We Make Paintbrushes
I talk with a teacher friend today. She told me that a former student told her that he got a job as a teacher and that she had inspired him. “It’s special to inspire people like that,” I said, “because I just make paintbrushes.”
It’s easy to glorify tech titans like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin. But they’re all just making tools for humanity. They didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel, they make paintbrushes.
The Sistene Chapel, Wikipedia
Tech tools are valuable, no doubt. Space-X is pushing space exploration forward. The iPhone, iPad, and iEverything connect us; perhaps too much. Google augments our intelligence. My company’s software helps pharmaceutical companies test COVID-19 vaccines, deliver packages to your door, and complete your banking transactions.
In the movie of life, technology is an extra. Humans explore space, find vaccines, and create great art. Tech, like paintbrushes, are merely tools.
