It’s Not the Tools, It’s Us
Tools aren’t the enemy, our intentions are. From capitalism to technology, it’s not the tools that shape our world, but how we use them. Let’s stop blaming what’s neutral and start taking responsibility for how we wield what’s in our hands.
I’ve been thinking about this lately: many of us blame the things around us for why we’re miserable, sad, not richer, or less safe. While many of these complaints are valid, we often direct our anger toward things that are, in reality, just tools.
“Every time there’s a new tool, whether it’s Internet or cell phones or anything else, all these things can be used for good or evil. Technology is neutral.” - Rick Smolan
For example, are businesses bad? Is marketing bad? Is capitalism bad? Before you answer, consider this: these are all tools, available to anyone, to achieve something, to pursue goals, to make things happen. Can they be used for harmful or sinister purposes? Absolutely. But can they also be used to create something positive and beneficial for many others? You bet. As Jean-Michel Jarre put it,
“Technology is neutral, but it all depends on the way we use it.”
That distinction matters. It’s not the tools—it’s what we do with them.
Don’t condemn the tools. They’re not the problem. Negative ideas and the people who promote them are. Most tools at our disposal can be used for good. If we view them solely through a negative lens, we limit our potential to improve our lives, help others, and enjoy our time on this planet.
I think that technologies are morally neutral until we apply them. It’s only when we use them for good or for evil that they become good or evil. - William Gibson
Almost everything around us is a tool, and that’s one of the things that sets us apart from other animals: our abundance of tools and our ability to use them for our benefit. I love that I can write this on a computer, publish it to my site, hosted by a platform, and others can read it. It only takes a few minutes to write and a bit more to reflect. That’s all it takes to share my thoughts with anyone who wants to read them. It’s a beautiful thing.
Thank you, technology and capitalism.
As one author noted in The Future of Capitalism,
“Capitalism is a tool that can be used for both good and evil; it is up to us to shape its future direction.”
Have a great weekend!
