The Simple Strategy That Pushes Your Career Towards What You Genuinely Love To Do
The transcendent power of human intuition.
Indeed, the great Leonardo remained like a child for the whole of his life in more than one way; it is said that all great men are bound to retain some infantile part. Even as an adult he continued to play, and this was another reason why he often appeared uncanny and incomprehensible to his contemporaties.- Sigmund Freud on Leonardo da Vinci, 1910
Two years ago, I was in Valladolid, Spain, and I came across the archeology museum. I realized that there was an exhibition with wooden models of the human body. But the advertising poster surprised me when it said that there was an original piece created by the hands of Leonardo da Vinci.
I immediately entered a beautiful building, all restored and with the latest technology. The exhibition was free and I felt privileged to be wandering through the city streets and have randomly stumbled upon a collection of that magnitude.
How was it possible to preserve human mannequins made of wood for more than 500 years? There were some incredibly well-built pieces for the time, which had served as models for Spain and Italy’s medical universities. The parts were used by students to study the human body.
In the very back of the last room, in great prominence, a wooden piece of just over 60 centimeters in height represented a man with his cavities open and the heart, lungs, and other organs in wood of different colors. It was built by Leonardo da Vinci five centuries ago. And I, unintentionally, on one of the many trips I take to Spain, was lucky enough to be less than a meter away from a piece of art by one of the greatest creators in the history of humankind.
Leonardo was born in Vinci, a few kilometers from Florence, Italy. We have the image of him as a wise old man with a beard due to his famous self-portrait, yet Leonardo was a young genius who never lost his human touch and, in a sense, maintained some childishness throughout adulthood. Both of these allowed him to maintain his creative genius until very late in his life.
After all, what is the human touch, why is it so important, and why do some have a more refined sense of it than others?
Touch is the meaning of being human.
I’m a father of two children. My two daughters were raised in the same way, in similar conditions, but exhibit different characteristics and personalities.
Their motivations and interests are immensely diverse.
My oldest daughter is now 14 years old and is entirely focused, disciplined, good at mathematics, and already knows what she wants to do when she grows up.
The youngest daughter is 11 years old, always as her head in the clouds, has infinite creativity, is super temperamental, is a master of words and communication, and changes her mind every week about what she wants to do when she grows up.
Unlike robots, humans can sense their purpose in life. They have an evolved biological compass that points them in the direction of their capabilities. Developing the human touch is a process through which he aligns his outer actions with his inner purpose.- John Pugliano in The Robots Are Coming
In the past, our work was valued for its mechanical nature, but with the arrival of technology and robots, a human being’s unique role will begin to have more influence and higher distinction in the world of work.
The human touch is, ultimately, the ability to create. The confluence of the logical process with emotional management will always be superior to artificial intelligence.
Humans can only be relevant in the age of robots if they are more human and less automated. Why? Humans don’t stand a chance when it comes to mechanical and repetitive work. Any boss who hires robots for this type of work will have the job done faster, more efficiently, and on top of that, the robot will never be in a bad mood, have problems at home, or send letters to the employer from the workers’ union.
The best workers of the future will be those who develop their human touch above all else. Today, in the digital age, the most successful entrepreneurs have an open, honest, and emotionally connected relationship with their audience.
Creativity is intelligence having fun.
Humanity’s creative power is extremely complex.
Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, Mona Lisa, represents more than a woman smiling. This work of art prompted some of the most diverse theories developed by highly creative minds about a single work of art.
The spirit of the human touch can take us to places never imagined before. While the symbols we choose to represent our imaginations are timeless, they also represent a moment, a context. Even the most outstanding specialists have extreme difficulty deciphering hieroglyphs or cave art.
As much as we try to read the symbols, they were created in a particular context. The message that was created tried to transmit to the future what happened in that present. But the improbability of communication is a constant between generations, and it will never disappear. Only the symbols remain, but outside of the context in which they were created, they produce new ideas and new creations that lead the ordinary human to develop deep emotional connections and interpretations.
The symbols of Nike, Audi, or Dolce & Gabbana were creations within a specific context, but after becoming famous, they became the imaginary creations of each of us, because we imbue those symbols with their meaning and desirability.
Robots cannot achieve this emotional interpretation of symbols or create narratives because they cannot feel.
Humans feel, interpret, and get emotional.
Final Thought
It’s almost ironic that Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings evolved into the creation of robots.
One of the most iconic creators of all time, and art production being the culmination of human touch, da Vinci created work that evolved into machines devoid of humanity.
The human touch, combined with emotion and creativity, will be the center of creating a new world order.
Thousands of post-industrial revolution jobs will no longer make sense in the coming decades. Mechanized jobs or those using mathematical calculations will be quickly replaced by algorithms and robots.
The prices of technology are deflationary, so the technology will be more and more evolved and cheaper. It will no longer have an intrinsic value. The real value will come from human creation, from the relationships between emotional thinking beings who project the future.
The way we evolve our internal compasses will determine our capacity to distinguish ourselves from each other. Creation will be at the center of production and work. We will no longer need to produce consumables. Instead, we’ll start building other services and needs that are yet to be created.
Nobody knows what new paths this robotization will lead us on.
One thing is for sure: robots are about to take our jobs and that will only bring more facilities and wealth for all of us- or at least for those who know how to adapt intelligently.
Above all, whoever believes that human touch and creation will be at the center of value, will have an advantage over others.
Start now to develop your personal attributes to stand out. The world will increasingly need your human touch.
Start searching your internal compass for all the unique abilities you have and without realizing it, you will find love and happiness.
The path is made by walking forward.
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