Oh, what a party it was! Kevin Kelly, the man who’s made a career out of his childlike openness to explore the complex world of science, technology, and culture, turned 71 this month. Instead of the usual adult festivities, he opted for a bubble maker, a magic show, an ice cream truck, and toy train demonstrations. Among the guests were Matt Mullenweg, Hugh Howey, Stewart Brand, and Jaron Lanier. In these times of looming AI omnipresence, perhaps we could all benefit from adopting this youthful attitude.
Kelly’s latest book, Excellent Advice for Living, is a collection of life lessons condensed into several hundred aphorisms. One of them reads, “Don’t be the best. Be the only.”It’s a mix of virtues, practical survival tips, and familiar sayings with a twist, such as “It’s hard to cheat an honest person.”The book began as a way to share wisdom with his children, now young adults, but soon took on a life of its own.
As I skimmed through the pages of wisdom, I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of nuggets. It reminded me of Polonius’ “Neither a borrower or lender be”speech in Hamlet. To which Kelly responded, “I don’t know who that is.”He admits that consuming his aphorisms all at once might be a bit much and suggests that they might be better suited for social media posts.
But still, the book is undeniably Kelly, a man who Tim Ferris once called “the most interesting man in the world.”He’s a podcast star, an AI oracle, and a digital artist who has been an early adopter of technology since the days of computer conferencing in the early 1980s. He even self-published a 30-pound, three-volume photo book of his decades-long journey through unseen Asia. It’s no wonder he’s a cult figure in China and continues to contribute as WIRED’s official Senior Maverick.
Kelly’s optimism about technology is infectious, even if it’s hard to ignore the potential problems that new advancements might bring. He believes that technology’s arc bends toward good and that our capacity to solve problems is growing faster than the problems themselves. This optimism is something Kelly has not only nurtured in himself but has made a deliberate effort to strengthen.
Though he has his fair share of misses in predicting the future of technology, Kelly remains steadfast in his belief that the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks. He thinks fear of an AI apocalypse is a romantic fantasy and that intelligence is overrated. Instead, he argues that optimism and enthusiasm are the key to embracing the future and all the possibilities it holds.
So, as we face an uncertain future with AI and other technological advancements, maybe we should take a page out of Kevin Kelly’s book. Embrace our inner child, approach the world with optimism, and strive not to be the best, but to be the only.
