I challenged myself today to not look at a single map on my phone, as well as not checking my watch a single time. Doing these two things felt uncomfortable, like someone was putting a blindfold over me.
Instead, I relied exclusively on the signs that the Camino provided: the conch shells and the yellow arrow.
It is remarkable to me that these signs are scattered across the entire northern part of Spain, and that it is theoretically possible to do the entire Camino with just those signs. I experienced it today, and I will be doing the same the rest of my time. I effectively wandered for 5 hours and submitted completely to the physical sensations of the experience.
Honestly one of the best walks this entire Camino. I mostly didn’t know how far I had walked (there were some signs), and that was great. I didn’t know how fast I walked and I was happy to not know. I got slightly lost once or twice but never strayed too far from the path.
I allowed the purest form of the world to give to me and told it in response that it was enough. Even as I became hungry once or twice, I would cross a tree lush with ripe cherries.
I guarantee you that didn’t appear on Google Maps.
At around the halfway point today, I passed by a piece of art that seemed to reference a similar phenomenon, convenient as it is that I was experiencing these thoughts regardless. The caption read: "La Humanidad sufre las consecuencias de su Progreso incontrolado ¿Cuándo conseguiremos armonizar ciencia y Naturaleza?”
Apologies that this picture isn’t taken at the best angle.
Roughly translated: “Humanity suffers the consequences of uncontrollable progress. When will science and nature finally live in harmony?”
The point stands regardless if you replace the word “science” with the word “technology.” I appreciated the additional encouragement for my tech detox.
All of this gives me inspiration to talk about technology and its impact on politics and society, but reframed through where I situate myself. The middle of the mountains of León in Spain is a very different place than Silicon Valley, CA (where I grew up), or the middle of a university, to be thinking about this - that much has become very apparent to me.
I will first say that there is a certain soullessness to technology that feels impersonal and impossible to shake. The blue dot on my map showing where I am in the world. Touch screen machines at the local McDonalds. ChatGPT’s response to any question that involves a level of human emotion. And when AI one day reaches the point that such soullessness disappears completely, I think I’ll be a little freaked out, if it happens in my lifetime.
Next, folks in favor of automation who argue in favor of innovation and scaled up job opportunity might remind us of the Industrial Revolution and Luddite opposition to development - aren’t we glad we didn’t listen to the Luddites?
To me, though, healthy skepticism is almost as good a driver of innovation as anything. The best technologists and innovators of any time era constantly criticize their own work, wandering toward their goal of making their product impenetrable to doubt or risk or imperfection. Just in the same way that I have forced myself to publicize my ideas, rendering them vulnerable to skepticism.
And they don’t have a map to help them. One idea evolves into another. One signpost leads to another. And there is no sign telling them how far is left to go.
Clearly many of the folks in public service do not understand technology very well, which is where misplaced criticism leads to counterproductive regulation - and this is how regulation has become framed as anti innovation. I believe that at its best, regulation is what will allow technology to be the best it can be - a tool for humanity, instead of making humanity its tool. At which point, technology represents the wandering that your fellow humans have done, so that you don’t have to worry so much about getting lost. But it doesn’t mean you can’t explore.
I’ve become subordinate to my watch tracking my distance, Google Maps tracking my location. And I can’t even say how much of my experience has been lost as a result. I almost wish there was signage on the Camino encouraging people like myself to get off our phone maps and just follow the signs.
Feeling like I removed a blindfold.