Graham Lee

An active life, a fully human life, involves engaging deeply with the world and making sense of it and our place within it.

A Japanese word, fuubutsushi, refers to the intuitive first stirrings of recognition we have as the seasons begin to change: after an extended time of seeming monotony, there’s a moment when we start to spot differences in the world around us.

Throughout this expanse, spanning 165 million square kilometres, an extraordinary uniformity of language and custom was found by explorers such as Captain James Cook.

Emerson’s notion of self-reliance – that is, making use of our own innate or learned abilities – is more important than ever.

when we rely on our devices to support our core abilities – essential skills we have acquired such as reading or writing, or fundamental capabilities such as memory, navigation or social skills – these can quickly begin to degrade over time. As a result, the benefits we gain from digital technology come at a substantial cost.

technology use is degrading not only our core competencies but also the very essence of what makes us human.

our increasing reliance on our devices can come to seem inevitable, and transhumanist projections of a future in which our bodies are fused with or superseded by hardware direct public debate to focus on technological advance while giving little space for the contemplation of human being.

Human beings are hardwired to master and hone new skills; to learn what we are truly capable of, we just have to get started.

fuubutsushi, refers to the intuitive first stirrings of recognition we have as the seasons begin to change: