Knowledge Isn’t Everything

New Jersey

Michael is 27 years old. He is a computer programmer for the state of New Jersey and also my cousin. We were hanging out at a family dinner-- one that Michael tried to get out of because he wanted to watch a very important Mets game. To check the score, he whipped out his NEW iPhone! His face lit up as he showed it to me. I got the feeling that he had been counting the minutes since he got to the house for its big reveal. “I love this phone. It’s amazing. My girlfriend and 2 friends chipped in and bought it for my birthday. It’s changed my life.” Michael said that anytime he needs anything, he checks the iPhone. “This phone has helped me stay in bed an extra ½ hour every morning. I check the weather, my email, google stuff, you name it. Anytime I need to know anything. BAM. I got it.”

A little over two weeks later I hung out with Michael and a few of his friends at his apartment to play Wii. We were all talking and once again, Michael took out his iPhone. I said how Michael looooooves his new phone—but I didn’t get the response I expected.

Michael shrugged and said, “Yeah, but it makes me lazy.” Mike's friends chimed in and said that in they always used to debate about some random thing, argue who was right and get all into it and promise to eventually look up the answer. But now, because they have the answer at their fingertips, they just look it up. It turns out, they actually miss not knowing!

Implication: people are sure to lust after new products as they come out. But for the relationship to last we've got to find our place within their lives. Being an encyclopedia only gets you so far.... lets not take the fun out of it.