Friday, July 07, 2006
Life after conference
Is there life after conference?
Sure. The more active I've been during it, the harder it is to return everyday life. I wonder if this kind of writing helps to return. I have done some notes during the Espoo eLearning Conference 2006, too.
To be wired is necessary in ubiquious learning. On the other hand one needs to have moments of silence when one is doing nothing These moments are becoming more and more important if one is going to keep his mind well and creative.
The Challenge is to make balance between these two sides of the coin.
Being idle has been cultural and ethical problem. The protestant ethics, term of Max Weber, sees idling as a form of sin, making especially the western people feel guilty if they were lazy - even when they are sick, retired or unemployed. On the other side people may feel good, get almost a taste of extacy when being busy working hard, having long work days and full calendar. One could see this as a form of greed. People may be greedy for wealth or power. At the same time they are greedy for the protestant virtue of diligence. When they work hard their greed may be forgiven: they can be wealthy and go to heaven.
From this point of view, it can be really hard for somebody to learn to work or study in a such way that one has every now and then idle moments of mental emptiness. At the same time, these moments are becoming vital for the new generation of information society - or post-weberian society.
# posted by tuomo.turja @ 2:28 AM 
