, but the fact that this is even an idea goes to show the magnitude of the inertia we are talking about here.
Several decades from now, I fear we will look back at the insidious effects of the virtual versus real world imbalance similarly to how we now look at our historical misuse and abuse of the environment during the industrial revolution. Rather than working to clean up our rivers and oceans, we will be working to heal the minds and hearts of people who are out of touch with reality. The balance should be taught in children during their formative years; we owe it to them.
Unfortunately, rather than “passive recipients” we are now all targeted recipients. This is a next-level of inertia that I feel Hayward could not have predicted. Actually, this is an entirely new external force that is affecting the acceleration here (for all of you physics nerds out there).
The Center for Human Technology is an organization that is dedicated to enlightening individuals and governments on the problems of targeted technology. This excerpt is from their homepage: “We reframe the insidious effects of persuasive technology, expose the runaway systems beneath, and deepen the capacity of global decision-makers and everyday leaders to take wise action.”
There’s that insidious word again! Coincidence? I think not. It is insidious, and takes place in us as individuals and it does seem to “reach out from within” (another interesting Hayward phrase found in the first section of highlighted text). More people and organizations are slowly becoming aware of some of these negative societal trends. Have you seen the Social Dilemma yet? If not, you must.
There’s no denying that there is a problem. We know too much screen time is bad. We know that sedentary lifestyles have negative physical and mental consequences. We know pediatric mental health issues have become a nationwide crisis. But what is the solution? It has to be something more than simply saying, “go do something”. What if we, as a society, decided to actually value and intentionally provide real, hands-on experiences to our children for the sake of inspiring a foundational sense of wonder and love for life, which later manifests itself as intrinsic motivation for individuals to contribute to society enthusiastically, rather than simply feeling lost? Is that too much to ask for? That’s my hope and prayer.
When we relentlessly seek convenience and virtual reality, we sacrifice experience and living. I have found that in my own life, the times that I have felt most alive are the times when I have been a bit uncomfortable…maybe even really uncomfortable. On the other hand, the times in my life when I have felt most unmotivated or uninspired has been linked to feelings of wasting my time behind a computer screen. I’m not trying to discredit all facets of convenience here. However, if there is no room in our schedules or no opportunity to experience reality through work, there is significantly less chance to experience life and true satisfaction.
Please note - I am not pointing the finger of blame at an individual level here. I view this problem akin to our nation’s food crisis. We have millions of families that do not have access to healthy food, so they end up buying foods that are literally killing them. Similarly, our children are losing widespread access to authentic experience. It is no fault of their own. It is no fault of their parents. My point is that we need to prioritize the availability and accessibility of programs that get children to engage with the real world.
By the way, “insidious inertia” actually doesn’t make sense at all…it is an oxymoron. Insidious implies change, albeit small; whereas inertia means no change. There will be no change in our trajectory unless it is acted upon by an external force. By no means, do I believe that Sloyd Experience is the end-all / be-all answer, nor do I believe it is the only “authentic experience” that will realize the type of change I am advocating for. I do, however, believe Sloyd is part of the answer — part of the external force that will affect the insidious inertia.
The prejudice against manual work is being surmounted; children love it in spite of the ban of society, which sentiment has first to be overcome. We must stimulate and not stifle children's activity, and set it pleasantly coursing along the channel which will lead to habits of work. - Otto Salomon
