“If you don’t want to be replaced by a machine, don’t try to act like one.”
-Arno Allan Penzias
Though at times we may think we are functioning like a well oiled machine, I hate to break the news to you, we aren’t machines. We are human beings or as I to to refer to us: human doings. And that is a good thing. Besides who wants to go through life acting like a robot with not a hint of any redeeming qualities as a person. Arno Allan Penzias warned us that if we don’t want to be replaced by a machine, then we shouldn’t try to act like one. Penzias is an American physicist, radio astronomer and Nobel laureate in physics and co-discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation, which helped establish the Big Bang theory of cosmology.
As the saying goes, to err is human. In other words it is normal for people to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. Machines aren’t either and they have their own flaws too. The difference is the response you get from a machine is artificial. When it comes from a human being it is more genuine. There is more emotion that is put into the response too.
Remember we aren’t machines. Unlike machines we have the ability to regulate our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing our stress, controlling our impulses, and motivating oneself. Machines are just programmed to perform a function and that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. So don’t try to be like everyone else like a machine only knows how to do. Just be you and manage yourself and your own life.
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards managing yourself better?