#IndependenceDay #July4 #history #AmericanHistory #TeachingHistory #AmericanExceptionalism “American Exceptionalism” was once celebrated. Then, others came along and told us that America has done so many bad things throughout history, that it may not be such as exception. Beverly Gage, a history professor at Yale University, has taken a road trip to historical sites in America, and believes that all history, good and bad, should be taught. She highlights it in her book, “This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History.” She talked about the book on “Fareed Zacharia GPS” on CNN May 10, 2026. History is often viewed with a point of view. Some don’t want the bad parts of U.S. history to be taught in schools. But, to paraphrase an old adage, ALL history needs to be taught, or the bad things will be repeated. Those who believe in “American Exceptionalism” want to downplay, or not teach at all, America’s history of slavery and other types of discrimination. Though over the 250 years of the country’s existence the country has prospered, not everyone has shared in that prosperity, nor, have shared in it to greater or lesser degrees. Those who believe in “American Exceptionalism” generally want to take the country back to a time when life was simpler. But, history IS the past and the present may or may not resemble it. It might be fair to say that today’s America does not resemble America from 50, 60 or 70 years ago. As much as we may want to relive those eras, the progress the country has made over that time will never allow it. But, those past decades can teach lessons. They can teach us what we SHOULD do now, and what we SHOULDN’T do now. The actions in each category differ depending on the point of view. We tend to think of history as a set of facts that we memorize in school. But, even children need to learn to discern the good and bad from history. They should learn to cherish and preserve the good, and not to repeat the bad. One can appreciate and be grateful to his or her ancestors, but do not have to emulate some of their behaviors. One can appreciate the hardships his or her ancestors endured, and be grateful he or she no longer has to endure them. One can also see the behavior of current Americans, and make wise choices whether to emulate them. As the country celebrates 250 years of existence, it’s good to embrace the good, but learn the bad so as not to embrace it. Compared to the history of other countries, there is much to appreciate about America’s journey. The next 250-year journey may be totally different from past journeys. Hopefully, then, Americans will then embrace the good about the past and learn about the bad so as not to embrace it. So, this Independence Day, celebrate. Know that the road to get where we are was, at times, rocky and, at other times, a glide path. Know that our individual experiences could be very different. But, all are worth celebrating. Peter
#people #machines #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #hospitality #jobs #tasks The Chase ad portrays the man in the self-driving car and the robot serving him coffee (not the way he wants it) with the song, “Tired of Being Alone” playing in the background. Chase promises that when you go into its offices, you’ll have real people to serve you. Machines are great for some tasks. They can actually replace some people for menial tasks. But, the line should be drawn for public-facing jobs. Chase is correct. People should serve people. The advancement of AI holds great promise, perhaps for some back-of-the-house tasks, to use a hospitality term. But, the front of the house should be people. Of course, robots could bring things to the people who serve. In fact, part of the reason people go to banks, restaurants and other public spaces is to interact with people. That isn’t to say that some tasks could not be automated. For example, one could envision going into a restaurant, choosing a seat yourself, placing an order via a computer, laptop or tablet and, when finished, paying the bill via that same device. But, there should be actual people to consult if there are questions about certain menu items, and to bring the food to the table. Can anyone envision asking a machine whether a certain dish is spicy? If it comes to that, how could anyone believe what the machine is saying? Hospitality, by definition, is human-to-human contact. People serving, or caring for, people. Much of banking, meanwhile, has become automated. You can make a withdrawal or deposit by ATM. But, you can’t get financial advice – at least good, reliable advice about your personal situation – from a machine. Of course, if you don’t need advice and just need to, say, buy a mutual fund or a CD, a machine can probably do that. But, the point of the Chase ad is that we, as people or as customers, prefer interacting with people. We can only hope that Chase, and other institutions like it, prefer using people, rather than machines, to serve its customers and clients. You can certainly cultivate relationships using electronic devices, Web sites and social media. But, it is definitely not the same as talking to someone in person. Such mechanical interactions have prompted lots of loneliness and, as has been alleged, created mental health issues, particularly among younger people. A young person who’s grown comfortable with online interactions may have difficulty with interpersonal interactions in a workplace. The lesson here is that not only is it good business to have real people for customers and clients to talk to, it’s also good for society. When given the choice of talking to a real person live, or communicating online, one should always choose the former. That isn’t to say that online communication doesn’t work in some scenarios. In the 1964 Broadway musical “Funny Girl,” Barbra Streisand famously sang: “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Whenever you are able to interact with someone in person, you should. When you do, consider yourself lucky. Peter
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #jobs #careers #EmbracingChange #optimism #flexibility #Imagination An old question asks: Do you see the glass as half full, or half empty? As AI advances, that question could be very important to your prosperity, or even survival. We all know that AI is coming. We all know it will change things as we know them. We don’t know how it will change us. It could be the best thing to ever happen. It also could be the worst. But, as has been discussed, circumstances do not define us. How we react to them does. We’ve also discussed the importance of optimism and flexibility. We should add imagination into the mix. You may never have imagined doing X. But, what if you did? How will it benefit you? How will it help you navigate changing times? If you see changes around you, try to navigate them before you are forced to. That may require imagining yourself doing something you never thought you would It’s hard to give specifics here, because we really don’t know what’s coming. If you fear the unknown, chances are you may be left out. If you anticipate the unknown, you might be able to live through it. If you embrace the unknown, you could be a winner on the other side. Change will be constant. You may have to reroute your path many times. You may advance to one thing, but that thing may be obsolete shortly after you achieve it. Currently, people are hired for job X, but that changes to job Y shortly after. Jobs X and Y may soon be done by machines, and you then have to think about doing job Z, which could also change. You can look at this pattern and see chaos and turmoil. But, amid most chaos and turmoil, there is opportunity. It may be hard to find at first, but those who will succeed never stop looking for it. In this new age, pigeonholes become rabbit holes. Going with the flow will be not just desirable, but necessary for success. Remember that going with the flow is different from coasting. Those who coast will be toast. Those who go with the flow may find challenging paths, but still take them. Machines can’t do everything people can do. If you have what seems to you to be a mechanical job, it will probably be obsolete soon. AI should be rightly feared. At the same time, it must be embraced. Those unafraid to walk into scary situations will benefit the most from it. Those who continue to fear it will not. AI can be like an infectious disease. You may not know when, or whether, you will be affected by it. But, vaccinating yourself so that you can navigate it will help you find your path within it. Contentment with the status quo is deadly. Fearing the unknown is normal. Constantly looking for your correct path amid the changes will be absolutely necessary. So, rather than worry, scurry. Rather than wait for the inevitable, look for the incredible. The unknown can be scary. But, properly navigating it can be merry. Peter
