
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of Robots, Unless You Are One
If you’re being authentic, you are irreplaceable.
I talk a lot about “technologies” from the Jewish tradition for solving human problems that are available to everyone: learning methods that develop our minds, spiritual disciplines that refine our bodies, and mourning practices that help us cope with grief, for example. But here’s another “holy technology” altogether:
Robot priest: the future of funerals?
And another from a couple of months back:
Let Germany’s Robopriest Offer You Guidance and Protection
Some of my colleagues have posted these on Facebook with comments like, “We’re out of a job!”
You can see that anxiety expressed in a lot of fields today; in fact this has been a pressing concern for people since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution as more and more machines allowed more and more work to be accomplished by fewer and fewer people.
What I want to share with you is this: While these kinds of articles used to scare me, now they inspire me! Because they push me to say to myself, “What do I have within me that can’t be replicated by a machine, or for that matter, another human being? What makes me unique, and what is the world missing if I don’t share that uniqueness?” If I focus my work — teaching and being present for people in holy moments — in a way that only I can — with my unique style and personality — then I should have no fear of being replaced by a robot, or anyone else.
But this is not about me; it’s about all of us, especially you. Uniquely you. Authentically you.
It was for this reason that humanity was first created as one person [Adam]…to express the grandeur of The Blessed Holy One: For a king strikes many coins from the same die, and all the coins are alike. But the King of Kings of Kings, The Blessed Holy One strikes every person from the die of the first person, and yet no person is quite like their friend. Therefore, every person must say, “For my sake the world was created.”
Mishnah Sandhedrin 4:5
In case the idea of being replaced by a machine worries you, consider this: What makes you different from other people? What inspires you (even — or especially — if other people think it’s weird)? What are you good at, and what do you love doing? (Sometimes these answers are different.)
BTW, this isn’t just robot-proofing. It can also make you irreplaceable in other ways, too, like socially or professionally. Embracing your uniqueness may not always feel safe when it challenges others expectations of you, but for those who love and respect you and your work, being authentic will make you truly truly one-of-a-kind, and invaluable as such.
Once you have an idea of what makes you unique, I encourage you to find ways to increase the focus of your work on that uniqueness. Shine as only you can. Because I’m here to tell you: When you live your truth, when you share that particular spark that only you have, you are irreplaceable.
You might even say, according to our Mishnah, the world was created for you!
Thanks for reading, seekers, and I look forward to learning more with you soon. In the meantime, a favor: If you stop and think about what makes you unique, and if you’re willing, can you please connect with me on Twitter or Facebook and share that uniqueness with me? I’d love to get to know you better, and to help you celebrate your uniqueness!
