What Is It To Be Human?

anger freedom transformation Apr 20, 2021

I lost my cool the other day. Hunched over my computer, I became indignant at the gazillionth time I was asked to complete some mind-numbing task to prove I am not a robot. 

When did we cross the line into the digital age so conclusively that we need to self-identify as human passing tests determined by AI’s? How has sliding little puzzle pieces or identifying crosswalks become proof of humanness? 

I have my concerns over incoming transhumanist moves and this agitates the issue for me. 

So here is my attempt at regaining my freedom from a challenge by reframing my perspective:

Underneath this 'prove you are not a robot' request, is a classic spiritual practice- an opportunity to contemplate one of life's greatest questions: "Who am I?"

Even better, the question asks us to check ourselves - because we do appear to be collectively slipping into roboticness - living our lives out in automated responses, glued to our gadgets.

With our routines and our prejudices, we live so much of our life on autopilot. Our days are overly familiar. We don't pay much attention to most of it. Present moment connection has been lost. Where is real aliveness?

So, how funny that the robots themselves are reflecting back to us many times a day this invitation: Prove you are not a robot! 
The banal is revealing a spiritual practice to re-awaken to life. An invitation to refresh the gaze, regain awareness to the present moment and lift ourselves out of habituated reactive modes of existing.

So, the next time I see a request to 'prove I am not a robot', I will use it as a springboard of potential to decondition my mind and find freshness. 
To regain my curiosity for that present moment and sit in the mystery of this crazy wild life.
For I do not want to waste this life in a robotic haze of programmed responses.
I wish to be present to this moment's wondrousness.

So thank you robots, for this chance to remember and reclaim my humanness.

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