Good article Douglas.

I remember back in the day when I was feeling my oats (I was 38) as an English 12 teacher, and was having dinner with an former English prof turned mentor, turned friend, and ultimately turned father.

I was using 'metaphorically speaking' a lot.

Eventually, he tired of me pointing out how brilliant I was at the use of metaphor.

"Wakeham!' he slammed his hand on the table, "Just what is a metaphor!"

I was stunned by the outburst. I stammered out the dictionary definition.

"I know that! Just what is a metaphor?

"It's the umbrella for comparing two unalike things," I actually stuttered. "Like m-m-metonymy, I wonder what Washington would say? We accept that Washington stands for the US Government."

"I know that! What is a metaphor?"

I sat back in silence and then eventually said, "Its to show the interconnectedness of all things."

"Aah."

I quickly drained my wine.

On my walk home I got it.

I was telling him when to recognize my use of metaphor with a patronizing 'pat on my back' pronouncement.

So what does this have to do with your article?

Back in 2004, I brought in a group of psychologists to talk about anxiety as a pro-d for my colleagues.

Essentially they corroborated what many of us were seeing. That the 'metaphorical connection to all things' had dissipated for our students: especially to the natural world.

No, their metaphors were fast becoming connections to the computer/digital world.

Their anxiety levels were hitting the roof because they were basing their 'performance' on the actions of a machine.

They were of course unconsciously judging themselves as having to be 'perfect...as perfect as that new laptop...without of course furthering the comparison and understanding that computers crash.

Or need to be turned off and rebooted...how ironic considering the billion-plus disconnect-neural reconnect that the puberty infused teenage brain undergoes.

That was way back in 2004!

I think it's far worse now.

I am hoping that the diminishment of rational critical thinking, because in part of our use of, and reliance on, the computer, and incredible dependence on being constantly connected, will subside.

Because as most studies show, when in an anxious agitated state, the amygdala short circuits rational thought and puts us into a more primitive flight or fight response.

And that can't be a good thing.

After all, the computer is modelled after the human brain and not the converse: as you so ably point out.

However, I am hoping that most of us will indeed 'ponder the relationship of the part to the whole, the individual to the collective, and the human to the team.'

BTW: Gordon Raymond Elliott was his name. I miss him something fierce.